In today’s world, change is the new constant.
In fact, according to Gartner, a typical organisation of today has undertaken five major changes in the past three years, with nearly 75% expecting to multiply the types of major change initiatives they will undertake in the coming three years.
Despite this, though, half of all change initiatives fail - and only 34% are labelled a success.
When it comes to change management, the most important factor of all for driving effective change is the people. In fact, the reason that most change management efforts fail is because the people and culture of the organisation in question are not properly prepared or aligned.
It’s no wonder, then, that HR is so important in change management and should be involved from the very beginning.
But how can outsourcing your HR help you to drive effective change? Read on to discover how outsourced HR services can help you to achieve your change ambitions.
Change management defined
To keep pace in today’s constantly evolving business world, change management is essential. But what is change management?
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, change management is the systematic approach and application of knowledge, tools and resources to deal with change.
Essentially, it involves defining and adopting corporate strategies, structures, procedures and technologies to handle internal and external changes. The primary goal of change management is to successfully implement new processes and business strategies while minimising negative outcomes.
The role of HR in change management
As we said above, effective change management is all about the people, which means HR has a significant role to play in change management programmes.
Generally speaking, there are four stages of successful change management, and the HR function is, by its very nature, involved in each stage:
- Define - Determining and aligning expectations regarding the scope of the change as well as the impact it will have on the organisation.
- Plan - Understanding how the change will impact both stakeholders and employees and designing a strategy to help them navigate it in a respectful way.
- Implement - Engaging with organisation leaders to drive and execute the change and manage it effectively.
- Sustain - Working with both leaders and employees to uncover feedback, establish metrics, track adoption levels, and drive lasting change.
4 ways that outsourcing your HR can drive effective change
1. Access change management professionals
Because change management is so people-focused, there is no denying the importance of HR in the change management process. However, change management is about more than just people. Rather, it is a discipline with its own process, methodology, and tools - which is why if your organisation is going to drive effective change, you need to access change management professionals.
Although outsourcing your HR can seem counter-productive at a time when emotions are already high, hiring the services of experienced change management professionals can ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible, allowing your organisation to mitigate risk and succeed in its change initiatives.
2. Ensure you are compliant
When your organisation is undergoing a period of change, it is essential that you remain compliant and keep up to date with ever changing rules and regulations. Employment and labour laws are constantly changing, and staying up to date with laws and regulations is essential for a smooth transition in the workplace and also to ensure that your business minimises risk and remains compliant.
ith so much going on, it can be easy to let the ball drop when it comes to compliance. However, by outsourcing your HR, you can make sure that you remain compliant at all times - especially if your organisation is expanding globally and needs to abide by employment laws and legislations in various locations.
3. Free up your time to focus on other things
Transformation projects require a significant level of effort in communications, which can often exceed your in-house capacity. Essentially, somethings got to give - and another way that outsourcing your HR can help with change management is by saving your organisation a significant amount of time, allowing you to focus on the core competencies of the business.
Outsourced HR services enable you to delegate other essential processes such as hiring and recruitment during this integral time, freeing up your time to focus on other business-critical issues and enabling you to nurture strong relationships with your employees during the implementation stage of your change management programme.
4. Ensure everyone is aligned
Significant organisational changes can, of course, create ongoing conflict between different locations - especially when there are differences in language, times zones, and business practices to contend with too. Common change initiative problems in multi-country businesses include a lack of partnerships, differences in markets, and issues with accountability, to name but a few.
However, if change management is going to be successful, it is essential that the people and the organisation are both prepared and aligned. In order to help avoid change-related pitfalls and achieve your objectives, HR outsourcing can provide one point of contact, streamlining the process and ensuring that everyone is aligned.
Need further help with your change management?
In summary, HR is the cornerstone of a successful business with a robust structure and an engaged workforce that supports business growth.
If you need help driving effective change in your organisation, contact Activpayroll today to learn more about how our network of dedicated, knowledgeable HR professionals can help you to facilitate change.