Using robots to make Human Resources more human…

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Using robots to make Human Resources more human

I know what you’re thinking….surely that doesn’t make sense? How can robots make things more human?

RPA and AI are becoming more and more popular within shared services functions across the world, but countries have very different views on them.

In China, they want to use it for world domination. In America, they believe it will put businesses in the best possible commercial position. And in the UK…well, we still don’t want robots to hurt us or take our jobs.

I have to tell you guys, the least popular purpose for automation is headcount reduction. If your primary goal when automating is to reduce headcount or to save money, then it will more than likely fail.

Automation is used to enable better quality in operations and more workforce agility.

So, what is RPA and what is AI and why should you use it?

RPA and AI often get mistaken for the same thing, or organisations decide to use both. RPA and AI are two different technologies, with two different uses, and quite often you don’t need both!

The Lowdown on RPA and AI

AI is short for Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence replicates the human thought process. It takes the knowledge of a human and builds it into the application. AI deals with unstructured data, meaning that it self improves and continuously thinks and learns. It is the ‘brain and spine’.

RPA is short for Robotic Process Automation. RPA behaves like a person. It deals with high volumes of structured data to carry out repetitive tasks that humans do. The purpose of RPA is to remove those high volume, repetitive tasks that we hate. It is ‘the fingers’.

How do you decide?

Before you chose to adopt RPA or AI, as a business you have some big questions to ask yourself – as the decisions you make will affect the next 10 years of your business operations.

  • What business am I in?
  • How do I want to deliver services?
  • What do I need my operating model to look like?

The cultural impact of automation is significant. It touches every employee and manager within an organisation, so equally, the training and messaging around automation has to be key!

How to make it successful?

  • Choose your areas of automation carefully and then work with humans to identify what can be offloaded to automation and take their knowledge to create the automation.
  • Train your people on RPA and AI. Help them to understand what it is and how they can identify processes that may be suitable for automation.
  • Get your house in order! Automation only works with good, clean data.
  • Continually review your processes to make sure your automation is efficient and user friendly.

Automation is your friend. It isn’t here to take your job or make your life hard. On the contrary, the whole point of automation is to take the robot out of the human. To remove the high volume, menial tasks within your role or your team, freeing people up to contribute more value-add work to your business, so don’t fear it, work with it!

If you would like to find out more about re:find and how we can support you and your business then please get in touch.

James Cumming is our MD, Interim and Transformation Search specialist. If you’ve got a hard-to-fill role and need some help, get in touch. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Let’s talk about time management

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We’ve all heard of it and, although it’s something that comes around like clockwork, whenever it’s time for a performance review, it’s still something that we ironically don’t always have the time to work on, me included.

It’s easy to be ‘busy’ at work, but are we busy in the right context? Or are we all just busy being fools? And how can we make our time at work more productive?

Alleviate pressure

We live in a world where we are always switched ‘on’. Our smartphones constantly alert us to any new messages and emails, our smartwatches vibrate all day long and alert us whenever we make so many steps, and we always seem to be on the computer where there is no shortage of information being directed our way.

There’s pressure from our peers, directors, business owners and employees asking us questions, and there’s no longer an off switch for anyone.

So, how can we implement some simple structure that will help alleviate some of this pressure?

Plan, plan, and then plan a bit more. It’s not the most revolutionary answer I’ll admit, but it works.

Most people don’t plan for the following day, but you’ll be surprised at how effective setting aside time to assess the rest of your week can be.

Get organised

Create your own spreadsheet or write a list of all of your tasks for the week, whichever method works for you, and take a break every hour to assess what you’ve achieved since you last checked over your list. You will either be amazed at how much you’ve done, or surprised at how much you’ve procrastinated!

Treat your time like you would your finances – keep a close eye on them!

The most important thing is to be honest with yourself, and question how you should delegate your time. Doing this will help you identify your biggest waste of time, so you can change it!

To have a chat about your executive search, contact me at carl@refind.co.uk

You can view more about Carl Hinett our Executive search of HR professionals specialist here.

