Mergers and Acquisitions

Best practices to enable successful mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures

There is a people side to integration and m&a activity that should be prioritized.  Best practices enable successful mergers, acquisitions, divestitures.

  • Assessing the size, composition, and organizational structure of the target company’s workforce to provide workforce analysis.
  • Identifying any potential risks or liabilities associated with the target company’s compensation and benefits practices, as well as evaluating how these practices align with the acquiring company or investor’s own compensation and benefits policies and goals.
  • Examining the target company’s talent management strategies, such as recruitment, retention, and employee development, to help assess the quality of the workforce and identify any potential talent gaps.
  • Reviewing a target company’s HR policies and procedures as they relate to areas such as discrimination, harassment, and retaliation to identify any areas where the company may be at risk of legal action or liability.
  • Assessing the target company’s compliance with employment laws and regulations to identify any potential legal risks or liabilities.
  • Conducing a culture assessment to determine whether a potential investment or acquisition is a good fit for your organization and whether the company’s culture aligns with your values and priorities. Integration is imperative to successful mergers.
  • Leveraging a title leveling strategy for integration.

Experience

Insights

  • Drove the people side of integration post deal at multiple health care organizations. From large health systems to an organization that grew rapidly from $100m to $200m through M&A.  Successfully blended cultures, processes and technologies
  • Conducted HR due diligence on multiple deals to ensure compliance and effective integration.
A Playbook for the People Side of M&A
AMA Quarterly – Journal of the American Management Association
Erika Duncan and Aaron Olman
Winter/Spring 2023
“Integrating two workforces with different cultures, processes, and values is no easy task, and failure to do so effectively can result in decreased morale, high turnover rates, and ultimately, failed M&As.”

HR Works Podcast: How Soon is Too Soon for HR Due Diligence?
HR Works (Podcast of the HR Daily Advisor)
HR Daily Advisor Staff
February 7, 2023

The Missing Element of M&A Due Diligence
HR Daily Advisor
Aaron Olman and Erika Duncan
January 30, 2023
“As consolidation continues to increase, companies are getting more intentional about the due diligence process, particularly within the roles of finance, legal, and business development leaders. However, many organizations still fail to recognize the importance of including people leaders at the earliest stages. As a result, crucial aspects of the company’s future structure are often overlooked.”