NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Mar 29, 2016) -  Human Capital Institute (HCI), the global association for strategic talent management, today announced the launch of its first quarter Talent Pulse, a quarterly research eBook exploring key trends in talent management. This most recent edition, "What is HR's Role in Change Management?" addresses how HR can help drive change throughout their organizations and be seen as a strategic partner.

"Continuous change has become a reality in our fast-paced business world, and many organizations find themselves struggling to explain change to their employees and getting them onboard with new processes," said Carl Rhodes, HCI's chief executive officer. "HR has the opportunity to play a bigger role in driving organization-wide change efforts and ensuring their teams have the support to work through any change effectively. Our latest research provides an in-depth exploration of current change management challenges and how HR can step in and contribute to the success of any change initiative."

One of the most common challenges around change management is the difficulty gaining support from managers and employees alike. Although HR is expected to be proficient in change management, some practitioners may find themselves on the sidelines when major change efforts are designed and implemented. This is often due to the fact that HR is expected to lead change from within the parameters of the HR function. For change initiatives to be effective, HR needs to step outside that box and play a lead role, communicating what will change, coaching people through resistance, building managers' change management skills, sharing progress throughout and recognizing positive behaviors.

In its research, HCI explores how HR practitioners are managing change and introducing a new way to develop change management capabilities. Based on the survey responses of HR professionals from more than 540 organizations, HCI reveals the best practices used by HR to drive change. Key findings from the research include:

• Thriving in Change: Overall, 77 percent of HR practitioners and leaders report that their organization is in a state of constant change, characterized by continually shifting priorities and strategies. Despite this high number, most respondents reported that at least half of their major change efforts were successful.
• Mobilizing Key Players: Successful change management efforts have in-house key players, including senior leaders, managers and HR, rather than third-party consultants. In addition, 50 percent of respondents cited developing employees in change management competencies is an underutilized area.
• Defining HR's Role: Most respondents view the role of the HR function as supportive but still involved as a key player. Major challenges standing in their way are personal resistance to change (65 percent), poor communication (51 percent), insufficient training (49 percent) and not prioritizing the new initiative (43 percent).

HCI has made "What is HR's Role in Change Management?" available for download at: http://www.hci.org/hr-research/hrs-role-change-management

About Human Capital Institute (HCI)
Founded in 2004, HCI is the leading global source for cutting-edge insight on how organizations can manage talent in today's dynamic knowledge economy. Through a robust network of expert practitioners, leading corporations, government agencies, global consultants and business schools, HCI is a clearinghouse for HR best practices and new ideas, delivered via in-depth research, comprehensive courses and informative events. HCI provides its community of 195,000 members, spanning all industries and business sectors, with the knowledge they need to transform their human capital strategies. For more information, please visit www.hci.org.

About HCI Research
HCI is a premier thought leader in the new discipline of strategic talent management with an unparalleled reputation for innovation, leadership and excellence, demonstrated through cutting-edge research and analysis. HCI Research draws from the knowledge of a large network of executive practitioners, expert consultants, leading academics and thought leaders, as well as thorough quantitative and qualitative analysis, to produce insightful findings and recommendations that shape strategy and encourage action across the continuum of talent management. To learn more, please visit: http://www.hci.org/content/research.