Change can happen for a lot of reasons with employees. Whether it is regarding changing office rules, insurance companies, pay, management, how the office is laid out, and the list can go on. Anywhere from small and minuscule changes to a big and life-altering change can make a difference in your employee’s behavior and work performance. Not only that, but it affects the overall employee satisfaction of the company itself. In a previous article on how employers can improve employee satisfaction, one of the main focus points talked about is proper communication and making sure employees’ voices are heard. So how can companies ensure that their employees are coping with change?
Tell Them Before it Happens
No one likes surprises, sometimes not even for their birthdays—yet alone for the company that they work for. An employee is more likely to feel valued when they find out a change ahead of time rather than when it has already happened. This can be done through email, a Zoom meeting, phone call, in person, or even recorded and posted on the company’s website. There are unlimited and creative ways you can bring about change to the office and it should be the same when it comes to telling the ones that work for the company.
Survey, Survey, Survey
Employees’ voices want to be heard! Even if it is over the smallest change, everyone is going to have an opinion. Not everyone is guaranteed to like the decision either. Employers can take 10 minutes to set up a survey with a website like SurveyMonkey to see how their employees are feeling about the change. If there is too much negative feedback then the change needs to be reevaluated. If there’s a majority of positive feedback then employers can use it as a model for what type of change is beneficial for that group of people in the company. Tip: If employers have an issue with employees taking the survey, incentives can be helpful.
Explain the Change
Another great way to help employees cope with a change in the company is to explain why it is happening. Knowing the whys and the hows of the decision making within the company can make the transition smoother and even interest more employees to voice constructive feedback. Some changes will be easier than others; however, it should be explained each time. If a company keeps making huge decisions that affect the entire company without giving a reason why, it is possible that employees will feel like they do not matter and will leave the company. So in order to prevent that from happening, explain it and have the employees ask questions.
Change is Necessary
Change will always happen in a company whether it is a small startup or a big corporation. Internal and external decisions are so important when it comes to growth and expanding a company and achieving goals as well. With that being said, change will always happen in the workplace. The company needs to ensure that the employees are always heard, seen, and appreciate and take the feedback seriously. Change can be beneficial but it can also kill a company. The employees and their opinions are a huge factor in that.
