Post-merger integration is risky even for the well-prepared. Today’s deals are more complex than ever, and their value is always threatened by turnover, missed targets, and misaligned priorities.
So how can you be sure you’re not leaving money on the table—or, worse, undermining the hard work you’ve already done?
It helps to have experience on your side, but more important is finding experts who can actually do the work, not just talk about it.
Business Talent Group’s independent consultants combine practical, objective perspective with deep technical expertise. They can tailor their workflow according to each project’s needs, and they aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and execute (and adjust) integration plans.
Here are a few examples.
Integration Change Management
A Fortune 500 tech company had just acquired a global data firm with more than 1000 employees. But the Director of Integration was concerned that her overstretched team—which was already working on several different deals—lacked the change management expertise to successfully integrate them. Business Talent Group's change management expert, a former Arthur Andersen consultant, joined shortly after the integration work had begun. Her task: to design and lead a comprehensive change management plan that would address key areas like communications, processes, training strategies, and more. After getting buy-in from senior leadership, she assembled several internal teams to communicate with and get feedback from employees at the acquired company. She also established clear processes for reviewing and approving content along with metrics for benchmarking employee training and retention. As the work progressed, our consultant began to build out an infrastructure that would set internal teams up for success after the engagement was over.Rethinking the Integration Workflow
The Integration team at an acquisitive networking company was looking to reduce its reliance on traditional consulting firms. Yet workflow was uneven, and the Corporate Strategy office did not want to add permanent headcount. Business Talent Group helped the team restructure the integration process to preserve its unique methodology while augmenting its capabilities with on-demand independent strategists. These professionals have depth in specific industries and topics and work efficiently within the team’s frameworks, coordinating key activities and building and executing processes for project governance, risk identification, and issue resolution.Post-Merger Integration HR Strategy
An acquisition swelled this F500 hospitality giant’s headcount by 50%. The organization was committed to its unique culture, but its HR team was struggling to efficiently integrate the new employees. Business Talent Group’s HR growth specialist led the team’s integration group, incorporating new employees while helping to preserve the company’s corporate culture. She also helped transform the HR organization to match this shift, including the development of a new talent acquisition and search process. The client received a total organizational redesign that merged two different cultures without impacting morale or productivity.GET THE SKILLS YOU NEED
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About the Author
Leah Hoffmann is a former journalist who has worked for Forbes.com and The Economist. She is passionate about clear thinking, sharp writing, and strong points of view.
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