How to support employees through uncertainty caused by business change with reward

Some common reasons for business change are:

• merger/acquisition
• company restructure
• legislation changes
• cost reductions
• change or evolution of products or services offered.

So how can employers use reward to support their employees through times of change? The answer to this varies according to the type of organisation and the culture that is embedded through the workforce, but some options could include:

• introducing or enhancing reward and recognition programmes such as vouchers for going above and beyond
• introducing reward or behaviour changes into key performance indicators (KPIs)
• enhancing options available under existing benefits to ‘make-up for’ removal of other non-utilised benefits
• including the option to include partner or family into core benefits at slightly reduced costs (if this is not available currently)
• introducing workplace champions to support teams, enhance wellbeing initiatives and build knowledge
• introducing or continuing to hold wellbeing days/weeks, especially if focusing on employee wellness
• campaigns or promotions to build awareness of what support is available during periods of change and beyond
• providing options for open communication – sharing experiences and supporting each other.

Creating an open, honest and trustworthy culture will mean employees will be comfortable telling their employers how they feel and what their biggest concerns are. This can make it easier for an organisation because they will then know where to focus efforts and the messages to be communicated.

When large scale changes take place and reward structures change, it’s important to be open and honest, and to focus on the benefits of the change. When a restructure removes something from the offering, or terms change in a way deemed less positive, this is where the business needs to really think about their positioning and the way the messages are communicated. Reading seemingly ‘bad’ news in an email without option to fully understand the impacts or the rationale can be disruptive, so these messages maybe better delivered in a different mechanism.

Here are some mechanisms for delivering change messages:

Change messages can impact people in a lot of different ways, which means that they need to be delivered through a few different channels. For example, the simple removal of a benefit that is not used could quite easily be delivered via an intranet newsletter communication. A more detailed message around pension changes or company structure would have a greater impact and lead to more questioning from employees, requiring a more sensitive delivery.

Employee benefits often play a big part in the decision for an employee to join and also stay with an organisation. They need to be fair, fit for purpose, add value and reward the employee in the correct way. This is especially true during times of restructure when employee loyalty will be tested.

As long as companies think about a reward strategy during times of change and have in place a clear and multi-faceted communications approach, then they will be able to maximise the impact that reward can have on staff morale.

The author is Heidi Allan, senior financial wellbeing consultant at LCP.

This article is provided by LCP.

In partnership with LCP

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