Mergers and Acquisitions

“An estimated 70 percent to 90 percent of all M&As fail to achieve their anticipated strategic and financial objectives.” (Christensen, C.M., Alton, R., Rising, C., & Waldeck, A. (2011, March). The Big Idea : The New M&A Playbook. Harvard Business Review.)

“This rate of failure is often attributed to various HR-related factors, such as incompatible cultures, management styles, poor motivation, loss of key talent, lack of communication, diminished trust and uncertainty of long-term goals.” The Society for Human Resource Management

The announcement of an impending merger or acquisition is often unnerving for employees at all levels of the organization. In many cases, key leaders and talented employees may voluntarily choose to seek other employment to avoid the uncertainty of the future, or because they do not fully trust the company’s existing or incoming executive team. Even in the best case scenario, merging two cultures can be very challenging.

DEDICATED has assisted organizations in conducting due diligence, reviewing existing talent and needs, constructing an integration team, and organizing communication throughout the first 12 months of the blended operation. Examples of our post-M&A work include:

• Assisting with short- and long-term plans for how the changes will be communicated to employees of both organizations over the period from due diligence to one year post-merger.
• Addressing human resource challenges, including pending complaints and lawsuits, compensation clarity, OSHA violations, or other matters that derail the opportunity for a successful merger of cultures and financial strength.
• Lead (or support) the integration team in analyzing and blending benefits, compensation, employee handbooks, job descriptions, etc.