Foundation

Communication and Change

By Redaktion techport.ai, HR-Beratung · Last updated on 21 August 2026

The new performance system has been implemented. Technically, it works. A year later, 40 percent of managers are still conducting their appraisal meetings using Word templates and only enter the results retrospectively when prompted by HR. The system was correct. The implementation failed to convince anyone, because no one explained why, and because managers only found out about it at the go-live.

Every HR project is a change project. It changes how people work, and people only change their work if they understand why, if they were involved, and if the new way is easier than the old. This is not a soft issue. It determines the return on every investment in this area.

Typical problems

Communication for the launch consists of an intranet message and one training session.
Managers learn about changes at the same time as their teams and are unable to answer questions.
Resistance is interpreted as unwillingness instead of an indication of a problem with the concept.
The project ends after the go-live. No one measures whether the new system is being used.

What we do in this field

We plan communication and involvement in HR projects from the outset, considering the affected groups and the questions they will have. We measure usage after go-live and adjust as needed. And we link this with our work on systems: A process that is easier within the system than outside it requires less persuasion.

Topics in this field

Change Communication in HR ProjectsWhy HR implementations fail due to adoption, not technology. Communication plan by target group, involvement, dealing with resistance, training by role, and adoption measurement post-go-live.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't that the responsibility of internal communications?

Internal communications can provide channels and formats. The content, sequence, and handling of resistance belong to the project, as they depend on the concept. We collaborate with internal communications; we do not replace them.

How much effort is involved?

Around ten to fifteen percent of the project effort, if planned from the outset. Subsequently, it is many times more, because then it's about repair, not communication.

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