Today’s fast-paced business environment demands a different kind of HR executive: one which can facilitate all aspects of change within an organisation. With 73% of CEOs and 66% of heads of HR expecting HR to implement change faster than it did three years ago*, there is increasing pressure and scrutiny placed on HR to ensure change projects deliver the required business benefits.
So, where does HR fit in the overall change project and what skills can be maximised in order to ensure change is implemented throughout the organisation as seamlessly as possible?
As a function, HR is responsible for managing workforce engagement and productivity and for ensuring any internal issues or resistance are kept to a minimum to avoid business disruption. Employees lie at the heart of every organisation and it is upon their performance that the success of an organisation rests. The mindset, actions, reactions and behaviours of each employee will ultimately dictate the success of organisational change.
When we align this with the goals of change management (the people side of change), it is clear that these two shouldn’t be thought of as islands with no lines of communication or crossover but instead, merging them together should be considered a priority for encouraging project success and a streamlined approach to change.
The responsibilities for HR in regards to change projects augment their day-to-day responsibilities within an organisation's HR function:
- Accompanying, supporting and equipping directly impacted managers and employees through change.
- Ensuring that sponsors and line managers effectively communicate and coach impacted employees so they become comfortable and competent enough to adopt and use new ways of working associated with the introduction of new capabilities.
- Liaising with and/or leading the change management team on specific change projects.
- Measuring the effectiveness of change and setting target KPIs, especially around productivity improvements, for specific change projects.
Alignment of the HR function as a complementary role to your change management efforts will help to accelerate the change enablement of your organisation, ensuring the organisation can cope with more change faster than it's competitors.
Want to learn more?
If you’re looking to further your HR career by equipping yourself, or your team, with the right tools and approach for managing change, consider becoming a certified change management practitioner with CMC Partnership.
Download our course brochure to learn more about this all-encompassing 3-day programme, covering subjects including Sponsorship, Resistance Management and Communication.
*https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/change-management/hr-change-management
