How to Help Employees Adopt New Recruiting Software

Humans are not big fans of change, as they often experience stress and/or confusion. If you think this is wrong, remember how it went with the last update of your phone?

The change in your own work can be especially frightening, and can sometimes feel like it makes it more complicated. This is a common feeling when, for example, we integrate a new tool, and in our case,  HRMS Software. There can be different reluctance to change and cause a feeling of overwork or ineffectiveness due to new responsibilities.

However, it is essential to make organizational changes. Because in a world where everything has to go faster and faster, it is essential to follow trends and even sometimes to get ahead in order to keep your business going and prospering.

And you, as a talent manager, do you know how to keep them over time while shaking up their work habits? How can you allay their concerns and help them adopt the changes in tools that will allow them to improve their professional daily life?

Here are four simple tactics to help you turn a difficult change into a positive one.

1. Take care of yourself

The change can seem very threatening. Humans have evolved to model themselves and be alerted when something is out of the ordinary, which is what allowed us to identify predators and survive longer. This is why if something changes in our environment, our "primitive" brain will want to panic.

Fortunately for us, the modern world no longer has to protect itself from predatory attacks. Yet the organizational change in offices remains a very real threat: job loss. This constant threat hangs over most people making them suspicious of change because if the employee doesn't feel efficient enough with the new technology, they could be kicked out of the company. This is where you need to step in to erase that apprehension from their minds.

The best way to deal with and relieve these fears is through communication. You need to be transparent throughout the process of setting up the new tool. Explain why a change is coming and what it will be used for. In the case of adopting an applicant tracking system (ATS), even before starting the process, discuss it with your employees and explain to them the benefits they will be able to derive from it (saving time, better management of recruitment, etc.). Better! Involve them in the process by asking them what needs they expect.

You need to know the concerns of your employees. By meeting their expectations, by explaining the need for change and the positive effect that these changes will have, you will not only decrease their fears of change, and you will convince them that they are a valuable asset to your business, because their concerns will be taken into account.

If you think like your collaborators, they will stand behind your decision and will have no trouble adapting it on a daily basis.

2. Keep your candidates in the loop

Let us now go further in the reflection. Do not wait the day before the installation of a new recruitment tool to inform your employees about the change.

Keep them in the loop throughout the planning process. This can start by letting them know when you or others have a meeting at the start of the search and can continue throughout the process. The more the change is anticipated, the easier it will be to adopt it within the company.

Hold regular meetings to explain the changes, or if you are a smaller organization, the coffee break can do the trick very well. Do not remain closed on the subject, each individual has his say and can give constructive advice. Doing this will not only limit the feeling of insecurity some may have but will highlight the improvements that the new solution will bring.

3. Actively involve your team

Adopting a new tool may cause your team to think you've crossed the forbidden line: productivity over employee well-being!

Obviously, it's the opposite, if I take our example of HRMS Software, this will give employees more time and more efficiency in the processing of applications. 

Once again by actively including them in this change, you will show that it is not harmful to their work and that the effectiveness of this new tool can only be achieved if all employees are invested and use it as it should. must.

There are many ways to encourage employee engagement:

Ask for weekly feedback and any training needs on the tool.

Consult with your team on the questions they have throughout the process.

Train employees who are more comfortable with IT to play the role of trainer and advisor to help those in greatest difficulty.

If your company culture encourages employees to embrace change or growth, use it to remind your people why they have chosen to come to work for you. Maybe some people need this to refocus on what really matters: moving forward together, in the same direction.

Your schedule does not always allow you to provide answers to all possible questions, it is essential to consider the positioning of an employee from each department as a co-leader on the operational change project. He will be responsible for bridging the communication gap between employees and senior managers. It can help people feel active in the change and save you time.

4. Come on!

The best way to ensure success is by notifying the change as early as possible.

Continue to advance. By making the change quickly, you will show employees the new work tool is essential for the proper functioning of the company. In addition, their time will be spent adjusting their tasks with the new tool instead of worrying about the possible consequences that this change could bring them.

Also, avoid wasting time in the process with long pauses that can make you lose the urge for change that you struggled to achieve. Plan ahead as much as possible to avoid unnecessary snags and pauses in the execution process.

Pay close attention to the questions they ask themselves, do not wait until you have 50 before answering them. It is much easier to solve small problems than to ignore them and let the blur set in within the company.