Dealing With Change

As people, we struggle with change. Even if you embrace it, deep down there’s a psychological drive to avoid change where possible. That’s the primitive part of your brain – the one that thinks you’re a caveman and wants to stop you from eating new berries in case they kill you.

That’s not really an issue in the modern world, but our brain has held onto those processes for thousands of years. Which means that when we go through a period of change, we go through a process to get past that primitive programming. Think about the last time you changed jobs, moved house, or even switched service provider. What were some of the thoughts and emotions you went through? You probably started by denying that there was a problem, putting off dealing with the issue until you absolutely had to. Then you might have been sad and regretted your decision, or even angry at the situation, or the solution to it. But after a while you start to accept it, and move forward with this new normal.

All of that is completely normal for anyone going through a change, and then a transition in their life. And what bigger transition is there than starting a new job? That’s where the Kubler-Ross Model comes in. Also known as the Transition Curve, it’s a model to help us understand the psychological journey undertaken at a time of change.

But why is all of this relevant? Well, it’s because when an employee starts a new job, it is a period of great change for both the employee and the employer.  It might not be a business restructure or a drastic change for the business, but for a new employee it is a life-changing time, and they are going to go through this cycle with their new role.

What Is The Kubler-Ross Model?

In 1960, a woman called Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed a theory to explain the grieving process. You might be familiar with it as ‘the stages of grief.’ Kubler-Ross’s 5 stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – have been adapted in many different ways over the years, and this general model has since been widely used as a method that can help us understand reactions to change.

In fact, in the 1980s the Change Curve (as it had become known) was a firm fixture in change management circles, despite being seldom implemented. The curve, and its associated emotions, can be used to predict how performance is likely to be affected by the announcement and subsequent implementation of a significant change. Every iteration is consistent in following the same core emotions, which are often grouped into 3 distinct transitional stages.

Stage 1 – Shock And Denial

The first reaction to change is often shock. This initial shock, while frequently short-lived, can result in a temporary slowdown and loss of productivity. Performance tends to dip, and individuals who are normally clear and decisive may seek more guidance and reassurance. This shock is often due to:

• Lack of information
• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of looking stupid or doing something wrong

As a response to shock, it’s common for individuals to then experience denial. Here, the focus tends to remain firmly in the past and how things used to be. There is likely to be a sentiment of ‘everything was ok before’. This is also felt in response to reality not meeting expectations and/or a response to circumstances that fall short of what was expected. Other common feelings include:

• A desire to return to the comfort of the prior status quo
• Feeling threatened
• Fear of failure

Individuals who have not experienced significant change before may be particularly affected at this stage, and it’s common for those affected in this way to convince themselves that the change won’t happen, or that if it does, it won’t affect them. Performance often returns to the levels seen before the dip experienced during the initial shock. They then tend to carry on as they always have, and may deny having received communication about the changes, or make excuses to avoid taking part in forward planning.

Stage 2 – Anger And Depression

After the feelings of shock and denial have been processed, the next stage is anger, and this can be difficult for a business manager to deal with. Focussing the blame on someone or something allows a continuation of the denial by providing another focus for the fears and anxieties that the change is causing. Common feelings include:

• • • Suspicion
• Scepticism
• Frustration

The lowest point of the Change Curve comes when anger wears off, and the realisation that the change is genuine hits. This is when morale is at its lowest, when self-doubt is present and anxiety levels peak. Feelings during this stage can be hard to express. This period can also be associated with:

• Apathy
• Isolation
• Remoteness

At this point, performance is at its lowest. Individuals may continue to perform tasks in the same way as before, even if this is no longer what’s required. Some people will be reassured that they are experiencing the same feelings as others, and this is when providing managers, teams and individuals with information about the Change Curve is valuable, as it underlines that the emotions are shared. From here they can help develop a more stable platform to move into the final stage.

Stage 3 – Acceptance And Integration

This phase brings a more optimistic and enthusiastic attitude. Individuals accept that change is inevitable and begin to work with the changes rather than against them. Now come thoughts of:

• Exciting new opportunities
• Relief that the change has been survived
• Impatience for the change to be complete

The final steps involve integration. The focus is firmly on the future and there is a sense that real progress can be made. By the time everyone reaches this stage, the changed situation has firmly replaced the old and become the new status quo. This involves feelings of:

• Acceptance
• Hope
• Trust

During the early part of this stage, energy and productivity may remain low. However, the new attitude will be one of discovery. It brings questions about possibilities and opportunities.

