Many business organisations, through need or desire, have either undergone or have considered undergoing major structural change in order to streamline their operations so as to make them more competitive, driving efficiency savings and eliminating waste.

Sometimes the change that is needed to drive efficiencies can be substantial, involving a root and branch operation throughout the organisation. Shared services, streamlining, outsourcing of functions previously performed in-house all form a part of this radical and fundamental approach to increasing competitiveness and providing value for money. The end product, if all goes to plan, is a leaner and fitter outfit better equipped to compete in the hustle and bustle that is the modern world of business.

It is a mistake often made to think that the decision to effect such change is the prerogative of management and that as such the support and co-operation of personnel, if desirable, is not in the final analysis essential.

The reason this view is mistaken is because the efficiency and effectiveness of any business is about more than just saving money. In order to become and to remain competitive an organisation needs to be operating to its full potential in every aspect. That means not only maximising the figure at the foot of the right hand column on the balance sheet, but also utilising all the resources at your disposal to their fullest potential. And your single most valuable resource is your workforce. The human resource.

A happy and motivated workforce is an efficient workforce. It is a workforce that will do for you and for the company not only what it must, but what it can. Traditionally the HR focus has tended to restrict itself to reconfiguring its physical operation, overlooking by so doing an opportunity to become organisationally expert at comprehending and applying employee dynamics. Employees need to be a major source of competitive advantage.

Thus it is that one of the first and most important challenges facing any business undergoing a radical change programme is to bring the workforce on board, through keeping them advised of the reasons for and the progress of the project, and through a vigorous application of essential human resources training.

HR training and development provides the perfect opportunity through which to share the rationale behind the efficiency drive with the workforce. It is in their interests too, after all, that the company thrives. Having a workforce that is enthused gives the business a competitive advantage that is difficult to quantify, but that is real and significant all the same.