Managing staff through change: creating stability in uncertain times
Posted on 5th May 2025 at 08:56
They say the only constant about change is that things are constantly changing. Arguably we are going through more change at work now than ever, with hybrid working, digital tools, rising costs of business and record levels of sickness absence and burnout.
It's tough out there. And maintaining productivity while your teams are feeling under pressure is a challenge with which people are really struggling.
Whether it's mergers, restructuring, redundancies, or adapting to new technologies, the way organisations handle periods of transition can make or break both employee wellbeing and productivity. According to recent statistics, 37% of employees admit they are resistant to change, while 40% feel anxious about changes at their workplace.
In a recent episode of the Unlocking Workplace Wellbeing Podcast from Verve Healthcare, CEO Steven Pink sat down with Karen Richardson, who brings exceptional experience as both a global HR director in the legal sector and a qualified psychotherapist and executive coach. Their conversation dived deep into how business leaders and HR professionals can effectively support their teams through periods of uncertainty.
Why managing change matters more than ever
"Nearly half (43%) of employees agreed their business is not prepared to effectively manage change," Steven noted at the beginning of the podcast, highlighting the significant gap between organisational aspirations and employee experiences.
This disconnect is costly. Poor mental wellbeing related to workplace change costs UK employers between £42-45 billion annually through reduced productivity, sickness absence, and staff turnover. With the UK's sickness absence rate reaching its highest point in almost 20 years (2.6% in 2022, up from 2.2% pre-pandemic), organisations simply cannot afford to mismanage periods of transition.
Karen observed that when change is handled poorly, "It can be short-sighted because we shouldn't ignore the people that are remaining, even though they're not directly impacted." This highlights a crucial truth: change management isn't just about those directly affected; it impacts everyone.
Understanding our hardwired resistance to change
One of the most fascinating insights Karen shared is how our brains are literally programmed to resist change: "Sometimes we forget that as humans, we are pre-programmed to really not like change. Our brains are wired to like familiarity and things the way they've always been."
She illustrated this with a relatable example of IT system changes, where staff complain about current systems but then clamour for the old system as soon as a new one is introduced. This perfectly captures our psychological paradox: we want improvement but resist the disruption that comes with it.
Recent surveys support this perspective, with 74% of employees saying their leaders lack empathy in addressing resistance to change. Karen stressed that leaders need to understand that even when changes make logical sense from a business perspective, the emotional impact requires careful management.
Creating space for processing change
When Steven asked how HR managers could keep people motivated during difficult changes like redundancies, Karen highlighted the importance of giving employees space to process their feelings:
"I think often, because so much of our identity is linked to what we do in our careers, the messaging that you give people at times like that can be really, really important in terms of helping them to understand that this isn't personal because it feels personal."
She emphasised that while explaining the rationale behind changes is important, equally valuable is creating space for people to work through what the changes mean for them personally. This isn't just about being kind-it's good business. According to recent research, organisations with comprehensive wellbeing programmes report a 25% reduction in healthcare costs over five years, demonstrating the financial benefits of supporting employees' mental health during change.
Don't predict how people will react
One particularly valuable insight Karen shared was about avoiding assumptions regarding how individuals will respond to change: "You should never predict or try and predict how someone might feel about it, because often you're projecting what you might think about it on to them."
She recounted an experience where she was prepared for a difficult conversation, only to have the employee respond with a casual "Coolio" that left her momentarily speechless. This illustrates an important point for managers: people's reactions to change vary widely based on their personal circumstances, personality, and current life situation.
"I've worked with people who have been, actually, I wanted to make a change and I was a bit stuck, or actually, I was thinking about going travelling and this might enable me to do so," she noted, highlighting how what seems like a negative change to an organisation might be viewed as an opportunity by certain individuals.
Understanding survivor syndrome
A particularly insightful part of the conversation focused on "survivor syndrome"-the complex emotions experienced by employees who remain after redundancies or restructuring. "That survivor syndrome concept is one whereby people can often feel guilty that they're the ones that remain or can feel a lot of anxiety around, is this the first set of redundancies? Are there going to be more?" Karen explained.
This phenomenon is well-documented. According to Lattice, workplace survivor syndrome can manifest as "increased absenteeism, anxiety at work, feelings of guilt, depression, poor morale". With 15% of UK households reporting that someone has taken time off work due to mental ill-health in the last year, addressing these emotional reactions is crucial for maintaining workforce health and productivity.
Karen emphasised that "if you are not able to engage with those people and make them feel heard and bring them with you," productivity will inevitably suffer. The focus needs to be not just on those directly impacted by change but also on the team members who remain.
Leading through uncertainty when you don't have all the answers
Steven raised an excellent question about how managers can lead effectively when they themselves feel uncertain. Karen's response was refreshingly honest: it's okay not to have all the answers.
"I think in those circumstances, it's often better to listen and actively listen," she advised. "So not listening to respond, but listening to hear someone."
She cautioned against the common mistake of managers retreating from their teams because they fear being unable to answer all questions: "Quite often, I've seen managers almost retreat a little bit because they're afraid that people expect them to know all the answers. So they don't reach out, they don't talk to their people. And then there's this vacuum, and then the vacuum gets bigger."
