Leading change in TA: How to spearhead tech change in an HR organization

As Workhuman’s Steve Pemberton pointed out in his interview at this year’s UNLEASH America show, in a period of change even more volatile than normal over the last year or two, it was HR that saved the day, for organizations the world over.

It was HR that executed on the pivots around people strategy, that embedded WFA policies, that implemented mental health days, that drove D,E&I inititatives. 

Plenty to be proud of, but there’s still more to do around tech adoption.

EY and change management

This is where an organization like EY comes in. EY is a business long synonymous with innovation and curiosity, and no-one embodies that more than Sam Ramsay.

EY’s head of experienced hire (UK&I), is an award-winning leader and no stranger to the need to drive impact and lasting change in organizations with a 10k+ head count, where messaging can get lost simply through the size and complexity of their own existence. Her

Like in many change management scenarios, you need to get the buy-in, and you can do that in one of two ways – data or demonstration. But you need to be sure you can prove it.

As Ramsay rightly says, “If I don’t 100% know that something is a problem, how do I get someone to buy into my solution? This is why you need the data.”

And you can even go one better – instead of just buy-in, actively recruit your C-Suite in the initiative. After all, “the best way to implement any kind of technology is to do it together.”

Size doesn’t have to be a barrier when it comes to agility; it’s all about buying into the mindset, and with a change pioneer like Ramsay driving these initiatives, it’s easy to see why she’s experienced so much success.

And yet – as we’ve covered elsewhere, embedding new tech comes with a couple of stark warnings: “Keep your eye on the goal. Sometimes shiny is just shiny.”

And lastly, don’t forget that sometimes you need those sales skills. Sell the business benefits of changing your tech and the rest is easy.