HR Leadership in Mergers & Acquisitions

Ensure a Seamless Transition and Maximize Your Workforce's Potential

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as an HR M&A Expert on a Top 10 HR Podcast

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In this episode of the Workology HR Podcast, we talk to Jessica Hart, Fractional HR Leader and Consultant, about mergers and acquisitions.

Receive SHRM and HRCI Re-Certification Credit by listening to this episode.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) bring incredible opportunities for growth—but also complex challenges. At Jessica Hart Consulting, we specialize in helping businesses navigate these transitions through thorough HR organizational audits that mitigate risk, ensure compliance, and make sure the talent you just acquired is able to sprint.

Why an HR Audit is Critical for M&A Success?

An HR audit during a merger or acquisition is essential for identifying areas of improvement, potential compliance issues, and organizational restructuring needs. Without a solid HR foundation, misaligned teams, unclear roles, and compliance risks can delay progress and harm the integration process. Our HR audits offer:

  • Smooth the transition between two cultures with clear role definitions and aligned expectations.

  • Ensure your HR policies are compliant with state and federal regulations to avoid legal risks.

  • Identify redundancies, streamline processes, and clarify job descriptions to drive efficiency.

  • Retain top talent by focusing on employee experience, clear communication, and engagement during the transition.

At Jessica Hart Consulting, we follow a comprehensive process to assess your HR function during M&A, tailored to your business goals. Our audit includes:

Our HR Audit Process

  • We assess policies, employment contracts, benefits, and payroll systems to identify gaps in regulatory compliance.

  • We evaluate your organizational structure to ensure your workforce is aligned with your strategic goals.

  • We help blend company cultures by designing clear communication strategies and role alignment to ensure a smooth integration.

  • We identify key talent at risk and provide actionable strategies to retain and engage them during the transition.

A note from Jessica

“I’m sure you’ve heard it - and read it… and seen it. Organizations really struggle after the deal is done.

Simply, this is the problem to solve: How to make Company A + Company B = Company C. Before you can build the new Company C, you need to know exactly what you’re working with.

We conduct a full organizational audit to assess talent, identify leadership gaps, and pinpoint any compliance risks.”

What happens next?

The road to: Tailored Solutions, Proactive Risk Management and Guidance.

  • We'll meet to chat about your business. Depending on the size, your systems and legacy - we will propose a speed for the project. It also depends on your goals, typically we are on the buy side of the transaction - however there are some perks to doing this analysis and tweak for the sell side.

    This speed will be a Tier 1, 2, or 3 engagement.

    You will see the pricing for all Tiers, and we will show how we can get it done in 2-6 months, pending your desire to get this across the finish line.

    We match your speed, always.

  • You will know the current state of HR in your new business, from there we will propose next steps from a cost, efficiency and redundancy (if applicable) situation. This does not mean you have to reduce any workforce - by force, this just means you'll have a good idea of what skills and experiences you just acquired.

    Many times, clients want a contract extension and a proposal on timing to get a people strategy plan in place. This means future org structure and a communication plan to all team members on change management. This is crucial for success in the merger, and building trust with your new teams.

    Clients have the option to move up or down in their Tier engagement.

    Tiers are always set up for efficiency, where you know what days we are working on only your business.

    Expect a heads up 1/2 way into the engagement (anywhere from 1-3 months in) so you're not surprised if we think it will take time to fix some things.

  • We've got you to a good spot, it might be 100% or it might be in a better than it was before state and you're ready to pivot to maintenance.

    Some clients see added value and efficiency in transitioning payroll systems for a clean employee experience, some want to hire an internal (or train an internal person) for maintenance. Some even like passing the torch, and calling us later as needed. It all depends on the project.