A few days ago, I re-posted an article about dealing with change. As I clicked send, I realized I was kind of hijacking the Baudville Blog for my own purposes (and had actually done so twice now) without really acknowledging what my topic had to do with employee recognition. Hmmm.
Other than for your own personal wellbeing, how does being able to adapt to change affect your ability to engage your team, create a positive culture, and attract and retain talent? Sit tight! I have some answers!
You ask: what does change have to do with…
Employee Engagement? Any recognition program is only as solid as its ability to get results. You can say you have a recognition program, but if it isn’t interesting, fulfilling, or relevant to your team you may as well not have one at all. You might think, “It worked once…” but, the keyword here is once and, in fact, if once was last century or even last year, your efforts could be having a negative effect. Behavioral, attitudinal, and generational shifts are happening in your workplace, and they can be so slow moving and subtle that you may not notice until your situation becomes dire. This is why you need to monitor change or “smell the cheese often” as noted in that last post. If it’s outdated, it’s time to look for fresh tools, solutions, and approaches.
Corporate Culture? When you are open and flexible to change, it typically means you are also open to new ideas and innovations. You don’t live in the past. You aren’t afraid to let go of old ways. You aren’t afraid, in general. Listening and acting on new perspectives, and inviting your employees to provide theirs as well, creates a culture of inclusion, ownership, and pride. So, embrace change. Your team will not only feel like they are a part of a confident, forward-thinking organization, they’ll also feel secure and uninhibited in sharing their opinions. On the flip side, an overarching resistance to or fear of change can be a sign that you have some serious issues in your workplace. See what we mean in this post.
Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent? Just a couple of years ago, onboarding wasn’t a well-known term. But, guess what? Things changed. Organizations realized they had to make their new hires’ first 90 days and beyond better or they would keep losing the people they worked so hard to bring in the door. Those who acknowledged this truth and responded to it have seen the rewards. Like the respondents in our 2015 Corporate Culture and HR Trends Update. Employers who have stayed up-to-date with hiring trends are also more likely to be using more advanced job placement tools. Smart, savvy potential employees are using these tools as well, which means you and they are more likely to connect. (And, I’m guessing you want the smart, savvy ones.)
Whether you love change or hate it, change loves us all or it wouldn’t come around so much. Welcome it into your life and it will begin to become your norm—and that’s a good thing!
Allison is currently living out the elaborate fantasy she described to her now-former staff and colleagues in early 2001. With a hearty dose of courage and absolutely no plan of action, she abruptly left her middle-management job to become a writer—and today she is doing just that in her role as Baudville's Senior Content Writer. She's here to tell you everything she's learned in her 20-years+ professional life, plus a lot more. She's wordy like that!