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Preparing for the future of retail: getting to know your people

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Preparing for the future of retail

HR professionals gathered recently to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by HR reporting and analysis in retail. 
 

Starting point 

The starting point to more effectively understand your people, is to first decide on the data you want to collect, and how the data will be used and analysed. Simply collecting as much data as possible and then attempting to make sense of it is typically a much less successful approach. 

At Travelex, one of the main focuses was on staff retention and the team wanted to better understand how to retain staff. 

Managers were given access to the people data through the Workday system, and Travelex is now seeing changes in behaviours based on a better understanding of that data. If the data highlights an employee is potentially at risk of leaving, managers can now intervene earlier to find out why and potentially take actions to prevent this from happening. 

Implementing new HR technology 

One of the challenges that Travelex faced during implementation was changing the culture across its business in the UK and internationally to adapt to a self-service HR system. To overcome this, the HR team worked closely with the IT department and regional managers to implement the changes. 

The company also focused on local needs, adapting its strategy based on regional and cultural differences internationally. There were also challenges around how the HR system was viewed by employees, and the HR team worked to show employees the value of using the system. 

During the implementation process, it was useful for Travelex to focus on collecting and understanding only a selected set of data points that could be easily analysed and understood, rather than attempting to understand a huge amount of data. The selected data points were easy for managers to dissect and understand in monthly review meetings with their teams. 

The right tools for self-service 

The discussion then moved to giving staff the tools to use the self-service systems in store, and one of the challenges that came up was around connectivity. 

In-store Wi-Fi is as useful for staff to carry out self-service HR functions as it is for consumers to enhance their experience, and definitely something worth investing in for retailers. 

Workday provides extensive self-service capabilities that Travelex staff use on their own mobile devices regardless of their location. 

Valued and effective 

For HR systems to be useful and adopted by employees, they need to be easy to use and not require much training. One of the greatest challenges faced by several retailers in the room was the outdated and difficult-to-use HR systems in place in their businesses. 

Pulling data together manually, having to create reports from scratch and dealing with dissatisfied staff who find the old HR system confusing or difficult to use were common complaints. Aside from changing systems, though, most retailers acknowledged they often needed to do the best they could with what they had available to them. 

Retailers also debate how they can measure the pound value of HR functions for board members, and agreed this is one area where data can help. If people KPIs are agreed at the outset, then showing how those improved and what this means for the business is one way to prove HR’s pound value. It also helps the HR team if they can articulate how using the HR systems will make the life of employees themselves easier – it’s not just about making life easier for HR. 

Looking to the future 

Looking to the future of more effective HCM systems that help HR, employees and managers, the discussion turned again to data and how to use it most effectively. 

Performance reviews online are difficult to get right, as it’s hard to replicate the richness of one-to-one conversations. On a system these conversations become very black and white. It ends up just being a score on a screen. 

Some advice for all retail HR professionals who want to use data to better understand their people: decide what data you’re going to collect and then what you want to understand from that. Unless you’re clear on that, you won’t be able to make better decisions for your employees. 

 
 
Click here to read the original article from Retail Week. 

To discuss this article further, you can email me on danny@refind.co.uk. 

re:find help businesses find the talent they need to deliver transformational change.  Clients call us when they need change to happen quickly and effectively. We are Executive Search and Interim Search specialists. 

Click here to read about what we do specifically in the retail sector. 

Why HR Shared Service Centres fail

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HR Shared Services

HR Shared Services are set up to streamline HR activities, which reduces costs, increases the efficiency of business processes and frees up time to concentrate on strategy.

HR Shared Services functions can add a lot of value if you do it right. If you get it wrong, it can have a negative effect on employee experience and relationships throughout the business with HR can be damaged.

Technology plays a big part in making HR Shared Services effective, but the exact structure and scope of HRSS really depends on the company and various other factors.

Why does HR Shared Services go wrong?

