Mergers have become a necessary evil for countless businesses since the beginning of the recession. Companies have had to make difficult decisions in order to stay afloat, and merging is often the best way to save jobs. Mergers are stressful; they often induce anxiety, and they almost always start the rumor mill. Despite the anxiety they cause, the post-merger stage is often the most detrimental to companies. In order for a merger to be successful, business leaders must communicate thoroughly with employees, re-create teams effectively and reconstruct job descriptions as needed.
Work cultures, personalities and attitudes must be combined to form a new work-life structure.
Attempting to mesh two companies is a daunting endeavor. Work cultures, personalities and attitudes must be combined to form a new work-life structure. Employee engagement is also crucial at this time. After the merger, morale will be low. Employees need encouragement in order to be productive in their new roles.
Assessments will reveal information about an employee’s work ethic, motivation, work style, behavioral tendencies and attitude.
First, managers should focus on evaluating their existing teams. Employee assessments can reveal in-depth information about each employee, and that information can help managers during the merging process. Once employees have taken the appropriate assessments, managers from the companies involved in the merger can compare and contrast the results to create new and productive teams. Assessments will reveal information about an employee’s work ethic, motivation, work style, behavioral tendencies and attitude. All of these components directly affect a person’s interactions with team members, her productivity and her compatibility with the company or team.
This is Part 1 of our 3 part series about managing during a merger. Read Part 2 and Part 3 to understand how to manage your team during mergers and acquisitions.
