“Managing a big HR change across diverse countries and cultures can be overwhelming, but with the right strategy, it’s achievable.”
Over the past year, Selina Thompson led a successful large-scale HR transformation in EMEA for a major global brand. She prioritized creating sustainable change and encouraging active participation from Talent Management sponsors. By collaborating closely with key stakeholders and incorporating local feedback, Selina ensured a seamless transition during the rollout.
Here’s how she did it:
How did you first come in contact with SPRING TODAY and the assignment?
“I connected with Lisette from SPRING TODAY through LinkedIn. We’d been following each other for some time, and when this opportunity came up, she reached out to me. It was a match because of my background in digital transformation and change management.”
What was the scope of the project?
“The project was part of an HR modernization initiative aimed at updating and centralizing the organization’s HR processes, as a part of their strategic talent management goals. My responsibility was to manage the transformation across the EMEA region. The goal was to increase employee advocacy and minimize resistance to ongoing global HR transformation while reducing significant risks. This was part of phase two of the project, with a focus on aligning the organization’s Talent Management & Learning processes with modern best practices and introducing a new technology platform, called Workday.”
What was phase one of the project?
“I wasn’t involved yet, but phase one was about laying the foundation for the transformation by launching Workday and restructuring key aspects of the organization’s HR systems – think of pay structures and talent hierarchies. This set the stage for the changes we implemented in phase two.”
What was phase two about?
“Phase two was about modernizing talent management, performance management, and learning systems using Workday. This included helping managers set clear goals, track progress, and provide structured feedback throughout the year – all within a centralized platform. All of this gave the organization more transparency and allowed employees to take more control of their career development.
In this phase, they faced the complex challenge of implementing global changes across all its business regions. Therefore, they needed deep expertise in global change management and digital adoption strategies adapted for regional audiences, while ensuring that the human aspects of change resonated with the company’s identity, culture, regional nuances and multifaceted operations.”
How did you overcome resistance to the changes?
“Even though people were more than ready to move away from the old systems, there was still some resistance, especially because phase one of the project didn’t go as smoothly as planned.
To deal with this, I created three separate plans for the core business devisions. Each group – retail, corporate, and distribution center workers – had different needs. To start, I focused on understanding their unique challenges, identifying risks and mapping the user journey.
After, I made sure that:
- Each plan matched how they worked and what they needed to facilitate change and adoption of new technology in their performance and career development tasks. Including a regional change strategy and roadmap, considering digital maturity, behaviors, and preferred change management approaches.
- I focused on engaging stakeholders early on, by keeping them informed through workshops and regular engagement briefings that were customized to their needs and business divisions. Making sure they understood the benefits of the new processes, we were able to get everyone on board and reduce any hesitation.
- I built an informal group of change leaders from within the company. These key players ambassadors for change by role modelling the new behaviours, addressing questions, and motivating others. This made the transition smoother and ensured that employees at all levels were well-prepared.
I’m proud of the fact that we successfully implemented phase two. With Workday fully in place now, the organization is set up to manage HR processes smoothly throughout the rest of the fiscal year.”
What were the main challenges you faced?
“The EMEA region is incredibly diverse, consisting of 25 countries for this project – all with different languages, cultures, and operational structures of course. So, one of the key challenges was to make sure that the global strategy fit the unique and local needs of each group, respective of their location and working environment.”
How did SPRING TODAY support you throughout the project?
“SPRING TODAY was a great help throughout the project. They planned regular check-ins and were always available for support. Lisette even took the time to meet with me and with key stakeholders in person. I would say this is the most proactive partner I’ve worked with so far.”
Are you also looking for a change manager who fits your organization like a glove? Let’s get in touch.