Case Study
Engaging and Retaining Employees Through Merger and Acquisition
Client
A global biotechnology firm with 65,000 employees
What We Did
Developed and managed multi-month communication campaign aimed at retaining employee trust during a time of uncertainty
Outcome
Company achieved newfound culture of transparency while employees stayed informed and focused
M&A Communication Strategies Ensure a Smooth Transition
THE SITUATION
A shift in senior leadership at a global biotechnology firm was followed closely by a merger that reshaped the business, significantly altering the face of the company multiple times within a short span.
Blue Beyond was originally brought on to assist in the transition of the company’s new CEO into his leadership role. However, as the business pivoted towards a merger, so did we. Knowing employees would be experiencing anxiety over job stability, facility closures, and other systemic shifts, we began a multi-month communication campaign aimed at retaining employee trust during a time of uncertainty.
WHAT WE DID
Working with senior leadership to craft regular, company-wide addresses, Blue Beyond helped create an atmosphere of transparency, establishing executives as trustworthy sources of information, staving off gossip and allowing employees to remain focused on their jobs. By coaching managers and human resource personnel to become ambassadors of change, Blue Beyond empowered individuals to address rumors, media reports, and concerns circulating within their teams openly and with sensitivity, while still avoiding legal pitfalls.
Enlisting the help of opinion leaders at all levels, Blue Beyond helped executives stay connected to employees’ informal discussions, opening the door for frank and frequent two-way communication between leaders and employees.
Throughout this process, Blue Beyond conducted a series of employee surveys, focus groups, and weekly meetings, testing and re-testing our communication model to ensure it was having the desired impact, in the home office and around the world.
As the merger was finalized and a new company began taking shape, Blue Beyond continued to act as a transition manager, helping integrate the companies’ cultures and communication strategies, consolidate performance standards, and communicate changes to the workforce in ways that were clear, actionable, and focused on conveying the benefits of the merger.
OUTCOME
As a result, the company enjoyed a newfound culture of transparency in which employee concerns are openly addressed. Workplace cultures from both companies were integrated into one with a clear and consistent language, common terminology, aligned objectives, and performance standards that were understood by all employees. And finally, leaders at all levels were empowered to show the way by acting as ambassadors of change.