Organisations use shared services as a way of streamlining their HR activities, typically concentrating transactional activities into a centralised and commonly shared function. The shared service model can help businesses reduce costs and increase the efficiency of processes and allow a greater focus on HR strategy.

When done well, HR Shared Service Centres (HRSSC) add untold value to an organisation. However, get it wrong and it can ruin employee experience and destroy the relationship between HR and the wider business. But why does it fail?

You haven’t engaged the business in the change

When you implement an HRSSC, two groups of people need properly consulting. The people working in the shared service centre and those who will be using it. Both of these groups are equally important. You need to take your customers on the journey with you and engage and influence, in order for them to understand how you’re changing the way they currently do things. If either of these groups of people aren’t engaged, the SSC simply won’t work.

You have rushed it

Delivering an HRSSC into a business takes time. It isn’t something you can decide to do and then implement within 2 weeks. You cannot do it half-arsed. There are a lot of things to consider – from mapping out processes and ensuring you have the right technology, right down to hiring and onboarding the right talent. All of these things take time. If you rush any areas and don’t give them the time and attention they need, the chances are they will fail.

You don’t use analytics to measure success and continuously improve

Establishing the right metrics to analyse in an HRSSC is the key to success. By monitoring data, you can see how your teams are performing and highlight inefficiencies and potential problem areas, that may need investigation.

Measuring results and data enables informed decisions to be made that drive your HRSSC to continually develop and run better. This gives your HR teams the resources they need to be successful, provides employees with a better experience and ultimately gets the business results you want.

Poor leadership

Having the right leader is important for any team, particularly in a shared service environment. If you have the wrong leaders in a shared service centre, the wheels can fall off the entire operation, leaving you with an unhappy, disengaged team who lose their passion for delivering excellence. When this happens, the knock-on effect across the business can be immense.

A good shared service leader should be able to look beyond the SSC and understand the impact it has on employees, as well as customers and clients.

You don’t have the right technology

Technology is a fundamental component of any HRSSC. If you don’t have the right technology, then the SSC just won’t work. So, you need to check that your current HR systems are fit for purpose. Take time looking at your current systems and processes and what you need them to do. HR tech is a big investment, so make sure you choose the right one. Meet multiple vendors, get demonstrations – and challenge them, to make sure the system does everything you need it to. Modern HR technology allows HR to manage incoming requests, review case histories and related employee files, provide consistent responses and escalate a case when necessary.

You are probably reading this and wondering why I am writing all of this, because it all seems like common sense, right?

You would be amazed at how often people miss out one of the key elements to ensure their HR Shared Service Centre is a success.

So, do you agree? Have you had a Shared Service function which is been fantastic or failed spectacularly? Share your experiences!

If you would like to find out more about re:find and how we can support you and your business then please get in touch.

James Cumming is our MD, Interim and Transformation Search specialist. If you’ve got a hard-to-fill role and need some help, get in touch. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

How to progress your interim career

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I asked my network about an interim career and if they thought interim professionals could focus on their own development. Or if they were dictated by what was out there on the market and got a number of thoughts and opinions back.

A concern of many individuals in permanent employment is the perceived lack of career progression as a contractor. Some think that if you move into interim employment, you stay in that one position for the rest of your working life.

Sarah Cowley, Executive Coach

“Managing one’s career takes courage, and the confidence to say no. A successful career is dependent on personal growth which results from spending time and money on learning.”

A key difference of the employment status of an interim (becoming a LTD company) is the mentality. You’re not just an individual carrying out an assignment (or a job) but actually thinking and behaving like a business. Just as any other successful business might do, you need to innovate and develop.

Steve Lungley, Interim Transformation Director

“We will have had to define our services, identify the markets, sectors and environments in which we want to operate. Then develop marketing and channel strategies, sell our services and deliver them (brilliantly of course, because our reputation depends on it). On top of tht manage all those other things day to day things like accounting, tax and VAT.”

Like any business, understanding your routes to market is absolutely pivotal. Developing your personal and employer brand are key to finding that next assignment. Developing broader business management skills such as finance, sales and marketing are necessary to having a successful interim management business.

