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4 April-June 2018 • Workforce Solutions Review • www.ihrim.org

(Feature #1– WSR Apr-June 2018)

Karen Halladay and Sabrina Clay, H2R-Solutions

HR’s Role in Change Management We have all heard the quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus,“the only thing constant is change,” and it’s true. In a world where business climates continue to become more complex, change is downright necessary. Organizations are regularly improving processes by implementing innovative ideas and technologies to enhance how they operate, support their employees, and serve their clients. It’s no secret that how these ideas and technologies are planned for and implemented can determine the successful realization of these changes. Implementation success also dictates how these new ideas and technologies are utilized moving forward. Therefore, a strategic approach is necessary to preserve the objective and design to achieve success. This strategic approach holds especially true for implementations for human capital management (HCM) solutions. It's unmistakable that the business performance benefits of a solid HCM system are vast. In short, they create efficiencies and provide automation for the effective management of a business’s workforce and the associated critical data. For these systems to be properly sustained and fully embraced, it is important that they are communicated and staged in a way that demonstrates their value and ease of use. Communication that truly helps the end users to understand “what’s in it for them.” Reaching this goal begins with a strategic change management plan, which plays an essential role in the implementation. Let’s take a look at the change management plan as it relates to implementation. Assuming buy-in is in place and you’re ready to start planning, think of the many stages to consider when kicking off your project. While it may appear that change management is a step that occurs at the end of a project or implementation, the reality is it should be an integral part of the project from beginning to end. Change management, in simple terms, is the process in which the change is communicated and implemented within an organization. But change, if not managed properly, can be disruptive to workplace productivity, as well as to the project. These workplace disruptions cannot only cause delays in the forward movement of the project, they can also impact the day-to-day activities within the workplace and even buy-in of the project itself by the end users. All of this can place your shiny new technology on a collision course with disaster. So, how is this avoided? By effective change management, and, in determining the most effective caretaker for change management, consider the role of Human Resources. While HR serves many capacities within an organization, when it comes right down to it, they are an agent of the people. So it

We have all heard the quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus,“the only thing constant is change,” and it’s true. In a world where business climates continue to become more complex, change is downright necessary. Organizations are regularly improving processes by implementing innovative ideas and technologies to enhance how they operate, support their employees, and serve their clients. It’s no secret that how these ideas and technologies are planned for and implemented can determine the successful realization of these changes. Implementation success also dictates how these new ideas and technologies are utilized moving forward. Therefore, a strategic approach is necessary to preserve the objective and design to achieve success.

This strategic approach holds especially true for implementations for human capital management (HCM) solutions. It’s unmistakable that the business performance benefits of a solid HCM system are vast. In short, they create efficiencies and provide automation for the effective management of a business’s workforce and the associated critical data. For these systems to be properly sustained and fully embraced, it is important that they are communicated and staged in a way that demonstrates their value and ease of use. Communication that truly helps the end users to understand “what’s in it for them.” Reaching this goal begins with a strategic change management plan, which plays an essential role in the implementation.

Let’s take a look at the change management plan as it relates to implementation. Assuming buy-in is in place and you’re ready

to start planning, think of the many stages to consider when kicking off your project. While it may appear that change management is a step that occurs at the end of a project or implementation, the reality is it should be an integral part of the project from beginning to end. Change management, in simple terms, is the process in which the change is communicated and implemented within an organization. But change, if not managed properly, can be disruptive to workplace productivity, as well as to the project.

These workplace disruptions cannot only cause delays in the forward movement of the project, they can also impact the day-to-day activities within the workplace and even buy- in of the project itself by the end users. All of this can place your shiny new technology on a collision course with disaster.

So, how is this avoided? By effective change management, and, in determining the most effective caretaker for change management, consider the role of Human Resources. While HR serves many capacities within an organization, when it comes right down to it, they are an agent of the people. So it stands to reason that they are an agent of change as well. As a trusted advisor, HR not only communicates change, they can improve employee buy-in for organizational change. Their role is to ensure that employees are motivated to undertake and accept change. They understand that while some people embrace change, others fear it. Change can alter the enthusiasm with which employees perform their jobs, and they may wonder how it will impact their day and their “work life.” Human Resources provides the platform for

feature

HR’s Role in Change Management

(Feature #1– WSR Apr-June 2018)

Karen Halladay and Sabrina Clay, H2R-Solutions

www.ihrim.org

www.ihrim.org • Workforce Solutions Review • April-June 2018 5

employees to give their voice or ask questions related to their concerns. Human Resources is built to address employee concerns and is, for this reason, an excellent channel to address how change is communicated and managed.

“Our world is constantly changing and as human resources leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that our organizations change with it. Change, however, is a fine art. It’s not so much about changing fast, but changing in an intelligent, sustainable, and unwavering way,” offers Jessica Beltran, vice president of Human Resources of Endeavor Schools. She adds, “We must understand the strategic value of change to be able to convey it properly. It then becomes a matter of managing the intricacies of the process and, most importantly, the complex human emotions that come with it. It’s art at its best!”

