How to Advocate to Change a Company Policy
The best way to introduce change at your company as an employee.
When a woman Caroline follows online opened up about her tragic stillbirth and shed light on the fact that many companies still don’t cover leave for reproductive bereavement, Caroline decided to advocate for change at her own employer.
Top-down organizational change initiatives (those determined by upper management) have a 34% chance of lasting success, whereas the success rate of open-source changes (a cooperative process between employees and management) jumps up to 58%, according to a 2020 Gartner study.
"One of our employees raised the idea of offering leave to recognize grief associated with pregnancy loss and infertility," said Heather Kelly, chief talent officer at Boston law firm Mintz. "She felt that recognizing grief, as opposed to only the medical aspects, associated with these life events was important, and we agreed.”
But as with any big idea you want to bring up at work, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Here are our tips.
Do your research.
Before you set a meeting with anybody, do extensive research and make a slide presentation that lays out all your arguments. Gather examples of what has worked at other companies, and even scripts that other people have used when presenting. Only then should you reach out to the benefits team to make your recommendations.
It also helps if your advocacy aligns with the cultural conversation (but don’t be deterred if it doesn’t). “Korn Ferry just enhanced its bereavement leave, recognizing that feelings around emotional wellbeing have changed,” says Brian Bloom, Vice President of Global Benefits and Mobility Operations at Korn Ferry. “We want to lead with empathy and show that we understand dealing with grief is a significant thing.”
Get in the right headspace.
Making a recommendation from personal experience can be compelling for those with the power to change a policy. But it can also be raw for you, especially if you’ve recently gone through something difficult. “Try not to lead with too much emotion,” Bloom says. “When you’re ready, make your suggestion without demanding anything.”
Then, set the expectation with yourself to be patient. Even if you get a yes, the change might not go into effect immediately — a lot depends on the benefits cycle your company is on, and the internal resources that will bring the change to life.
Know your stakeholders.
As you lead the change, bring people in who will support your cause and advocate alongside you. While it takes a lot of courage to reach out, talk to your managers, people leaders, and rewards leaders and let them know how you truly feel about the need for a new, better policy. While it’s vulnerable to speak your mind in this way, raising an issue that affects many people will most likely lead you to a leader who can relate.
Be your own champion.
Getting clear about what you want from an employer may save you the need for advocating down the line. If you’re on the job hunt, look at every prospective employer’s rewards package in detail to see if it aligns with your values and potential future needs.
And if you’re young, or haven’t had an experience that caused you to need this particular policy yet, think about your future. “Will you be able to grow your life with the company — as well as your career?” Bloom asks.