Barry Flack, Interim HR Director

“We have to supplement the assignment with a need to hone true business development capability – and personally – given that your proposition is everything. Then it requires a constant need to learn, adapt and stay relevant.”

To continuously develop your brand, you have to get your name out there through delivering successful assignments, communicating with key decisions makers and staying front of mind through social media channels (such as blogging, as well speaking and attending seminars in the relevant subjects and sectors).

Of course, all these activities take time and in the life of an interim this may be at the weekend, evenings or may even require you to take unpaid leave – so it’s not all plain sailing.

Although the activities outlined above certainly require additional time on top of the day job, they can bring increased opportunities.

Paul Powell, Interim Head of Resourcing

“Some of my moves have been intentional, gaining functional or sector knowledge and have involved calculated risk. It’s often meant stepping outside of the confines of my comfort zone. As a result, I have gained some good experience and a portfolio of skills, plus it has allowed me to share some pretty powerful insights with some clients.”

The interim market provides a wealth of opportunities and challenges. There’s short-term problems to fix, ideas to come up with and to deliver quickly. It can, therefore, be an exciting place for the right people.

Hayley Proctor, Interim Head of Resourcing

“Being the interim allows you the freedom to be bold and disruptive with your ideas to drive positive change…you are also expected to be the master of your ideas so learning and experimenting become the norm, whilst you’re given far more freedom and autonomy than your permanent counterparts.”

As an interim, there is no forced structure to your development as there is in permanent employment. You are expected to provide your own advice and guidance in this respect, to take responsibility for your own career and your own development.

Sharon Green, Interim OD and Change Expert

“I set aside a budget each year for CPD, ask clients for feedback and want to keep developing my business”.

Regardless of whether an individual is a permanent employee or an interim, if that person wishes to continuously develop their capabilities, they will progress.

I had a recent conversation with a senior HR director, who has just been offered a year’s extension. (And turned it down for the right reasons!) The CEO couldn’t believe that they were leaving, to go to nothing…who in their right mind would do this in permanent employment?

I think the feedback is overwhelmingly positive regarding an interim career. However, this is very different from being a permanent employee and won’t be for everyone!

So in summary:

  • Interims are often thrown in the deep end and need to learn new skills.
  • They need to be responsible for their own development and need to ensure that they make it happen.
  • Interims think of themselves as a business – building a proposition and delivering against it.
  • They are adaptable and learning broader skills (rather than developing their career vertically).

James Cumming is our MD and leads our HR practice. He has recruited senior HR professionals for over 15 years and has experience in finding niche HR talent. Connect with him on LinkedIn here.

If you would like to find out more about re:find and how we can support you and your business, then please get in touch.

Why this whole Millennial thing gets on my nerves

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Why this whole Millennial thing gets on my nerves
Why this whole Millennial thing gets on my nerves

Hi, my name’s James and I am not a millennial…you can tell this by checking out my picture on LinkedIn. Although I still think I’m 18 years old, I now know for a fact – after a recent visit to a well-known high growth sportswear brand in Birmingham, where I was the one sticking out like a sore thumb in middle-aged chino brigade outfit, whilst all the cool kids were dressed like a scene from Gucci crossed with Men In Black – that I am most definitely not!

But I just don’t get it? Why is there such a big deal being made about this generation, I don’t think parents have ever understood the generation below them have they? Whether it was rock music in the 50s or rave culture in the 90s, it has always seemed a bit different, hasn’t it?

According to Wiki – Millennials also knows as ‘Generation Y’ or ‘Gen Y’, are the generational demographic cohort following ‘Generation X’ and preceding ‘Generation Z’.

And if you happen to work in HR – this seems to be the second worst thing people like to talk about. (That is after why hasn’t HR still got a seat at the top table. DON’T START ME!)

