Key Concerns for HR Managers in an Organisational Restructure

Posted by Mathew French

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17 April 2014

Organisational restructuring is a common occurrence in the current economic conditions. It can happen for many reasons – new business acquisitions, low business performance, market conditions or simply to stay relevant, to name a few. Regardless of the cause of restructures, the process of restructuring is complex, and can make or break a company. In this week's HR Blog, we examine restructure from an HR best practice perspective in an effort to understand the key concerns for HR managers.

Subscribe-HR Key Concerns for HR Managers in an Organisational Restructure
(Image source: http://www.peoplefluent.com/blog/reorganizing-hr)

HR plays a critical role in this process, as it is the one department that both management and employees rely on to manage the issues that arise from restructures.

According to HR Professionals Magazine, HR may be required to guide employees on the methodology of the restructure, and aid management in outlining the entire restructure program including expected costs, timeframe for each stage of the restructure and potential litigation / claim assessments.

But one of HR’s biggest responsibilities during a restructure is to manage the workforce. HC Online points out that the way a company’s workforce is handled during a restructure can ultimately result in survival or extinction.

In this blog, we discuss the top four concerns for HR Managers during an organisational restructure:

1. Communication with stakeholders

Restructures bring out anxiety in both employees and management, so it is important to ensure constant communication to these stakeholders. Talent Readiness advises that HR’s role is to communicate with management and any external stakeholders on the direction and progress of the restructure.

For employees, on the other hand, HR should clearly build a communication strategy to outline the purpose of the restructure, as well as address concerns and reaffirm business goals to maintain employee commitment. It is also important to communicate information on job implications (compensation / benefits / redundancy) and the supporting HR programs or policies in place to help address employees’ concerns.

2. Managing employee productivity

During the restructure, it is important for the business to continue running and performing at its optimal level, so a critical component of HR’s role is to manage employee productivity. Restructures are a time when employees lose focus on their work, brought on by the fears of being made redundant.

At this time, HR’s motivational programs become more important than ever. So HR Managers must invest in the time to develop plans, and set measures and incentives to keep employees engaged. Talent Readiness recommends that HR Managers use celebrations, rewards and visible scorecards to ensure employees are focused, committed and that client projects aren’t negatively impacted.

3. Retaining critical employees

Restructures may provoke sudden departures of employees or management. It is HR’s role to develop employee retention strategies to compel remaining employees to stay with the organisation.

Demand Media recommends that HR Managers do some research and identify the most appropriate retention tactics. This may include bonuses, employee training, internal promotion opportunities, as well as improving workplace policies and procedures.

Executive employees, or those employees who are key to the organisation’s success, will need a tailored approach, according to Workplace Info Australia. HR Managers must take into account their entire package including compensation, benefits, provisions, tax issues, etc.

4. Managing payroll and records

Whilst payroll and record management are mostly administrative responsibilities, it is one that must not be overlooked. Workplace Info Australia notes that some organisations fall into the trap of underestimating the role of the HR back-office and responsibilities such as payroll.

Payroll transactions and record management are very important to manage, especially during restructures as the company’s credibility is at stake. Proper management of this will help restore employee confidence in the organisation. HR Managers must make sure the HR team is clear on their roles during the restructure.

Of course, an HR Manager’s responsibility during an organisational restructure extends beyond the four we covered. But these four concerns highlight the significance of the role of the HR Manager in an organisation. It is therefore important that HR Managers have the right support system in place (through the right HR tool or the right HR team members) to help them manage the restructure efficiently.

5. Do You Have The Tools You Need to Manage an Organisational Restructure?

If you've been called on to re-shape your workforce recently, then you know how important it is to be able to provide accurate, real-time data so that you and your leadership team can make informed decisions about how to best restructure your business. If you don't already have them, here's a list of just some of the data points and reporting you can access quickly and easily through HR Software:

If you're struggling to keep up with all the tasks and processes you need to complete within your organisation, or if you're still doing them manually, the good news is it doesn't need to be that way. Watch the video below to discover more about how configurable HR software can benefit your business. Find out about the role widgets, wizards, permissions and APPs can play in bending your HR software to your will.

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Topics: Workforce Management, Payroll, organisational restructure, HR Manager role, HR employee retention, Payroll Outsourcing, HR Software as a Service, hr software, Employee Engagement, Top 100 HR Blogs, Cloud HR Software, HR blog, Salary restructuring

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