8 August 2022
Design & Delivery of an organisation-wide restructure
Inevitably, restructures have different implications for different groups of people. For change to be successfully implemented, it means engaging meaningfully with them all, including those who will be losing their jobs.
The Context
The company – a leader in the global marketing of independent hotels – had grown rapidly from start-up, but their structure hadn’t kept pace. They needed to change to implement their business strategy, realign their functional roles and responsibilities, and improve efficiencies to support anticipated growth. With no in-house HR function, we not only needed to work strategically with the CEO to develop the proposal, we were also tasked with carrying out the consultation process with their people.
Our Approach
The proposed restructure involved the amalgamation of job roles, job design for new roles, headcount reduction across all levels of the organisation (including the Executive Board), and the relocation of certain roles, 120 miles north of their current London location.
Beyond careful planning, crucial to the project’s success was careful communication. To ensure everyone was aligned, we needed to help them understand exactly why this needed to happen. Once agreed, we worked onsite to support employees and ensure that the consultation process was effective and empathetic.
The Outcome
A new structure was implemented that enabled the business to move forward in the best possible shape. Cost and process efficiencies gained from the restructure and partial relocation have resulted in the desired improvement in customer experience.
As with any consultation process, not all the scenarios were straight forward. However, because we were engaged early in the process, we were able to challenge the CEO’s thinking to get the best possible outcomes for both impacted individuals and the organisation.
Next Steps
Immediately after the restructure, we worked with the remaining employees to ensure that they were engaged and motivated in the new world. We have put plans in place to support those in new roles in reaching their potential as quickly as possible. These include interventions that will help newly formed teams to build strong relationships. We are also reviewing the company culture and values to ensure that they align with the new business strategy.
8 August 2022