8 Ways to Help Employees With Change in the Workplace

In this 2023 guide, we explore how to design and develop a company culture that supports change in the workplace

All companies experience change. It’s a necessary part of each business’ evolution and can arise from external factors such as emerging technologies and economic cycles. Or it might be more internal – an attempt to fix flawed processes and communication breakdowns.

But no matter how essential change is, it can be hard to navigate.

During times of change, employees can become anxious and resistant. Some even actively oppose new strategies when faced with uncertainty and upheaval. In order to drive change successfully, business leaders must get employees excited and ensure employee buy-in and commitment. So how can businesses go about managing change in the workplace effectively?

Here, we explore eight key strategies on how to lead change successfully. We’ll discuss how to ensure you are helping employees to embrace change effectively while giving them the support and stability they need. These strategies can also help you design and develop a company culture that supports ongoing change so when change happens, it isn’t so jarring — it might even be exciting.

Companies in the financial sector have undergone a huge transformational change over recent years — read our financial services employee engagement report on how financial industry leaders succeeded through organisational change

1. Don’t Just Jump In – Create an Action Plan

Sometimes the need to adapt and change is urgent and you feel you need to dive in immediately. However, jumping in without any real structure or plan in place is a recipe for disaster. And you can hardly blame your employees for feeling disinclined to change if they don’t feel they are supported with a solid framework. 

Organisational changes should be planned out with a broad outline for the reasons for change. Within this plan, managers should define its scope and create a detailed roadmap for the steps that will be taken. This plan will make it much easier to communicate the change to your employees and monitor the progress of the change itself.

We have detailed guidance on how to go about this planning phase in our whitepaper on action planning for positive change in the workplace. Click here for your free action planning framework,

2. Prioritise Transparency and With Every Change, Explain the “Why”

Both transparency and authenticity are vital when helping employees embrace change. When senior management is clear and honest about the change process, employees are inevitably more comfortable, stable and secure navigating change.

Throughout the change initiative, take the time to schedule meetings with employees to openly discuss the change process. Allow employees the time to ask all the questions they need. You should also take this opportunity to be clear on exactly what is happening and — importantly — why.

According to one source, transparent and open sharing of information is critical for creating certainty. The same source points out that when employees are out of the loop, they trust their managers and co-workers less, feel less loyalty toward the company and are less motivated to perform. This is because our brains interpret ambiguity as threatening. We also perceive it as a social rejection, making employees feel like strangers in their own company.

There is no reason not to keep employees in the loop — whether the change is major or minor. Discuss what the change is about, why it’s essential and what the outcomes will be. You should also keep the dialogue positive. If the rhetoric surrounding the change initiative is exciting, employees are more likely to be excited themselves.

3. Use Employee Feedback as a Springboard for Meaningful Change in the Workplace

Employees will feel more excited about change if they have a say in it and it stems from what they want and what they have requested. To prevent employees from seeing an initiative as “change for the sake of change”, take the time to highlight where the change originated. If it is the result of employee feedback, employees will feel involved —and more inclined to share their input in future.

Effective organisational change can result from employee feedback — your employees are a goldmine of information. Don’t just ask for feedback once a year. Make sure the exchange of information is frequent and let your employees know their opinions are always welcome. Your reassurance will create a positive cycle of feedback, review, change, implementation and further feedback. Remember, feedback throughout the change is important — you need to know how your employees are adjusting and how you can help them embrace change.

There are several listening strategies (or listening mechanisms) you can employ at your company to ensure you helping your employees embrace change the right way.

Download our PEARL model to understand how you can best measure employee engagement 

4. Emotional Intelligence helps Employees Embrace Change in the Workplace

It’s not all about IQ. Sometimes, in leadership, it’s more about emotional intelligence. Business leaders need to show they are human and understand change is difficult. Change can be scary for many people. Supportive and understanding leadership can make a huge difference in this area. Senior leaders and line managers need to demonstrate compassion and empathy to guide their team through obstacles and change.

Emotional intelligence contributes to effective change management in several important ways. Far from being a “soft skill”, it’s a real necessity in the modern working environment.

5. Mould Your Company Culture by Rewarding Acceptance

Some employees will be slow to adapt to change, while others will be more proactive and accepting. To develop an organisational culture that embraces change, start by rewarding acceptance. Publicly reward employees who show they embrace change, have a good attitude and who are trying to make the transition easier for other employees. This move will help to limit resistance — to not only this change but the changes to come — while reinforcing the idea that change can represent positive opportunities.

6. Connect Employees with a Deeper Sense of Purpose — Don’t Make It All about the Bottom Line

In his TED talk, Jim Hemerling discusses the fact people usually approach self-transformation with excitement. People talk positively about making personal changes and they are driven to accomplish them. So why is it so different in an organisation?

Jim suggests that business leaders should take the focus away from financial goals to make change motivating and energising to employees. Instead, they should attempt to connect with a deeper sense of purpose. Your employees should already be well aware of your company’s purpose. So take the time to show your employees how this change will further that purpose while complementing your organisational values.

7. Emphasise what will Remain the Same to help Employees Embrace Change

To help your team members embrace new change programmes, you should emphasise what will remain the same. People have evolved to favour familiarity — this is something we can’t avoid entirely. According to a recent study published in the Academy of Management Journal, a root cause of resistance to change is the fact employees identify (and care for) their organisations. They don’t want them to change so radically that they become unidentifiable — and so somewhere they are no longer comfortable working.

For this reason, organisations should emphasise what will never change. Determine what is central to your organisation — your purpose and what you stand for — and make it clear this is unalterable. This will give your employees a sense of security and stability during times of change, and help them embrace smaller changes that won’t impact their company at a fundamental level.

8. Provide Ongoing Support After Changes Take Place

Organisational change is a journey. Your job isn’t done once the change is implemented. In fact, this is where the real work begins. Managers should have an open-door policy at this stage, allowing employees to raise issues and concerns as and when. Regular one-on-ones should be carried out with employees to ensure they are clear on the change and its progress. Help should be offered and managers should keep an eye out for warning signs that employees are struggling, uncertain or unhappy. For more information, we have a guide on supporting employees through uncertainty. Done the right way, with the right training, tools and resources, managers can get employees excited about changes in their environments and build a stronger, more competitive business.

Are you looking to measure and develop an effective employee engagement strategy? Get in touch with us today to see how our employee surveys and consultancy services can help.