I Need a Change Manager – But How Do I Know They’re Doing the Right Thing?

Deciding to bring a change manager into your organisation is one thing, but ensuring you hire the right person with the right skills is another challenge entirely. How do you know if their work is making an impact? Is it worth the investment of time, resources, and money?

The reality is, people who manage relationships can be incredibly convincing in interviews—it’s their job to bring others on board with their agenda. So, what should you expect from a change manager, what should you look for when hiring, and how can you measure success?

Photo by Savvas Stavrinos

What to Expect from a Change Manager

1. Exceptional Listening Skills

   A great change manager doesn’t just hear what’s being said—they listen deeply. They read between the lines, ask the right questions, and ensure alignment by reflecting on what they’ve heard.

   
   

2. Living, Breathing Artefacts

   No two transformation programs are the same, yet every engagement follows a similar framework. Change managers will develop artefacts that continuously evolve throughout the program, including:

   • Stakeholder Assessment: Who is impacted? Who cares? Who sits on the periphery?

   • Current State Assessment: What is the current state? What’s the change appetite? What are the perceived impacts?

   • Change Impact Assessment: What’s the gap between the current and future state? What’s the scale of impact? What are the non-negotiables?

   • Communications & Engagement Plan: Who needs to know what, when, and from whom?

   • Working Groups: Cross-functional teams that provide insights beyond governance forums.

   • Change Champions: A diverse group from the impacted population who act as two-way communication conduits.

   • Risk & Activity Registers: What could go wrong? What’s been done, and what can be replicated for future programs?

   • Incremental Retrospectives: What should we stop, start, or continue?

   These artefacts are never truly "finished"—they adapt as the change unfolds.

   
   

3. Time Demands, on the Most Time-Poor People

   Change managers will require input from the most senior and busiest people in your organisation. Senior leaders set the pace and tone for change—without their buy-in, individual contributors are unlikely to prioritise transformation activities.

   Middle managers are often best positioned to support assessments, but senior leaders must reinforce and drive initiatives. After all, why should employees listen to someone who will leave in 12 months? Yet once the sacrifices have been made, the benefits will be tangible.

   
   

4. Engaged, Open Teams

   A strong change manager fosters trust and psychological safety, encouraging teams to openly share feedback—both positive and negative. The result? Less resistance, fewer misunderstandings, and a smoother transition.

   
   

   However, maintaining engagement doesn’t end when the transformation is "complete." A good change manager will leave behind structures and rhythms that ensure continued success.

   
   

---

What to Look for When Hiring a Change Manager

Hiring managers often have set expectations, but finding the right change manager requires a mix of intuition and fact-checking.

Key Considerations:

• Do they understand change frameworks? Ask about ADKAR, McKinsey 7S, Kotter, or Lewin. (Be cautious of those who only mention "ProSci"—that’s a training program, not a framework.)

• How would they implement change in your organisation? This is a trick question. A strong candidate will acknowledge they need more information before answering.

• How do they balance relationships and reporting? Great change managers understand that while relationships drive change, artefacts are needed to prove progress.

• Are they adaptable? Have they worked with different types of organisations? (For example, working with Atlassian was an eye-opener for me!)

Experience vs. Short Tenures

Many change managers work on short-term contracts. Organisations that fund work in six-month increments often question resumes full of similar short-term engagements. Rather than dismissing this, ask for references—any experienced change manager should have references from every second engagement at minimum.

---

How Do You Measure the Immeasurable?

Since no two organisations or transformations are identical, past success metrics may not apply. So, what can you measure?

1. Pre- and Post-Change Surveys

   Surveys provide baseline and post-implementation insights, but poorly worded questions can skew results. Surveys also lack a personal touch—some employees may worry about anonymity or simply forget to respond.

2. Hard Data

   Metrics like utilisation rates, engagement levels, and performance indicators offer measurable insights. However, while data is useful, it doesn’t capture the human elements of change—resistance, emotional buy-in, or culture shifts.

3. Human-Centred Conversations

   The best measure of success is a mix of data and qualitative feedback. Engaging in structured conversations with impacted teams reveals the nuances that numbers alone can’t capture.

Final Thoughts

Change managers can be a game-changer—when hired well. Their role may look different from other functions in your organisation, making the hiring process and day-to-day interactions feel unfamiliar.

Before making any hiring decisions, speak with experts who are seeking to understand the nuances of your organisation. The right change manager won’t just drive transformation—they’ll embed lasting change that sets your organisation up for success.