Change is a transformation, an evolution of sorts. Leaders of change must inspire fluidity, which calls on communicating the need for change. As human resources professionals navigate these waters, it is their responsibility to not only manage change, but also manage the transition. To get the most out of your implementation, here are some practical change management tips to consider:

1. Lead with Culture – Your culture is the temperature at which your company performs internally. It is the lifeblood of your organization. It is ever-present and begins with the first impression made to a new employee. And, as the heartbeat of the company, Human Resources is best situated as the “officers” of corporate culture, with a front-row-center seat in promoting and influencing a healthy company atmosphere. An important part of managing change is to be in tune not just with gauging support, but gauging resistance. Tapping into the energy of your culture will go a long way toward gaining the attention of people who can influence and boost the initiative’s outcome.

2. Find Catalysts for Change – Human Resources can help to identify champions

of change who can be involved in the process real-time. These are the people who can help communicate the positive messaging that project sponsors and corporate leadership want to be carried through the company to promote an overall acceptance of the change. Employees want to be involved, and this is an excellent way to show them you care about their ideas and their vision.

3. Communicate with Meaning – Change can be scary, yet it can be exciting as well. If we go back to the good old “five W’s” (who, what, when, where, why?), one of the most overlooked “W” is why. You explain who is involved, what the solution is, when the solution is expected to go live, where it will impact and sit within the organization, but have you addressed – really addressed – why? The answer to why the solution is being implemented has already been defined, and it was a huge component of the business case, yet it rarely makes its way to the people most impacted by the change. Think about your personal methods of buying into an idea. If you understand why something is happening, you are better equipped to accept the idea. It is no different with your workforce. Understanding the “why” will also help your workforce to recognize “what’s in it for them,” as mentioned earlier.

4. Inform Early and Often – Dropping a bomb never goes well, and a one-and- done approach can promote confusion. Keeping people informed is best served in layers as it gives them time to absorb the information being delivered. And, there is nothing wrong with adding a town-hall type of meeting to address questions real- time. Town halls are great for comradery and keeping everyone informed. They allow for questions to be asked and answered real-time. Look at these ideas as multiple opportunities to “paint the picture” of the new future state.

5. Set Process Goals – Identify what you are trying to accomplish with the new HCM system. Is there a focus on

“Our world is constantly changing and as human resources leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure that our organizations change with it.” –Jessica Beltran

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6 April-June 2018 • Workforce Solutions Review • www.ihrim.org

improving benefit management? Employee relations? Data integrity? All of the above? Human Resources keeps the wheels on that bus. They know where deficits lie in the organization and the impact those deficits create. As experts in this arena, Human Resources is the perfect contributor to outline areas of process improvement.

6. Include Ample Training – Training is one of the single most overlooked com- ponents of change management. With so much emphasis being placed on the implementation itself, how to properly and effectively maneuver through the system is just as important. To ensure that the system performs as designed, think about the two types of training that are needed. Simply focusing on system training can leave a knowledge gap. Layering in training on process and policy will drive the right behaviors and underscore accuracy from the onset. To ensure ongoing performance success, consider recurring training as well. Complicated training manuals cannot replace the learning process benefits gained by real-time interaction. As a support mechanism, it is also a best practice to sup- port your training efforts with a toolkit that includes job aids. These easy-to-use tools

are especially important for employee self- service components that require each em- ployee to access and manage information in a new system. Much like football teams attend spring training, it’s important to en- sure that the people running the system and processes receive proper and ongoing train- ing to succeed. Consider Human Resources as your “coach” in this area.

In closing, as you consider your project team, make sure to give Human Resources a prominent seat at the table. They need to be considered as much more than simply a sup- porting function and instead must be recog- nized as a strategic ingredient in an organiza- tion’s change management strategy. Human Resources is equipped with the background and knowledge to effectively and efficiently manage changes large and small. They are change leaders, planners, educators, advisors, and participants. The benefits of this ap- proach are everlasting, with the final reward of positively impacting and improving a culture of employees who will gladly participate in change initiatives moving forward.

About the Authors Karen Halladay Making lives better and caring about people. That’s what lured Karen Halladay, founder/CEO of H2R-Solutions, into the human resources industry more than 20 years ago. She oversees the company’s operations, best practices and strategic plan. She brings profound experience to the firm including HR information systems expertise and implementation, payroll management, compliance, recruiting, employee relations, benefits, negotiations, organizational development, budget management, strategic planning, change management, and diversity management. She exemplifies H2R-Solution’s com- mitment to helping its clients achieve high performance. She has led numerous HR departments, building several from scratch, including staff and policy development, benefits enhancement, compensation analysis and strategy, and HRIS selection and implementation. She has been key to multiple mergers and acquisitions, managing all aspects of the HR due diligence process. She can be reached at karen.halladay@h2r-solutions.com.

Sabrina Clay Creating solutions is what drives Sabrina Clay, president of H2R Solutions. She joined the company to do just that. A proven leader, she has deep expertise in developing strong client relationships, a passion for solution development, and a disciplined focus on operations and execution. She establishes the company’s long-range goals, plans, and strategies to support company growth and shape the future of the business. She works closely with H2R-Solutions’ clients to solve problems and develop processes that improve their overall strategic direction. She brings a wealth of knowledge and has more than 26 years of experience in employee relations, negotiations, process improvement, policy development, payroll management, and independent contractor compliance, providing clients with unique solutions that reduce cost and miti- gate risk. She can be reached at sabrina.clay@h2r-solutions.com.

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