TRE NDS
INSIGHT
DEALING WITH UPHEAVAL Over the past 12 months, businesses have been going through turbulent times. So how do you implement change in an era of ‘change fatigue’? B Y B U R A K KO Y U N C U, P H D A N D A L E K S A N D R A H E R T E L E N D I
he greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.’ When Peter Drucker said these words, he could not have envisaged the world as we find it in 2021, though its relevance is undeniable. The upheaval and rapid organisational change that many businesses experienced last year has fundamentally changed how businesses implement change and how employees react to it. Businesses had no choice but to drastically change their day-to-day processes overnight, catching many off-guard. Now, a year on, organisations have had time to adapt to these initially rushed alterations and find ways to make procedures run smoothly; whether that be remotely, with reduced workforces or modified daily practices. However, constant changes to a business’s structure and processes can have wide-ranging implications for its employees. Research conducted by Gartner towards the end of 2020 found that an employee’s capacity to ‘absorb’ change without becoming fatigued has fallen by 50% compared to 2019. Change fatigue manifests itself in many different forms with these ranging from burnout and mental exhaustion, through to indifference and active resistance to change. A key outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the constant incremental changes that individuals have experienced both in their personal
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and professional lives. From working from home, on/off lockdowns, restricted mobility and a more blended work/personal life, this build-up of little changes has overloaded many, resulting in employees ‘turning off ’ to valuable business change. For instance, 24% of fatigued employees are more likely to intentionally behave in ways that work against changes the organisation is trying to implement, and a further 19% are more likely to leave. This is a bad combination for those businesses at a point where they need to implement further changes, and when employees’ acceptance of change is at its lowest. All sectors have been altered by the effects of the pandemic and the recruitment industry is no different. We’ve heard from recruiters, and organisations that recruit, on both the positive and negative impacts the pandemic has had. For example, video interviews are seen as efficient and allow similar interactions as face-to-face meetings, as well as saving time, effort and organisation for recruiters.
They are finding the sheer amount of people applying for jobs extremely challenging
However, they are finding the sheer amount of people applying for jobs extremely challenging. This has tremendously increased over the past year and has resulted in a less inclusive approach as not all companies have decided to apply applicant tracking systems (ATS) to their full extent. This means many recruiters are still reading through every single CV before inviting people for interview, which can at times be overwhelming, especially where there is not the resource to track each application. Subsequently, in those organisations where ATS is used to the full extent, the diversity – or lack thereof – of the applicants is what generates extra work, and additional rounds. In turn, these issues can make a process that previously had a human touch very inhuman. Despite this, rising levels of unemployment can also present an opportunity for the recruitment sector, and businesses must be open to the organisational changes needed to be successful in keeping businesses profitable as well as finding candidates appropriate roles efficiently. As such, it is important for employees of such
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