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Grow through a merger or acquisition with the right team
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) spark stress and often come with layoffs, mass resignations, and a handful of people left to hold down the fort… at least for a little bit.
While you face daily operations with a reduced workforce, your talent acquisition (TA) team gets busy trying to fill vacancies. But the sudden exodus could lead to an unsustainable hiring urgency that quickly outpaces internal bandwidth.
So, what do you do when M&A demands talent but you can’t hire quickly? We’re breaking down the potential challenges that come with M&A and how recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) can help you recover fast.
Mergers and acquisitions are around the corner
Industry consultancies and research firms are signaling a private equity (P&E) watershed (also known as “devesting”) soon. And we agree. Despite a quiet 2023, mergers and acquisitions are predicted to spike in late 2024 and early 2025. Putting a plan in place now will ensure a smooth transition if—and when—an M&A is at your door.
The M&A aftermath and your technology
These stressful transitions are notorious for layoffs and resignations. With fewer employees in-house to manage all the moving parts, you could be at risk for data breaches and lost information. Translation? Your greatest weakness could be the information technology (IT) department.
There are two major factors to consider: the cybersecurity risk and the knowledge gap.
The cybersecurity risk
No matter how employees leave—severance package or voluntary resignation—departures impact business. This is especially true in the IT department, where cybersecurity and systems require routine maintenance to ward off costly threats or issues.
When teams are strapped, even working longer hours isn’t enough to resolve every help desk ticket and patch updates needed to protect the network. It’s a perfect storm scenario for a cyber attack.
And broken workflows and a customer who needs to wait an extra business day are the least of your worries. It can also cost you millions and destroy customer trust. During M&A negotiations, there’s also a bigger risk for the buyer, which can cost jobs in the long run.
And there’s another looming issue, too…
The knowledge gap
Operations can grind to a halt when siloed knowledge walks out the door with your tech department. Even when processes are documented, being short-staffed makes productivity nearly impossible. Plus, the M&A might mean losing vital people who understand things no one else does—like someone who is an expert with your legacy IT system.
The knowledge gap impacts every customer and internal touchpoint, making running your business challenging.
Expect high turnover and layoffs
According to a study from the University of Pennsylvania, 47% of acquired employees leave within the first year after an acquisition. TA leaders and the C-suite start to wonder:
- How many people will I actually lose?
- Will my most vital team members leave?
- Is there a way to mitigate interruptions to workflows?
While there are certainly many unknowns, one thing’s certain: you’ll lose people. But don’t worry—you have options and allies.
The RPO solution
With key team members suddenly gone, knowledge gaps are just as obvious as empty seats—and avoiding immediate cybersecurity issues or broken systems becomes an urgent priority.
When things get too tight on the inside, it’s time to find some slack. RPO can help. The Hudson RPO sourcing and hiring process includes:
- Talent advisory. We look at turnover, brand reach, workforce engagement, and candidate drop-off so you can make fully informed decisions.
- Talent sourcing. Get ideal candidates in your talent pipeline fast with our proactive reach across social channels, professional networks, and industry events.
- Talent pooling. No more long waits for new hires to onboard. Our recruiters actively pre-qualify and nurture candidates, reducing time-to-hire.
- Employer branding. Our team of experts helps you identify your employee value proposition (EVP) to attract the right candidates that fit the job description and your team culture.
You can safely guide your workforce and company through uncertain times. And you don’t have to do it alone. What’s the old saying? “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
You’ve got options
Whether you need a partner to support you with every facet of recruiting or just need additional help during a hiring frenzy, you’ve got options. At Hudson RPO, we tailor our offerings based on what you need.
- Project RPO is a flexible, cost-effective option for organizations looking to hire quickly or find candidates for hard-to-fill roles. We collaborate with you to implement your project within a matter of weeks, helping you balance the need for immediate hires with your company’s long-term recruitment goals.
- On-demand RPO is another flexible option that helps you scale your recruiting function—fast. Our rapid-response team helps you fill roles quickly when you experience a hiring surge, need more talent to support a new market, or just need to get things done faster than normal. We help you source, recruit, screen, and interview candidates.
- Candidate sourcing is nonstop. Finding top talent, especially candidates not looking to leave their existing jobs, requires a partner who can build and maintain strong relationships with elite talent. It also requires a broad and global network that you can tap into when you’re ready to hire. At Hudson RPO, we use technology to map talent pools and find the best of the best talent out there, including passive talent.
- Executive search. When you need to hire for the C-suite, not just any candidate will do. We partner with you to find and hire established and successful executives to fill a current role or pipeline for the future. Our team of executive search professionals know what to look for and take a holistic approach that yields high-quality C-suite candidates.
No matter the capacity, Hudson RPO will work alongside you to fill the gaps and quickly get your tech team running with perfect-fit candidates. Contact us to learn more.
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