The thing I think companies do need to consider when recruiting these days is that information availability and choice are greater than they have ever been. I recently posted a blog that I wrote following an interview with Simon Brown, around his experience of a recruitment process – the gist of it was that it was not a great experience. I think a lot of this comes down to trust. Employers still seem to be stuck in the dark ages – micromanaging people, not giving them any freedom and expecting lots from them, but giving nothing in return. Check out most job adverts and you will see what I mean.

There are so many things that are easily done to build a productive and happy workforce – whatever the ‘generation’. Trust is the missing ingredient in my mind… many employers simply don’t trust people to do the job they are paid to do. I remember a senior MD (at a firm I used to work) told me as a newly promoted Director “INSPECT rather than EXPECT”. Seems a bit archaic today, but many people still have this as their mentality.

I don’t think that labelling an entire peer group is particularly productive – instead, we could all treat people like adults regardless of their age. Whether that be through the recruitment process, the onboarding process or throughout their career!

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.

Hiring an Interim Executive? You need to get it right! Discover the 8 step process you should follow, by downloading our free eBook here.

The business change journey

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the business change journey
The business change journey

Over the past few years, I have had a lot of people ask me what is meant by the term ‘business change’ and why do they need it? Not being a subject matter expert myself, I thought who better to ask than my wife who a) is always right about stuff and b) just happens to be a business change expert. (Go on, have a nosy at her experience). This was written over 2 years ago, but is still relevant, because, guess what – she’s still always right!

She told me about travelling for one assignment – as she was going through security at JFK airport – she was asked to provide her job title and I’m sure many of us have had the same confused look she got from security when trying to explain her profession. (I’m a headhunter?!).

She defined her role as “managing the journey we might go through when moving from one way of working to another”. The security guard clarified it for her “like ice melting to water, moving from one state to a different one?” and actually this made a lot of sense (more sense than going into any further detail at that moment, for anyone who has ever been through US passport control!).

So, simply put, business change is moving from one way of working to another and it could be focusing on either a strategic, technological, process or organisational change (or a combination of the four).

Businesses spend millions of pounds on new technology, developing highly skilled programme teams to implement it and setting up new processes and ways of working to create supportive infrastructures. But in many cases adoption rates are low, new ways of working don’t work and businesses don’t get the return on investment they were hoping for. This can leave businesses wondering ‘what happened?’.

From experience, where businesses tend to fail, is thinking that the new way of working is the final destination for the project (this view is compounded by the fact that many businesses tend to remove project teams as soon as a change has been implemented with a view that things should just work as expected).

Any change, whether it is technological, organisational or even a minor process change, has to be embedded in those who are impacted, ensuring that they truly understand how their day to day working practices have/will change going forward. This is why business change is so important. It ensures the company – and not just the decision makers – moves to the new way of working.

“The role of a change expert will help stakeholders determine what the final destination actually looks like and then plot the journey to get there.”

A change expert will support stakeholders and sponsors in gaining answers to the following questions:

  • What does the proposed culture look like?
  • Will individuals be bought into the change?
  • What reluctance is expected and how can we manage that?
  • How do we expect employees to behave and what knowledge do we want them to have?
  • Do they see the benefits and are they on board with making it a success?
  • “What does good actually look like?”

A change expert will help plot the journey and how that journey will take place, make sure everyone’s informed of the destination, get everyone a passport and ensure the employees get there, whilst participating in the experience and supporting to achieve overall success.

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.

Thinking of becoming an interim?

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Thinking of becoming an interim? With the world as it is, it’s got us all thinking about our path and what we might want to change. Perhaps now is the time to take the leap?

As the relationship between employer and employee continues to develop, there is no longer a ‘job for life’. These days many businesses buy in skills they either don’t possess or that they don’t want on the books for a long period of time (which makes sense if it’s for a one-off piece of work such as system implementation, acquisition, or a change programme).

Not only that, interims are often significantly cheaper and much better at implementation than the big 4 consultancies, so they are a much more attractive option for employers.

But what actually is an interim? And can I become one?

 

Before you take the leap into interim management, it’s worth considering if it is really for you. It may seem glamorous but operating as a sole entity can be lonely at times. Coupled with the pressure of constantly delivering in a project environment and searching for a new assignment a number of times per year, it can be very stressful.

