Q&A: Company restructuring
Article Date: Jul 21 2006Q: Our company is currently undergoing a restructure and we want to interview every member of staff both to find out where they feel their place within the company is and to assess their strengths and weaknesses to ascertain how best to utilise their expertise. Is there a basic format we should follow?
Answered by Sara Williams, Vitesse Media
One in three major reorganisations fail to achieve the efficiency or effectiveness objectives that lie behind them, according to CIPD research. Failure to achieve these successful changes can create lack of security for employees triggering decline in motivation and commitment.
It is important to have clear objectives in mind and communicate these with employees so that they know why they are being interviewed – are their jobs secure, are they having to reapply for their current role, or is the application process to establish future career goals? If employees have to reapply for their roles it is important to provide some sort of advisory and support service to them.
A key influence on the success of the restructure will be managers – it is important line managers know what changes are going to be made and why so that they can support staff and answer any questions. It is that the attitudes, behaviours and capabilities of management that are an enabler of change.
Sara Williams is CEO of AIM-listed Vitesse Media, the publishing company she started in 1997. A former investment analyst with Kleinwort Benson, Sara is the author of The FT Guide to Business Start-up (over one million copies sold). She has written for several national newspapers and appears regularly in broadcasts on TV and radio.
