Change is essential for any organization’s growth, yet it is often met with resistance. Nearly two in three employees resist change, creating substantial roadblocks to progress.
This is commonly the case for software and technology change. According to our latest survey "The Death (and Rebirth) of the Service Desk," 74% of respondents identified employee resistance as a critical challenge to digital adoption.
As the pace of change accelerates, employees are now facing an average of ten enterprise changes in 2022, up from just two in 2016. However, the support providing during these transitions has dropped significantly from 76% to 44% in the same timeframe.
Leaders are left asking: What causes this resistance to change, and how can we combat it?
Common reasons for change resistance
Fear and uncertainty surrounding change
It’s often not the change itself that employees resist but it’s the not knowing what comes with the change that is feared. Loss aversion--a cognitive bias where individuals perceive potential losses as more significant than equivalent gains--leads employees to focus on what they could lose as opposed to what they could gain. This is especially true for new technology, it isn’t uncommon for employees to cling onto existing tech that offers comfort and reliability, resisting new ones even if they offer clear benefits.
For example, a significant concern among many workers is that new technology might make their roles obsolete. Take the case of AI, eighty-five percent of workers believe AI will impact their job in the next two to three years, with opinions divided on whether it will create new opportunities or replace certain job functions. As a result, when advancements like AI are viewed as a threat as opposed to an opportunity, employees may push back against adoption in the workplace in a bid to safeguard their roles.
To combat the fear and uncertainty around change, organizations should openly communicate change and prioritize the benefits that will come from it. For employees to get onboard with the change, they need to know how it will benefit them on an individual level as opposed to how it will solely benefit the organization.
Loss of autonomy and control
New systems or processes can disrupt established routines, leaving employees feeling uncertain and uncomfortable. This disruption often heightens workers sense of losing autonomy, prompting them to push back against the change further. This ties directly into the Self-Determination Theory, which says motivation comes from three key needs: autonomy, competence, and connection. Autonomy (having control over your own work) is a large contributor for job satisfaction. When employees feel like they have control, they're more engaged and motivated to succeed.
To enable autonomy even in the face of change, employees need to be given as much control as possible over the process. While an initiative like the roll out of a new enterprise system may be non-negotiable, its implementation can be flexible. Striking a balance between change and employee autonomy is key. Involve employees in the design and implementation process; incorporate their ideas, seek their feedback, and make them part of the solution.
Inadequate training
You could have the most sophisticated applications in your tech stack, whether this be an engineering application or communication tool, but if your employees don’t know how to use it, it's worthless.
A prime example of this challenge is with SaaS applications. As the number of these tools in the digital workplace keeps rising, employees struggle to keep up. In 2023, the average business used 371 SaaS apps, yet our Insights Report revealed that 50% of software seats remain unused. What’s driving this underutilization? A lack of proper training. Without it, employees find it hard to adopt new tools, leading to frustration and resistance to change.
To get your employees to utilize the tech given to them, training should be provided. For the most part, employees want to use the tool but are unsure where to start. It can be daunting but breaking it down into manageable steps can help alleviate stress and facilitate adoption.
From an organizational perspective, effective training is a smart investment. Software licences can be costly and when employees are proficient in the technology, the organization maximizes the value of their investment.
Poor communication
When new technology or processes are introduced without clear and effective communication, it often results in confusion, mistrust, and speculation. Without a clear explanation, employees may be left in the dark, unsure of why the change is happening, how it will impact them and what the benefits will come of it.
To overcome this, organizations need to move away from outdated communication channels like email, where messages often go unchecked or get lost in a flood of daily emails. Instead, adopt more advanced, direct, two-way channels that ensure employees have better visibility and engagement. For instance, pop-up engagement campaigns can gather real-time feedback, unlike surveys lost in inboxes for weeks.
Leadership communication plays a crucial role in successful transformations. In fact, change initiatives are 5.8 times more likely to succeed when CEOs communicate a compelling, high-level vision, and 6.3 times more likely when senior leaders deliver consistent, aligned messages to the entire organization. Effective communication at every level is key to driving change forward and earning employee buy-in.
We must recognize the limitations of traditional change models and find new ways of thinking that will reduce employee resistance to change and help organizations adopt faster.
As leaders, next time you communicate a large change to your team, take a moment to pause and consider it from their perspective. Recognize the factors that may cause resistance and address them head-on.
By easing fears, providing proper training, and ensuring open, transparent communication, you can help employees feel more in control and ready to adapt to the change.