Ahead of going to market, it is worth considering what you do well, what work you enjoy, and if these are the sorts of skills that clients might need to ‘buy in’.

Is it something that organisations might struggle to do successfully? If so, there could be a need for someone with your skillset.

As a guide, typical interim assignments can broadly fall into the following categories:

· Organisational and operational change programmes
· Project implementation and project recovery
· Technology/digital

“Getting the first gig is always the most challenging. A lot of people who have successfully made the transition have found the first 6 months especially difficult! Don’t let that put you off.”

 

My advice for getting your first assignment:
  • Stick with what you know; it can be much easier to get your first assignment with your current employer or with someone you have worked with in the past (for a search partner, this can also gain confidence that you deliver, if you are asked back by a former employer!).
  • Network extensively; assignments are normally found either through your own network or via an interim management intermediary. It’s important to build a strong network of contacts in both camps – and anticipate to have a blend of work from either side.
  • Invest in yourself; you need to start thinking of yourself as a business! If you’re looking to become a recognised project manager and don’t have the qualifications, I’d thoroughly recommend investing in your own development. Most employers look for Prince2, MSP or PMP, as well as sound delivery experience in a particular focus area.
  • Get some professional advice; there are a number of professional bodies such as the IIM or IMA who can give you advice and guidance. Many interim managers are really open to being helpful, so ask their advice – this also helps to build your network.
  • Create a proposition; successful interims either have a deep specialism in a particular area (which makes them a front runner for assignments and means they can typically charge a premium rate! However, they might be on the bench for a while if that market goes quiet). They may also have a broader skill set and need to take a variety of assignments to keep their experience current (this will allow you to go for more roles but remember, until you’re established, you may find that you’re pipped to the post by professional interims managers.)

 

And don’t forget you’ll need to set up a Ltd company and get a good accountant! (It may seem like a significant outlay but trust me a good accountant is worth their weight in gold.)

James Cumming is our MD and leads our HR practice. He has recruited senior HR professionals for over 15 years and has experience in finding niche HR talent. Connect with him on LinkedIn here.

If you would like to find out more about re:find and how we can support you and your business, then please get in touch.

Insider story – how to tackle a HR transformation project

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Wondering how you’re going to tackle that next big transformation project as well as keeping your sanity intact? Wonder no more, in this blog we talked to Peter Cablis from HR consulting firm Evolving HR about managing a large, complex HR transformation project for Jaguar Land Rover. Peter talks about what was involved in the project and shares his key lessons learnt.

Embarking on a mission critical HR transformation project? Keep your cool with these key insights from Peter Cablis, from Jaguar Land Rover.

“The modern world is volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous and organisations have had to become like rapid-reaction forces, needing to respond quickly, flex and adapt to suit an ever-changing world. HR professionals have needed to adapt too and have been required to manage multiple change programmes over their careers.

No doubt many of you have learned valuable lessons during the change programmes, but how many of you wished you had gone into the experience armed with the wisdom you were set to gain after the project?

While we can’t send you into the future, we can at least give you some insight into the wisdom we gained from a recent large scale, complex transformation programme involving:

  • Multiple business areas and sites
  • The introduction of new technology & major office refurbishment
  • Ordering and trialling of new equipment
  • The transition of new people into a department and their training
  • A major cultural shift for how HR transacts with the business and how business needs to operate
  • Limited budget and finite time for implementation
  • A culture of low accountability and silo’s

Despite these challenges, the project delivered, on time, to budget and was exactly what the customer wanted. So what were the secrets to this successful programme and what can be learned for future HR change programmes? We share a few of the key insights below (this is not an exhaustive list but serves as a guide):

1. Clearly scope out the project. Have clear timelines, measurements and milestones for each activity and phase of the project.

2. Know the skills and experience you need on the project and select the right people. Ensure they are fully dedicated and clear about their role in delivering the project.

