The workplace is becoming less predictable. Employees are worried about the possibility of retrenchment more than ever. The business world is more competitive so every employee needs to make a return on their investment. Most employees understand that their employer needs to evolve and compete to stay in business in a fast-changing world. Why then are they often unwilling to change?
Some employees are skeptical about change for a variety of reasons including:
- Don’t feel like they have been involved in the change program
- Happy with status quo and don’t believe change is necessary
- Negative due to previous experience of cultural change programs
- Believe they don't have the skills or capabilities to cope with the change
- Don’t want to take the risk that things will be worst than the current situation
Employees can become stressed about changes in their workplace which can lead to:
- Less productivity
- Poor morale
- Low engagement
- High absenteeism
Worst of all, these attitudes can rub off on colleagues, even those who are not concerned about the proposed changes.
Results of worldwide survey on culture matters & change
In a survey of 2,200 employees worldwide conducted by PWC found that only 35% of respondents felt their company’s culture is effectively managed and 51% felt culture needed a major overhaul. As evidence of its relevance, 60% of respondents said culture is more important than strategy or operating model.
Pre & Post Surveys
If an organisation is planning to implement a cultural change program, it is advisable to conduct pre and post surveys of the management and staff. It's important to know the baseline before a program begins. A survey can tell you what employees think of the current culture and what they would like to see change, to make the workplace more effective. It can also allow organisations to assess how aligned employees are with organisational values
A survey can reveal how much involvement employees would like to have in any change program and the level of fear surrounding change. This understanding allows management to decide on the steps needed in developing and rolling out the program.
Administering a survey, following a cultural change will allow an organisation to evaluate the success of the program and understand if more work is needed and to learn for the future.
For more information about Cultural Change and Change Management, inlcuding value alignment processes, call PeopleSense on 1300 307 912.