This theory has been generally accepted as the standard for workplace transition theory. We believe that theory can be further explored where other changes happen outside of the job transition process, for example, a new job can also create new travel arrangements, bring new people and it may include new childcare arrangements or a house move. All in all, it’s a lot to handle at once, and so you as an employer need to understand what your employees are going through.

As a people leader, if you understand how you feel when going through change it will help you recognise how your staff are feeling. If you’re facing some issues with new employees, or your business is going through a period of change and would like some guidance, please get in touch with the team today to book your free, no-obligation consultation.

The post The Kubler-Ross Change Model And How It Affects Your Business appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

According to researchers, half of all workers will leave a new job within the first 120 days, and half of all external senior position hires will leave within the first 18 months.

Hiring new employees is expensive, and the time and energy you spend training them is wasted if they leave after a few months. So, how do you make sure your new employees stay with you for the long term? The trick is an effective onboarding process.

What Is Employee Onboarding?

Onboarding is the process of bringing a new employee into the workplace. It covers getting them settled in on their first day, training them and integrating them into the daily routine of your business.

Many business owners look at this and think that employee onboarding can be done in a day – get them set up and started, job done. But that’s not the case. The onboarding process is more than just new hire orientation. It covers how you welcome your new hires, the support network you put in place for them, how you train them, management, and mentorship in those crucial 100 first days, how you communicate and measure performance, and how you engage them in the values of your business and their work.

In other words, effective employee onboarding is an ongoing process and something that needs your care and attention at every stage. The average onboarding process is between 3 and 6 months, and at the end, your new employee will be completely settled and working as part of the well-oiled machine of your business. At this point, you can transition them seamlessly into the performance management cycle.

Why Is New Starter Onboarding Important?

In a word? Retention. Employers who engage in onboarding and develop a process for not only bringing new employees into the business but supporting them as they settle in as well will see:

• 53% of their new hires will stay with them for at least 3 years.
• Significantly reducing employee turnover.
• An effective onboarding process also results in happier employees who feel more secure in their role, understand what is expected of them quickly and perform better than those who aren’t onboarded properly.

So if you want better performing, happier employees who stay with you for longer, you need to be looking at your onboarding system, or creating it if you don’t have one.

Our Top Employee Onboarding Best Practices

Get The Basics Ready Before They Start. No one likes walking into a brand-new job and finding that nothing is ready for them. It gives a bad impression of the business and makes them feel like a spare part as people rush around to try and get things together, or worse just ignore them entirely.

Once you know you’ve hired someone, get everything they will need for their role ready for them. Have a workspace ready to use, emails and any other equipment they will need set up, and if you can, an employee packet with all the important information they will need (HR policies and procedures, an employee handbook, training schedule etc.). You can get creative with this if you want, but it’s important to make sure the basics are ready for their first day.

Assign A Mentor. Starting in a new company can be daunting. As a manager, you might not be able to dedicate 100% of your time to taking care of your new hire. This is where a buddy or mentor can help. This is someone on the same level or slightly senior to the new hire who can show them the ropes, answer questions and generally keep an eye on them to make sure they’re settling in okay. This buddy or mentor should actively support your new hire through the first 12 weeks of their employment as needed.

Have Regular Check-Ins. Don’t leave your new hire with no direction. Even if you’re busy, try and have regular check-ins to answer questions, address concerns and see how they are settling in. These might be as often as once a day at first, then move down to once a week and then eventually once a month, as your new hire’s confidence and skills increase.

Don’t Make Them Learn ‘The Hard Way’. We mean this in every sense of the phrase. Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, benefits, and bonuses, nuances, and traditions. Don’t make your new employees learn these new things the hard way. If your company observes a ‘casual Friday’ rule, make sure all new employees know about this before they turn up at the office on their first Friday in a pressed suit.

Have A Defined HR Approved Process.  Onboarding shouldn’t be something you cobble together as you go. Businesses who work with experienced HR professionals can develop a consistent onboarding plan and checklist for their business, that details each step, what needs to be done and who handles it.

That way, you can repeat it across all new hires. And if that isn’t enough reason, remember that with a structured onboarding process, employees are 58% more likely to remain with your business for over 3 years.

If you would like to find out more about how to onboard your new employees more effectively or want to chat about your own processes, we would be happy to help.

We even have a free onboarding checklist, which you can request by emailing us here. Or if you just have a question about how to improve the onboarding process, just drop us a line to book your free, no-obligation consultation.

The post Top Tips for Effective Employee Onboarding appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.