Helping Employees Deal With Change in the Workplace
June 4th, 2013As one of the leading staffing agencies in Spokane, Washington, Provisional knows that many people are resistant to change. But when it comes to maintaining a competitive advantage as a company, change is necessary. So how do you reconcile the two – and help employees embrace change rather than stonewall it? Here are some tips to help you:
Communicate Often and Openly.
The single biggest issue when it comes to change in the workplace is that employees generally don’t feel like management was open with them about change. You may feel uncertain about the future and don’t want to communicate that uncertainty to your team. But in the process, you’re setting the stage for anxiety and frustration.
Instead, be open and communicate with all the impacted parties about what you do know. Invite them into the planning process so they feel like they have a stake in it. Communicate how the changes will impact the company as a whole, as well as them individually.
Provide Support.
Provide the resources necessary for employees to deal with the change. It may require your team to learn new skills or take on new tasks. But making it known that they have access to the support they need will help to assuage their anxiety about the change.
Offer Incentives.
Sometimes people simply need a little push in order to get them to do what you want them to. So reward those who embrace the change and reprimand those who are unwilling to change. Also be sure that the incentives and new rules are outlined in the company policy handbook and discussed during employee appraisals.
Set an Example.
It’s up to leadership to get employees to buy-in to company changes. And to do so, you must understand why change is met with resistance. First, some employees may simply be too comfortable with the way things are; secondly, they may not think the change will work. So in order to overcome this resistance, you need to communicate and educate them about the benefits of the change to the company and to each of them individually.
In addition, employees aren’t going to embrace change if the company leadership is not. So be sure that you, along with other managers, are setting a good example.
Need to Change Team Members?
And if one of the changes you need to make at your company is to hire new staff, Provisional can help with the process. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Spokane, we specialize in identifying, attracting and recruiting top-tier professionals to create strategic teams with the experience, vision and character. Contact us today if you’re ready to learn more.
