The Signficant Contributor to Organisation’s Success | Aparna Sharma | Consulting Editor | The People Management

For some, the prospect of change is something that is welcome and exciting, while for others, the thought of change can induce anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. Be that as it may, organizational change is often necessary. No matter what the nature of the change may be, Human resources leaders can and should play a significant part in supporting change.

Roles of HR Leadership in Supporting Change:

In any change management plan, there are four possible roles that an HR professional can have: leader, educator, adviser, or participant. In each of these roles, you can be an invaluable part of ushering in change successfully.

Leader: As the change leader, the HR professional takes on the responsibility for the planning and execution of the change project. This can sometimes be the case for managing a change within the HR function or introducing a new service.

Educator: In this capacity, the HR leader provides expertise and knowledge to help stakeholders understand the ins and outs of successful change management. This may include hosting workshops, sourcing tools and materials, and gathering data.

Adviser: As a change adviser, the HR expert helps the change leaders with the process of preparing a plan and implementing the change. This role can be very important for challenging stakeholder to ensure they avoid mistakes and can be successful.

Participant: In some instances, the HR leader is part of the change that is taking place. With knowledge of change management, the HR can spot potential problem areas, understand their reaction to the change and that of others, and provide assistance and support to those also affected by the change.

Regardless of which role they find themselves in, HR leaders can support successful change and help to improve employee engagement. At the foundation of this, is having a good understanding of the four pillars of change management. These can be categorized as clarity, readiness, fitness, and response. Each piece is critically important in obtaining a successful result in organizational change.

A clear understanding of the importance of each of these four pillars can help HR leaders in driving change, no matter what role they are playing.

It’s powerful to know what your employees think! Human Resources Leaders can identify problems like poor supervision, communication breakdown, and mounting plans to leave your company before expensive turnover affects your business.

The Human Resources function is at the crossroads of business success. While company leaders and front-line managers support employees and help them accomplish their goals, HR takes a holistic view of how to ensure the company has the talent required for the organization to perform.

The importance of HR leadership is also demonstrated in all the ways HR supports the needs of employees at various stages of their career. HR ensures employees have the tools, resources, and leadership they need to perform to their potential, which is no small feat when you consider that each employee has different needs in the workplace.

The HR team also focuses on improving the employee experience at each point in the employee life. HR not only owns talent management activities, but it also supports the development of a positive workplace culture.

In summary, having come a long way since traditional “personnel,” HR is a critical business function that helps companies succeed in hiring employees, keeping them engaged, and supporting their growth and development.