Change Management in HR: Communication, Fear and Adoption (Michele Rebetti)

Change is constant right now and HR is often the team tasked with making it work. In this episode of The Sound of HR Podcast from SHRM-Long Island, host Elizabeth Saitta sits down with Michele Rebetti, President of Crestcom Key Alliance and SHRM-Long Island’s Programming Chair, for a practical conversation on change management and what leaders can do to reduce resistance and improve adoption. In this episode, we cover: —Why change management has become a critical HR issue post-COVID (hybrid work, AI, new tech) —The statistic that 75% of change initiatives fail and the most common reason why —The human side of change: fear of the unknown, job security and workload concerns —How HR can reduce resistance through transparent, frequent communication —The “7 by 7 rule”: communicate the plan 7 times in 7 different ways —Why silence creates rumors and how to keep people informed even when there’s “no update” —Leading change in hybrid and remote organizations —How leaders can guide teams through uncertainty with a clear why, vision and roadmap —Incentives, recognition and metrics that can reinforce change adoption —How HR can assess readiness: engagement surveys, culture surveys and skill gap assessments —KPIs to track: adoption rates, turnover, engagement and other change-specific measures —Why empathy matters and how to involve employees early through committees or focus groups Learn more and stay connected: Website: SHRMLI.org Follow SHRM-Long Island on LinkedIn and Facebook Email: [email protected] Subscribe for more real conversations about HR on Long Island, workplace challenges, leadership and the resources available to help you do your job better.