HR as an Agent of Change

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often..

Well, we couldn’t agree more!

Change, to an organization, is somewhat like what breathing is to man — Inevitable.

From implementing a new strategy, changing the entire organizational structure, introducing a new product, to employee onboarding and offboarding; there is always some sort of transition and evolution happening in the workplace!

Change is synonymous with growth and no successful organization is a stranger to the term “change” as they constantly interact with this process in many different ways. Many organizations are on the lookout for new trends that can be incorporated into their system in order not to be left in the past with old, outdated modus operandi.

The fact remains that it is essential to move with the ever-changing tide in the business world and even more essential to have “agents” guiding this transition process.

Considering that people are at the forefront of these change processes, as the recipients of whatever is being implemented, it only seems right that the HR team in every organization are the agents of change charged with ensuring a seamless and smooth transition. Don’t you agree?

HR professionals are usually tasked with ensuring that employees under their administration have the best possible experience. However, it is high time these sets of experts begin to look beyond merely aiding staff experience and begin to view themselves as crucial players on the organizational chessboard as agents of change. We’ll expand on this below starting with outlining who a change agent is.

A change agent refers to an individual who is invested in bringing about transformation within the organization or someone who enables change to happen within the organization. They achieve this by channeling their focus on organizational improvement, development, growth, and effectiveness. This individual carries the burden of managing any change process within the organization from structural, technological, or operational changes, as well as fostering or improving interpersonal relationships within the organization.

In the business world, a change agent suggests, supports, and facilitates a new or different means of carrying out organizational processes.

Change agents are known to wear many hats from acting as a coach, teacher, researcher, adviser, advocate, or planner, among others, depending on what the situation demands. Asides from suggesting or supporting the change process, they may also be assigned the task of planning and execution.

Overall, a change agent serves as a human link between the organization’s authority that approves or sponsors a change project and the people who are affected by the change. The individual expresses and communicates reasons for change, answers the questions surrounding the change process, and communicates the concerns of the people to the company’s executives. They also convince (where necessary) employees skeptical about the process and help them see how vital it is to the organization.

Even though change is an essential part of every organization, not many employers have hacked the process and this stands for many reasons, a few of them being; entrusting non-professionals with handling change processes, lack of adequate planning of the change process, refusing to take into consideration the beneficiaries of change which are the people, amongst others. Either way, it is not hard to see that HR professionals play a very significant role when it comes to organizational change.

How Are HR Professionals Agents of Change?

As mentioned above, Change agents are tasked with planning, implementation of the change process as well as helping the employees adapt to the new structure within the organization and it is without a doubt that HR professionals tick off all the boxes of the qualities of change agents.

Their job role includes all what change agents are and what they do seeing as their work is centered around the organization’s most valuable assets which are its people. They deal directly with employees, ensuring a comfortable and healthy workplace for all workers in the organization.

With their broad knowledge of organizational operations, they are more suited to observing patterns, predicting what needs to be changed, proposing a change plan, making decisions upon the approval of the organization’s executives, planning as well as implementing the change process.

Role of HR Professionals In Organizational Change

HR professionals, as change agents, play many roles that are pivotal to organizational change being executed successfully and accomplishing the desired result.

Having a broad knowledge of the organization is the most basic thing all HR professionals are expected to have, seeing as executives usually have high expectations of their HR managers.

The HR team is usually at the forefront of majority of the decision-making processes that usually impact the organization and they often play a dual role in change management by proposing, planning, initiating, and leading the change, and also by enabling the changes initiated by other administrators and departments within the organization.

What You Need to Be an Effective Change Agent In Your Organization

The basic idea behind HR professionals as change agents is modifying the capacity of the workforce or altering the organizational structure to improve and boost work output. Therefore, to be an effective change agent, there are fundamental qualities you are expected to have;

Know your organization

It is important to know your organization. Having a broad knowledge of how things work within the organization is essential if you are going to be proposing and implementing changes.

Know your employees

Change always encounters resistance and it is one sure thing to expect as a change agent. People are naturally opposed to the idea of change and so, to be an effective change agent, you are expected to know your employees. Identify those who are more open to change as well as those most likely to resist the change process and then map out a strategy on how you would implement the change with little to no resistance.

Understand that change is an organization-wide process

An organization is nothing without its people and vice-versa. To make changes within an organization is to change the people within it as well. Either by disrupting the usual operations or replacing people, the entire organization and its people will be impacted directly or indirectly. Understanding this fact is key to being an effective change agent.

Be relationship-oriented.

To implement change, you may have to move pieces across the organization’s chessboard and this usually requires a lot of skills. Communication skills, for one. Your message has to be clear and authentic for it to be accepted by the employees. You need to be able to properly communicate the need for change, the process for change, and what is expected of everyone involved in the change process. This would require you to have or develop a cordial relationship with your employees.

Lastly, be the change.

No better way to convince people to follow your suggestions than to live out your intentions. If HR can exemplify the change they are proposing before its execution, it can help persuade the doubtful employees and can make the process seamless and smooth.

If you reached this point, do share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment!