Understanding Why Employees Resist Change

For companies to remain competitive in their respective industries, they must have the ability to implement meaningful changes from time to time. This is especially true today, as many businesses are experiencing significant challenges resulting from the global COVID-19 crisis. However, getting employees to accept change is not always easy. In fact, most employees tend to be suspicious of change, company motives, and how their lives will be impacted as a result.

While every business is unique, and the changes they attempt to implement must be tailored to meet their specific needs, there are several universal factors that help to explain why people are generally resistant to change. Hutchison Group’s HR Consultants have highlighted several reasons why employees inherently resist change and a few quick suggestions as to how companies can help facilitate acceptance. 

1. Employees Must Understand Why Changes Are Needed – First and foremost, people resist or reject what they do not fully understand. Employees are far more accepting of change when the company provides a compelling reason. For example, “if we do not institute these changes, it is likely that the business will not survive, or we will need to lay off a significant portion of our workforce.” 
2. People Love Routine – It is important to recognize that people find comfort in routines. We find security in predictable patterns and tend to resist newly-introduced uncertainties, so there is a natural resistance to change (even when it is good for us). Again, this is why providing employees with a compelling rationale is an imperative. Our labor and employment consults are experts at explaining the reasons for changes in businesses to employees.
3.  Lack of Trust – When a company attempts to introduce new methods or practices, employees are often suspicious of the company’s motives. Companies that have established credibility and trust with employees throughout the course of their relationship are far better positioned to have employees accept change. Hutchison Group Employee Relations Assessments can help employers develop effective plans for improving trust.
4. Fear of Losing Their Job – Aside from fear of the unknown, one of the most common reasons employees resist change is that they worry it will somehow marginalize or eliminate their current position. In these instances, companies must help employees understand that while changes are difficult, failure to change is the biggest risk to their future. One of the best ways to do this is to partner with a top-notch employee relations consulting service.
5. Worry About Their Ability to adjust – During times of change, employees often experience an underlying fear or insecurity that they will not be able to adjust to new ways of doing business. Employees that have spent years developing a competency and expertise in a particular area may now be required to learn new skills. In these instances, the company should make clear to employees that they will provide adequate retraining and talk about the benefits of learning new skills. 
6. Not Asked for Their Input – Whenever companies are planning to institute a change, it is often a good idea to consult with employees as to what actions should be taken and how best to implement new requirements. Providing employees with a sense of ownership can significantly reduce resistance and help provide for a smooth transition. Again, our employee relations assessments can be very helpful in soliciting employee inputs.
7. Union Negotiations – For those companies that have union represented employees, our labor relations consultants have found it helpful to involve union leadership in determining how best to implement required changes. In some instances, the company and union can mutually agree to negotiate new union contracts well before their scheduled expiration date. This is the foundation of union relations consulting.
8. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – As mentioned earlier, people tend to resist what they do not fully understand. Companies that take time to develop an extensive and effective communication strategy will be far more successful than those that simply make announcements of future changes to come. As an added benefit, good communications can help with union avoidance, reducing the risk of potential union organizing campaigns. 

A Unique Window of Opportunity to Implement Change

While the COVID-19 crisis has been devastating for many businesses, our HR consultants have found that it provides companies with a unique window of opportunity to implement important changes. This may include introducing improvements that are long overdue and necessary for the business to remain viable. Given the magnitude and widespread acknowledgment of the current COVID-19 crisis, employees are much more receptive to changes that would have been difficult to implement in the past. Therefore, now may be a good time to implement meaningful change, helping to position both the company and employees for future success. Call Hutchison Group’s expert labor and employment consultants for help with implementing changes in your company.

Hutchison Group Can Help Facilitate Change

Over the past 35 years, Hutchison Group’s employee relations consultants have helped many of the world’s best companies to develop highly efficient and productive workplaces, in both union and nonunion settings. For a complete list of our clients and to learn more about our labor relations consulting services please visit our web page at www.hutchgrp.com