Managing an HR change

Author: Debra Cadman

Summary

• The HR team must explore the business case behind any HR change proposition. (See Building a business case)
• Planning how the change will be managed will be key to the success of the project. The team should set out the details in a "charter for change" and a project plan. (See Planning the change)
• HR should calculate the cost of the change project in conjunction with the finance team. (See Costs)
• When planning the change project, HR should consider timescales for key tasks, drawing on, for example, previous experience of change within the organisation. (See Timescales)
• HR should appoint someone to oversee the change, as well as potentially a change management team. (See Roles and responsibilities)
• HR changes often arise from, or lead to, changes in information technology, so effective collaboration with the IT department will be essential. Technology can also help HR teams to embed a change more successfully, for example through gamification. (See Technology)
• There may need to be a different approach towards implementing the HR change in different areas of the organisation. (See A tailored approach)
• The impact of the change on employees is an essential consideration for HR. (See Human impact)
• Effective communication throughout the change programme is essential and can help to reduce resistance to the change. (See Communicating the change and Gaining buy-in and involving the organisation)
• HR should evaluate the impact of the change and ensure that any learning from the experience is taken into account in future change projects. (See Evaluation)