Keeping culture intact during and after an acquisition

There are many times in the corporate comms remit when culture manifests as something more than just words on a wall or a sizzle reel that lives on your career page.

Moments of change are a stress test for your corporate culture, when the promises your organization makes to its employees are either tangible or still aspirational.

While all change scenarios are aided by strong culture comms, mergers and acquisitions stand out for their scale and scope. Bringing together an entirely new workforce requires dealing with ambiguity, platforming the right leaders who are willing to be vulnerable, and getting creative with your omnichannel messaging to reach everyone.

But it’s hard to be transparent when you don’t have all the answers during an M&A — information about layoffs or reorgs can change as decisions about the future of your combined business is solidified. In these moments, collaboration can help minimize disruption.

“If everyone is on board with the process of adapting to a new or modified work culture versus it coming from the leadership, there will be more opportunities to learn and adjust,” said Steph Lund, CEO of M&C Saatchi Sports & Entertainment North America. “Having employees, whether they’re new as part of the process or not, as part of that change is an important part of a successful transition.”