Engaging Employees Through Change

Employee engagement is critical for the success of any transformation initiative. In this episode, we delve into practical strategies for keeping employees engaged during major organisational change. Learn how leadership, clear communication, and support systems can prevent disengagement and fuel success. We also explore how to recognise resistance, empower employees, and celebrate progress. Tune in to discover how to transform resistance into commitment and build a culture ready for continuous change. 

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Transcript

Why Employee Engagement is Critical During Change

Did you know that 70% of transformation initiatives fail? And one of the biggest reasons is low employee engagement. When major changes happen—whether it’s a restructuring, a new technology, or a shift in company strategy—employees often feel uncertain, resistant, or disconnected. And here’s the challenge: If people disengage, change fails. But when you get employee engagement right, change becomes an opportunity, not a threat.

In this session, I’ll take you through a practical framework for keeping employees engaged throughout major change. You’ll learn why disengagement happens and, more importantly, how to prevent it.

The Change Engagement Framework

The key to maintaining engagement during change is to focus on three pillars:

1. Leadership – Providing direction, reassurance, and trust.
2. Communication – Keeping employees informed and involved.
3. Support – Ensuring employees feel equipped for the change.

If you only focus on processes and forget the human side, people check out emotionally—even if they’re physically still at work. The best transformations happen when employees feel like they’re part of the journey, not just passengers along for the ride.

Understanding the Employee Change Journey

Change is emotional. Employees go through four key stages when faced with transformation:

1. Denial – “This won’t affect us.”
2. Resistance – “This is too hard. Why do we need to change?”
3. Exploration – “Maybe this could work if we approach it differently.”
4. Commitment – “I see the value in this. Let’s make it successful.”

Most resistance happens in stage two, and that’s where many organisations struggle. But if you support employees through resistance, they move to commitment faster.

Leadership as the Anchor During Uncertainty

During change, employees feel like they’re in stormy waters—unsure of what’s coming next. Leaders need to be a lighthouse, guiding them through uncertainty.

This means:

• Being visible and approachable. If leaders disappear behind closed doors, people lose trust.
• Being honest about challenges. Employees respect transparency, even when the news isn’t perfect.
• Providing clarity. Reassure employees about the vision and their role in it.

If leadership feels uncertain or disconnected, engagement drops instantly. People need stability and direction to stay engaged.

Clear, Transparent, and Frequent Communication

Unclear communication fuels confusion, frustration, and disengagement.

To keep employees engaged, follow the Communication Pyramid:

1. Vision – Why is this change happening? What’s the big picture?
2. Key Messages – What exactly is changing, and what does it mean for employees?
3. Channels – How will you communicate? Emails, meetings, town halls?
4. Feedback Loops – How can employees ask questions and voice concerns?

Communication should be two-way—listening is just as important as talking.

Employee Involvement and Ownership of Change

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is doing change to people instead of with them.

Employees exist on an engagement spectrum:

• Low engagement – Employees feel like passive recipients of change.
• High engagement – Employees feel like active participants and contributors.

The more ownership employees have in the process, the more committed they’ll be to making it work.

Ways to involve employees:

• Ask for their input.
• Create working groups.
• Recognise contributions.

Recognising and Addressing Resistance

Resistance is natural. It’s not a sign of failure—it’s a sign of uncertainty.

People resist change for different reasons:

• Fear of job loss – “Will I still have a role here?”
• Lack of trust – “Do the leaders really care about us?”
• Overload – “This is too much change on top of everything else.”

The key is to identify and address resistance early—through conversations, listening, and reassurance.

Supporting Employees with Training and Upskilling

A major cause of disengagement is feeling unprepared for the new way of working.

Think of training as a cycle:

1. Assess skill gaps – What do employees need to succeed?
2. Provide learning opportunities – Training, coaching, and resources.
3. Help employees apply new skills – Real-world practice.
4. Give feedback and support – Continuous learning and reinforcement.

Upskilling isn’t just about new tools—it’s about building confidence in the future.

Celebrating Small Wins to Build Momentum

Big transformations take time. If employees don’t see progress, they lose motivation. That’s why you must break the journey into milestones and celebrate small wins:

• A successful pilot project
• A positive customer outcome.
• A small process improvement.

Recognition doesn’t have to be grand. A simple thank you in a meeting can make all the difference.

Measuring Engagement and Adjusting the Approach

You can’t improve engagement if you don’t measure it.

Key engagement indicators:

• Employee surveys – How do people feel about the change?
• Participation rates – Are employees showing up to meetings and training?
• Turnover rates – Are key people staying or leaving?

If engagement drops, adjust the approach. Ask for feedback, refine communication, and make employees feel heard.

Sustaining Engagement Beyond the Initial Change

Once the dust settles, engagement often drops. Employees fall back into old habits unless engagement is built into the culture.

The Sustainability Wheel includes:

• Ongoing leadership support.
• Continuous learning and development.
• Recognition of progress and success.
• Open, transparent communication.

Change isn’t a one-time event—it’s a continuous process. The goal is to build a change-ready organisation that thrives in transformation. Change doesn’t fail because of technology, strategy, or processes. It fails because of disengaged people. But when employees are engaged, change succeeds.