The workplace is changing. We are all familiar with the daily headlines toting how millennials and technological advances are shaking up the workplace. The workforce is also changing and the hiring process with it. How can your organization keep up with the times and not lag behind? How can you effectively manage a changing hiring process?

ADKAR is a well-known change management methodology that can be used to guide organizational change in all fields. Created by Jeff Hiatt, ADKAR consists of creating awareness and desire for a change, educating about the knowledge needed to change and raising performance levels to have the ability to change and finally positively reinforcing behavior in order to keep the change.

How can the ADKAR model be implemented when it comes to recruitment? What are the discussions you need to drive in order to manage the change effectively?

Why should the change happen?

Take the example of AI technology for pre-screening CVs: in order to implement such a change in your organization’s hiring practices you first need to raise awareness about the need for a change. Then you must create the desire to act now rather than later.

It’s important to think of these following questions when driving the conversation: What will implementing the change bring to the organization? How will it make work easier and more effective? It’s important to think about the change from the minds of your employees: How would you feel if I had to completely change the way I work? What would I want to know about the upcoming transition?

How to transition into the new change?

Change does not happen overnight, especially when it comes to overhauling something as complex yet important as the hiring process. Consider breaking down the change into transitional steps, each with clear actionable goals and measurable objectives.

If we take once more the example of pre-screening CVs using AI technology. Let’s break this down into steps: first hiring managers must be introduced to the new technology and the parameters for screening CVs. Before implementing to all open positions,  a test batch of CVs should be screened with feedback given to the parameters. Breaking the transition into steps makes your recruiters feel like their voices are being heard throughout the process.

Another way to transition into a change is to start with training new hires in a new way. Adaptable, young talent, especially interns are your key players in making change happen. Check out our partners portal to see how AIESEC can help you find youth talent for your organization.

How to make the change a permanent part of the organizational culture?

Reinforcement is the key to implementing a long-lasting change. Reinforcement can take multiple forms; measurement of the desired outcome, corrective action when things have gone off course or recognition of successful implementation. In any case, this crucial step, if missed, can lead you back to square one.

Whether implementing new technologies or overhauling the hiring process from square one, the key to an effective change in the workplace is change management.