Advisory & corporate finance
The CV was strong and the board was reassured. Six months later there is more process but not more progress. This is one of the most common scaling challenges founders face, and one of the least discussed.
In short Poor cultural fit is the most cited reason acquisitions fail Think about the new employees: your deal rationale is incidental to them Think about your existing teams: their roles are at risk too Imagine how integration will really work; ‘sheep dip’ backfires Do it properly: TUPE or not, there is no benefit in … Continue reading Post-acquisition staffing strategies
At a time when productivity is drifting, costs are being squeezed and revenues are more challenged, it can be worth reflecting on how effectively aligned productivity is with people engagement. Here’s a quick self assessment to understand how you are doing: If you honestly think you are performing well against the above, you’re onto something. … Continue reading Hope is not a strategy for people engagement and productivity
In short 20 or more staff in a 90-day period triggers collective consultation Not following the clear legal requirements of the consultation Adopting poor practices such as ‘hire and fire’ No credible business case, with financial and market analysis Not taking staff concerns and counter proposals seriously A collective staff consultation may be required when … Continue reading Don’t let your staff consultation backfire
In short Pay is the usual fix, and usually the wrong one Is your vacancy outreach working hard enough, and supported? Are the requirements clear, without unnecessary selection criteria? Are the recruiters relevant to the role you are filling? Is the overall package clear and attractive? Difficulty in recruiting can be debilitating with far reaching … Continue reading Do you need to improve staff recruitment?
If you are suffering high staff turnover, you will know the impact this can have on your organisation from a lack of continuity, higher recruitment costs to a loss of relevant understanding and talent. While it’s easy to comment that the best solution is avoidance it can be hard to turn the situation around. Identifying … Continue reading How Do You Fix High Staff Turnover
In short Staff leaving, or looking to leave, in numbers Growing membership of and support for unionised action Recruitment that keeps stalling Motivation focused on salaries, terms and compensation Challenges clients raise with us are: The causes are rarely complex, perhaps a poorly managed transformation (such as changes to terms and conditions or poor systems … Continue reading Four Red Flags that you have a Staffing Challenge
In short No one culture works better than another More staff, and a recent influx of new joiners New managers with different experiences and perspectives Less identification and contact with the founding team Purpose and focus less coherently understood A different strategic focus that has not landed “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, someone once said. … Continue reading Is your business culture holding you back?
In short Why leaders hesitate, and what the data says instead Fear of a deflating response to the survey Cynicism about what different generations want A belief that it only creates pressure on pay Not knowing what would actually help A recent report by Be The Business that compared productivity in the UK compared to … Continue reading Four barriers to employee engagement
In short 95% of executives are dissatisfied with innovation in their business A business focus on finding better ways to do things Engagement and the creative capacity of employees Infrastructure that supports collaboration and learning Deep contextual understanding of the marketplace Willingness to act, learn and fail fast safely The benefits of creating an innovative … Continue reading Five behaviours to promote innovation