3. Be clear who the key stakeholders are and engage with them right at the start.

4. Ensure everyone on the project is clear on their roles and what they are accountable for.

5. Set up a clear project governance board, with the right operational people from the project and the right key stakeholders. Review weekly/daily each part of the project as it proceeds. Make sure there is a ‘Risk, Actions, Issues and Dependencies’ log. Just as importantly, ensure all members of the project team are kept informed of changes and impacts to the overall project and their areas. Consult regularly with them and don’t be reluctant to refine the project plan if required.

6. Chunk the project down into its component parts, so that it becomes manageable and if required have distinct work streams.

7. Always ‘check in’ with the end users/people most likely to be affected by the change, to see if you have missed anything in the project.

8. Have a clear communication and feedback work stream. Consider how the change may affect the end users and adapt both your style of communication and the method of communication accordingly. Use multiple mediums to reach out to these people, including workshops, feedback groups, presentations, regular bulletins and blogs and intranet. Keep the flow of communication going throughout the project.

Thank you to Peter for sharing his knowledge and if you would like to know how to keep your cool and perhaps your sanity during a big-ticket, high-pressure, HR transformation project please contact Peter at EvolvingHR on info@evolvinghr.co.uk.

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.

The resurgence of M&A activity and what you can do to get it right

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The resurgence of M&A activity
The resurgence of M&A activity

 

We’ve always been really proud to partner with some of the most prominent change agents in the market knowledge. A few years ago we interviewed someone who was leading the way from a people change perspective to talk about the latest trends, innovations and transformations. It’s still very current so we wanted to re-share.

The interview focused on the resurgence of M&A activity and what you can do to get it right. Liz Phillips from the FTSE250, restaurant and pubs business, Mitchells & Butlers shared her insights, knowledge and experiences with us. We talked to her about the process of buying and integrating the Orchid Pub Group and what made the project a success!

Talking Acquisition Integration with Liz Phillips, Director of Resourcing & Employee Relations, from M&B.

“Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) acquired the majority of The Orchid Group – comprising of 173 pubs and a fully operational Head Office – in June 2014, for £266m. The deal expanded the M&B share of the growing pub and restaurant market in line with its strategy. The aim was to convert the majority of sites, such as Harvester, Toby Carvery, Ember, Miller & Carter and Castle and Vintage Inns, to M&B brands and formats over a two year period. The average weekly take of M&B brands was £22.7k, compared to £15.3k in The Orchid Group. The expected savings and synergies from rationalisation and support functions were c.£6m per annum – definitely worth it!

A Board of Directors were appointed to lead the Company; Operations, Finance, HR and Programme Planning. This was a senior leadership team with clear accountability for all aspects of operating the business successfully and the integration. The team had not previously worked together but quickly established a strong rapport recognising each other’s roles, responsibilities and areas of strength.

“The priority was to ensure effective and ongoing communication with all 4,000 employees throughout the business from day one.” Liz explained.

The aim was to explain the wider business context and plans and provide regular updates throughout the period of integration. It was important to understand the cultural differences and psychological impact of change on all people within the business, particularly in closing the Head Office, to keep the business running effectively in the medium term.

“The people were amazing, supportive and open with us. Whilst we did everything we could to involve, reward and communicate, we really couldn’t have done it successfully without them. There have been ongoing 121s, briefings, newsletters, weekly updates, roadshows, training courses, match making for roles and conferences. We recognised aspects of the way they did business which we admired, particularly certain aspects of operational practices which knew we could learn from and have introduced into M&B.”

In terms of leading HR, the emphasis was to continue to recruit, develop and retain people to run the businesses in a rapidly changing environment. We closed the office early in 2015 affecting c.100 people. There were a number of redundancies, however, the focus has been on deployment and employability to enhance people’s skills and experiences for their future employment.

“The plan has now been delivered and performance is looking good from an employee engagement, scorecard and ROI perspective!”

A huge thank you to Liz for sharing her experiences of leading an acquisition programme and the challenges they encountered. We hope you found it useful.

To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.