Change Agents can be managers, employees or external consultants hired to facilitate change initiatives. Of course, internal Change Agents have the advantage of being familiar with an organisation’s history, operations, and people, while external Change Agents can provide a fresh perspective without the influence of a firm’s traditions and culture.
When an organisation wants to make a change happen there are two perspectives it should be interested in:
In the first group, we have all the staff impacted by change, whose priorities are using the existing ways of working to satisfy current customer demand and getting the job done. On top of that, when a change occurs, they need to change how they work. Plus, they need to mobilise their colleagues and themselves to participate in the change and, finally, integrate the change into their current ways of working.
That is exactly the definition of a Change Agent: a person that has a job in an organisation and, next to that, they facilitate change. This means a Change Agent can have a role in HR, Finance, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Administration etc.
In the second group, we have project and change teams, whose priorities are introducing new ideas, innovation and new ways of working, identifying activities and tasks and creating plans to implement change. Plus, they can guide those who are selected as “Change Agents” to perform their role.
The Change Agent network is becoming incredibly popular within organisations. People may not be called Change Agents but the point is that, on top of their daily job, they have the role of helping make change happen and integrating changes into the current ways of working.
A successful Change Agent combines interpersonal, strategic and methodological skills.The table below illustrates the main activities and skills required for the role.
| Activities / Responsibilities | Key skills included |
|---|---|
| Analysing the organisational context and resistance | Active listening, Behavioural analysis, Empathy |
| Defining a change management strategy | Systemic vision, Planning, Communication |
| Facilitating workshops and discussions | Leadership, Negotiation, Team building |
| Support leadership in communicating the vision | Storytelling, Persuasive communication, Strategy |
| Accompany employees during the transition | Coaching, Emotion management, Motivation |
| Monitor and measure the effectiveness of change | Data analysis, Impact assessment, Critical thinking |
| Promote a culture of continuous innovation | Change mindset, Curiosity, Innovation |
We know by heart that change is present in any organisation, at any size. But in this world of very fast moving change, we need to talk about “Agile Change”: since it is not possible to try and plan every single change in detail upfront, we need to adopt change in an Agile way.
That was the idea that Melanie Franklin, thought leader in Change Management transformed into an approach for managing transformational change initiatives, mainly using the ideas from the agile methodologies.
Organisations can benefit from an agile approach to change in order to plan and manage all the activities that are needed to design and deliver changes. And to make changes successful, from both perspectives.
If you are doing your day job, change is probably irritating because it gets in the way of you using your existing habits, your existing sort of skills and techniques to get things done really quickly. It slows you down because you have to think through a new way of working whereas everybody on the other side thinks change is great.
An Agile Change Agent works to bring these groups of people together, drawing attention both on the project/change activities as well as on the behavioural change of the team. And an Agile Change approach can offer your organisation a structure to plan the elements of your Agile changes.
At a banking company, Federico is involved as a Change Agent to support the adoption of a new CRM system for the sales network. After initial interviews and focus groups, he identifies the main areas of resistance:
To promote acceptance of the new tool, Federico organises listening workshops with the teams and co-design sessions to show how CRM can simplify work rather than complicate it. In collaboration with HR, he defines a communication plan that highlights the concrete benefits and introduces a network of “change ambassadors” tasked with supporting colleagues during the transition.
During the implementation phase, he monitors adoption metrics, qualitative feedback and operational issues, intervening quickly when drops in usage or recurring doubts arise.
After six months, active adoption of the CRM exceeds 85% and internal surveys record a 25% increase in employee satisfaction. The project is recognised as a successful case of participatory change management.
The national average is between €65,000 and €120,000 gross per year, equivalent to around €4 500 net per month, with a wide range depending on the complexity of the transformation projects managed.
The range is wide: entry-level positions start at €65k, while senior profiles exceed €120k, with peaks above €160k in sectors undergoing rapid change (high-tech, pharmaceuticals, consulting). Executive roles in strategic transformation programmes — such as Head of Change or Transformation Leader — can exceed €160k in large multinationals.
Three variables are more important than others: seniority, industry and size of the organisation. Each step up in experience can also be worth up to 20 k €. The variable component, bonuses linked to the results of change programmes, can account for a further 5-15%.
Freelancers, on the other hand, charge between €600 and €1,520 per day (8h of work considered), depending on the scope of the project, resistance to organisational change and the level of responsibility required.
Certifications are real accelerators: Agile Change Agent, Change Management Practitioner and similar, can increase the competitiveness of the profile by up to a third. With 5-7 years of experience, a strong industrial presence and recognised credentials, a Change Agent can aim for €90-140k gross. The first steps in a career remain close to €60k-75k, with prospects for rapid growth in the first five years.
SOURCE: APMG
