Is your accounting firm ready to make changes as employees are released or leave for other companies or firms? There are many firms that think they are ready, but are, in essence, not yet prepared to embrace what this really means. Which is the complete change in culture, structure and mindset of your firm.
Here are some tips on improving change in your firm.
If a member of your team is released, the remaining employees are more likely to accept this change when they understand the full psychology of what caused it, and they resist or resent the change (or worse - you) if they don’t understand it. Turn the changes into a positive point. Explain why and how it happened and how to move on from it. It's important to keep this positive attitude so that your employees can commit to supporting and understanding your decisions.
The following model has helped many accounting firms enable easier transitions and change in their companies:
- Educating the top level about the need for change (if it's a change you initiate)
- Creating a framework (what elements caused it)
- Identifying the reach of the change
- Explaining all of the efforts that were made to avoid the loss of an employee
- Understanding relationships that the change impacts
- Linking all of those efforts to an overall strategy
This is a strategy that will help your employees deal with the shift and make sense of it moving forward.
“Change in the environment creates new necessities for success. In order to meet these new requirements, a business needs to create new strategies which require new organizational structure, processes and technology if they want to be successful,” says Tina Burger, a recruitment strategist at Australia 2 Write and Brit Student.
Sometimes, you will also need to change the culture in order to continue operating smoothly and without any problems. The loss of an employee, whether initiated by the firm or the employee themselves, shifts office dynamics and relationships; relationships between your employees and you, and your employees and clients. Make sure to be aware of this happening and approach it carefully. You want to be careful to address any discomfort as soon as possible so it doesn't lead to resentment.
These components are critical factors in a successful transition. If these elements are not there, you can presume that the change could create problems, lack of communication and even distrust.
In order to be successful, the leaders have to embrace change - loosen their leash and offer more transparency and information, focusing on building long-term investments in these employee and client relationships.
Theoretically, an employee leaving a position, whether by termination or a decision they made for themselves, was probably initiated because something wasn't working properly. While this shift could be difficult, it should create an opportunity for more success in the future. But if everything is not integrated and transparent, any initiative is doomed to fail.
The employees will respond better to change when they understand the big picture and what is truly behind it. Even if the employee leaves on their own accord, focus on finding a replacement that is better suited for the position. Show your employees that change can be good and that all of you should work together to make sure your firm is a success instead of a failure - because in essence, all of your employees care about the success of and betterment of your firm and the clients they serve.
Using this model, you can make sure that any personnel changes in your firm are met with understanding and excitement instead of distrust and resentment.
Emily William
Author Bio: Emily Williams is a passionate HR consultant and writer at Academic Brits. She loves getting engaged with the readers who are seeking HR related information, startups, brand development, and personal growth at Origin Writings. With more than five years of experience, she enjoys supporting smart people to achieve online success.