Initial Communications are Important
All will want to know one thing: how their benefits are affected and what that means for them.
Plan for (and Listen to!) Employee Feedback
In the first few months, offer ways for employees to ask questions and provide feedback.
Communications are Key to Success
Your communications directly impact employee morale, which affects productivity and future success.
During mergers and acquisitions, benefits communications should be a top priority.
It’s fundamental to the company onboarding and orientation. Even more, it helps set the stage for the new company culture during a time of transition. After all, benefits are often an employee’s first impression and introduction to the company.
Human Resources plays an integral part in helping employees transition to the new company—and clear, consistent communications that establish expectations and set timelines are essential.
Initial Communications are Important
Employee reactions may vary to a merger or acquisition. Some may feel anxious or uncertain about the change. Others may be excited at the new possibilities. But all will want to know one thing: how their benefits are affected and what that means for them. They’re going to wonder about health coverage, time off, their retirement plan and other benefits that not only affect them but also their families.
Human Resources plays an integral part in helping employees transition to the new company—and clear, consistent communications that establish expectations and set timelines are essential. Particular attention should be given to onboarding new employees during a special enrollment period and ensuring everyone knows what to expect and when.
Then, it’s essential to create a post-merger communications strategy that regularly addresses benefits information and education. At the time of initial benefits enrollment, employees will likely be on information overload.
It’s critical that HR continues to keep employees informed and aware of benefits through a variety of communication tools, including newsletters, emails, videos, manager talking points, etc.
It’s important to remember that your new employees want to feel heard.
Plan for Employee Feedback
It’s also important to remember that employees want to feel heard. In the first few months, offer feedback mechanisms that give employees the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
These mechanisms—such as one-on-one interviews, focus groups, online surveys, intranet chat forums, etc.—give you a gauge of your workforce and what they understand or want to know more about.
Whether you’re surveying your employees or conducting focus groups, be sure to think about your audience, your goals and, ultimately, how these efforts communicate your care and concern for employees—both before and after you gather information.
This feedback loop informs future communications and even allows you to plan additional communications to address concerns or correct misperceptions.
Employees are passionate about their benefits, so how they are promoted and communicated—particularly during a time of transition—directly impacts employee morale, which, in turn, affects productivity and future success.
Communications Key to Success
Employees are passionate about their benefits, so how they are promoted and communicated—particularly during a time of transition—directly impacts employee morale, which, in turn, affects productivity and future success.
HR needs to be involved in the entire transition process—from pre-planning and message development to onboarding and orientation to execution of strategic benefit communication plans. More importantly, HR should remain active in collecting and addressing employee input. The success of the merger and acquisition could depend on it.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 70 to 90 percent of all mergers and acquisitions fail in a financial sense with most companies missing their objectives. They say that this is largely due to HR-related activities—including poor communication.
The Bottom Line: Get a Seat at the Table
Your company’s transition success will likely be determined by an effective communications strategy—it can be the glue that holds everything together. And HR must be at the planning table when that strategy is developed! Done right, effective HR communications can lessen fears and set the tone for differing work cultures to come together to create a healthy and thriving work environment.
