Organizations that are undergoing change initiatives require someone to lead and oversee the change process.
That is where they must hire change managers.
A change manager is in charge of guiding an organization through the process of change. His or her main role is to support planning, implementation, and monitoring of change management.
They collaborate with all levels of management and employees to ensure that changes are implemented smoothly and successfully.
Selection of change manager or hiring of new person for this role is very crucial in change project. Because he/she is a bridge between leadership and workers.
A change manager can be identified from within organization and also can be hired from outside. Before hiring, the important step is to develop organizational change manager job description and outline role and responsibilities of change manager.
This description should be prepared keeping in view organisational realities, culture, and desired outcome of change.
Let’s discuss in detail some of the standard job description of change manager.
Organizational Change Manager Job Description
We are seeking an efficient and experienced change manager to transform our business systems and organizational structure in order to improve business effectiveness and service delivery.
Change manager will work closely with management to design and implement change strategies that can be implemented smoothly with minimum resistance from employees and stakeholders.
Roles and Responsibilities of Change Manager
Documentation, constant exchange, and constant monitoring of all facets of a process are typical responsibilities of change managers.
They also lead individual discussions and team meetings, as well as oversee internal corporate communication. They ensure a proper balance of interests and assist managers in implementing necessary adjustments.
Following are the key responsibilities of change manager:
- Use a change management approach, process, and techniques to develop change management strategy to support the adoption of proposed changes;
- Facilitate designing, innovation, delivery, and strategic planning of change;
- Prepare tools for conducting readiness for change, analyse data and present findings through a report;
- Conduct special sessions with employees and other stakeholders to generate ideas, document requirements, and assessing their special needs to implement change:
- Design, plan and execute special trainings and capacity building sessions of employees on change management;
- Develop change communication plan in consultation with management and relevant stakeholders;
- Analyze resistance to change and devise strategies to overcome resistance to change;
- Analyze the proposed cost and budgetary impact of change management;
- Assist management with the realignment of employees in order to execute change management; and
- Monitoring and providing updates on project status to management.
Qualifications and Skills of a Change Manager
The majority of change managers have a background in business administration or management. And meanwhile, there is the option of pursuing a Master’s degree in Change Management.
In addition to these basic educational requirements, being certified in specialized fields can strengthen your resume and demonstrate to prospective employers that you have the necessary skills to be a great change manager.
The qualification and skills that a change manager must have are:
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources, or a closely related field is required.
- Experience and knowledge of change management methodologies, strategies and principles.
- Expertise in business management, statistics, predictive analysis, and spreadsheet software such as Excel are all required.
- Capability to persuade others and accomplish common objectives
- Strong communication skills and the ability to form solid relationships
- Outstanding problem-solving and analytical skills
- Outstanding organizational, project planning, and time management abilities
- Adaptable and flexible; capable of working in uncertain cases
Final Thoughts:
Change managers are key personnel of change management. They can be either selected from within organisation or hired from market. But their selection should be made carefully. Success of change initiative depends on how efficiently and effectively change manager is performing. Developing organizational change manager job description is the first step of selection process. Every organization must prepare this job description keeping in view its own change objectives, processes and special needs.