This communication gap can be particularly damaging. Recent research by Gartner shows that 73% of change-affected employees report experiencing moderate to high stress levels. By maintaining open communication-even when the message is "I don't have all the answers right now"-leaders can help reduce this stress and prevent rumours from filling the information void.
Making space for managers to process change too
An often-overlooked aspect of change management is supporting the managers who must lead others through it. As Karen pointed out, "As a manager, you're working through how you feel about it at the same time as having to represent the organisation and lead your staff, lead your people through these periods of change."
She suggested that organisations should "allow managers to have a heads up and a bit of space for a week or two to get them in a comfortable place" before expecting them to lead their teams through significant changes. This preparation time allows managers to process their own feelings and get comfortable with the messaging they'll need to deliver.
This advice aligns with guidance from mental health organisation Mind, which recommends that managers be "positive, professional and supportive throughout the process" of managing change; something difficult to achieve if they haven't had time to process their own reactions first.
Maintaining productivity during uncertainty
When Steven asked how employees can possibly remain productive during periods of uncertainty, Karen offered a counterintuitive perspective: work itself can be a stabilising factor. "My personal view is what people need in times of change is familiarity and anchors that they can hold on to when things are changing around them. Actually, there is comfort in the familiarity of doing the job."
She shared that she'd worked with many employees who, when offered garden leave, responded with, "No, can I keep working?" because the routine provided structure and breathing space to process what was happening.
This insight is backed by productivity data. While the UK currently loses an estimated £32.7 billion in productivity annually due to long-term sickness, organisations that implement effective health and wellbeing programmes can see productivity increases of up to 20%. Ir organisations provide appropriate support during change, they can help prevent the mental health issues that lead to such significant productivity losses.
The pressure to be perfect: what managers are struggling with today
When asked about the themes she's seeing in her work as an executive coach, Karen identified a pressing challenge for today's managers: "I think it's the pressure to be perfect."
She elaborated that many managers struggle with questions like: "How safe is it to speak out? How safe is it to say that the workload's too much? I can't; I'm really struggling."
This observation connects directly to the concept of psychological safety, which has become increasingly important in workplace discussions. As Karen noted, this pressure often comes from both external expectations and self-imposed standards: "When you are highly successful in what you do, it makes you highly driven. And that voice that drives you to succeed, to be brilliant in your chosen career, that's great because it drives you on. But there's a tipping point where that voice can sometimes be negative because it's pushing you so hard."
For organisations looking to improve their change management, addressing this pressure is vital. The Royal College of Psychiatrists found that 31% of respondents would not feel comfortable asking their employer for time off due to mental ill-health, rising to 48% for those actively working. Creating an environment where managers feel they can be authentic rather than perfect is the first step toward building psychologically safe workplaces.
The single most important skill: listen to hear, not to respond
When Steven asked Karen to share the one key takeaway she'd want podcast listeners to remember, her answer was immediate and powerful: "Oh, easily, don't listen to respond."
She went on to explain that "the most powerful skill that I learned when I was retraining to be a psychotherapist is not listening to respond and not listening to fix. Actually, sitting with someone and saying, 'Yeah, I can hear that's really hard for you.' Full stop."
This simple yet profound shift in how we listen can transform how employees experience change. Rather than rushing to solutions or rebuttals, genuinely hearing people's concerns validates their experiences and helps them feel seen and valued-even when circumstances are difficult.
Karen connected this directly to productivity: "In periods of change, in periods where people feel uncertain, enabling someone to feel heard can really make a difference in terms of how they feel about the organisation, which then leads to that point around productivity."
This approach is supported by research showing that organisations investing in wellbeing see positive returns, with some studies finding a return of around £5 for every £1 invested in mental health interventions in the workplace. The simple act of listening properly is perhaps the most cost-effective wellbeing intervention available.
Creating a healthy, happy and productive workforce through change
The conversation between Steven and Karen provides valuable insights for any organisation facing change-which, in today's world, is virtually every organisation. Their discussion highlighted that managing change effectively isn't just about process and planning; it's about recognising the human impact of change and addressing it with empathy and authenticity.
The statistics tell a clear story: with workplace absences due to long-term sickness projected to cost the UK economy £66.3 billion annually by 2030 if current trends continue, organisations simply cannot afford to ignore the human side of change management.
As Karen stressed throughout the podcast, the key is balance-acknowledging business realities while creating space for the emotional processing that humans naturally need when faced with change. By listening to hear rather than to respond, giving both employees and managers space to process change, and recognising that different people will react differently to the same circumstances, organisations can maintain productivity while supporting wellbeing.
For HR managers and business owners looking to create truly healthy, happy and productive workplaces, this balanced approach to change management isn't just nice to have-it's essential. In fact, research from Business in the Community published in April 2025 reveals that the UK economic value of improved employee wellbeing could be between £130-370 billion per year, equivalent to 6-17% of the UK's GDP.
At Verve Healthcare, we understand the challenges of supporting teams through change while maintaining productivity. Our workplace wellbeing solutions are designed to give your organisation the tools you need to navigate change successfully, from mental health support to physiotherapy, private GP services, and health assessments.
The Unlocking Workplace Wellbeing podcast for HR managers and employers from Verve Healthcare
This article was based on an episode of the Unlocking Workplace Wellbeing Podcast from Verve Healthcare. Listen to the full conversation between Steven Pink and Karen Richardson for more insights on managing staff through change.
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