Global communication team eases merger for employees

When ClientLogic acquired Sitel Corp. in January, the resulting $1.8 billion company became one of the largest customer service outsourcers in the world.

But if any merger has the potential to cause anxiety and restlessness in its employees, the chances increase significantly when there are 67,000 workers in more than 145 facilities in 28 countries.

“We knew that mergers create an environment of uncertainty and that a lack of consistent, controlled communication will fuel gossip and skepticism that can cripple an organization,” says Shirley Loebsack, director of marketing at the Nashville, Tenn.-based company. “The size and scope of our global work force added a unique set of challenges to delivering consistent communications.”

Intensifying the internal confusion was the fact that although ClientLogic was doing the acquiring, it took the more recognizable name Sitel—which also happened to have double the revenue and number of employees.