Written by: Rami Kerkeni, HX professional at Rvdb

In this business case, you’ll learn how Rami As an interim HR professional, I led various HR projects over a seven-month period at a small cultural nonprofit organization. My work included facilitating the transition to a new collective bargaining agreement, improving time tracking, revamping the performance review cycle, and creating a new knowledge platform for employees.

The common thread in my approach: first, understand why a change is necessary; next, translate that into practical action; and finally, get employees on board with the new way of working. At the start of the interim assignment, there was a temporary lack of HR capacity, and several HR projects had come to a standstill. The organization needed an HR point of contact who could bring structure to the process and guide employees through various changes.

The assignment involved overseeing the transition to a new collective bargaining agreement, improving time tracking, revising the performance review cycle, and developing a new SharePoint environment to serve as a knowledge platform.

The Challenge

The organization operates in a sector where pressure has increased in recent years. This has created a greater need for reliable information on capacity, project assignments, and time spent on tasks. This information helps to better monitor workloads and capacity, provide greater insight into activities, and transparently report to ministries on the deployment of staff.

The introduction of a new method of time tracking was a clear example of this. The change was not just about filling out a system correctly; it also touched on autonomy and the way employees experience their work.

The key question, therefore, was not only: How do we ensure reliable information? But above all: How do we ensure that employees understand why this change is necessary and how it supports them in their work?

Role and Approach

My approach has always been the same: first, understand what lies behind a question. Don’t just look at the process or system, but at the intention behind it and the value it brings to employees and the organization.

That’s why I didn’t start with the solution, but with the conversation. What do we want to achieve? What need lies behind this? And how do we ensure that the change aligns with the people who will have to work with it?

When the new time-tracking system was implemented, the focus was not only on training but, above all, on support. Through presentations, Q&A sessions, and one-on-one meetings, employees were given the opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and become familiar with the new process.

When employees struggled with the change, the first step was not to correct them, but to understand them. What was making it difficult? Where was there a need for further explanation? These conversations fostered greater understanding and improved the implementation of the new approach throughout the organization.

In hindsight, there’s one thing I would do differently: I would have critically examined earlier whether the chosen system was actually the best solution. I started out assuming that the existing system was appropriate. Next time, I would address this question right from the start.

HX in Practice – A People-Centered Approach

An implementation isn’t just a technical process. The human aspect requires attention, communication, and time.

An important lesson from this project is that people need not only instructions, but above all understanding. When a change is perceived as an additional obligation or a control mechanism, resistance is more likely to arise. When employees understand why a change is necessary and how it supports their work, they become more engaged.

When it came to time tracking, this meant that I not only explained how employees tracked their hours, but also why this information is valuable. Reliable data provides insight into the distribution of work, supports discussions about workload, and helps the organization gain a better understanding of capacity and priorities.

Results Achieved

During the project, the following results were achieved:

• A successful transition to a new collective bargaining agreement, including a comparison with existing terms of employment.

• A new method for tracking hours, which enables employees to track their hours more systematically and provides the organization with more reliable management information.

• Greater insight into how time is spent on each project and activity, to serve as a basis for discussions about priorities, workload, and capacity.

• Revised guidelines for better conversations between managers and employees.

• A new SharePoint environment as an accessible knowledge platform for employees.

Insights and Impact

It takes time to understand a change. In this case, it often takes even longer to get used to a new way of working, especially when employees have been accustomed to working a certain way for years.

This project confirmed that successful change requires not only a good plan, but also attention to the people who will have to implement it. By allowing time for explanations, questions, and repetition, you increase the likelihood that a change will actually take hold.

The organization now has more reliable time-tracking data, giving employees and managers a better understanding of how time is spent, workloads, and capacity. In addition, this information helps the organization report more transparently to government agencies.

The core of my approach remains the same: change only works when people not only know what is expected of them, but also understand the value that the change adds and why it is necessary.