Company mergers are very busy and challenging times for corporate leadership. The role that HR plays during a merger is often complex and far-reaching. In this assignment, you write an executive brief that considers aspects of how an HR department might prioritize and operate to support the union of two companies.
Preparation
How to Brief an Executive
There is no single correct way to brief an executive or other stakeholder. The final deliverable is your choice, but effective briefs have common elements; they should be clear, concise, relevant, well-structured, and provide decision-making information. Here are a couple of resources you may use to get started:
• How to Brief an ExecutiveLinks to an external site.: A podcast from the Communications Guys.
• How to Write a Formal Business Report (With Examples)Links to an external site.: Hints from Indeed.
Scenario
Imagine that Anchor Hospital, a 250-bed medical center, is merging with the similar-sized Saint Mary’s Hospital to better serve the needs of its metropolitan community. An administrative board has been formed to guide all aspects of the merger. They have asked all departments to submit an executive brief that states their roles, intended model of operations, and initial steps to build interdepartmental relationships.
The board’s primary concern for HR is how it will manage the merging of the workforce into a single, cohesive, and effective team. They want to understand HR’s primary role, guiding principles, and application of current practice. Specifically, they want your vision for the following:
• A merger-related current best practice or trend that is being successfully employed by HR departments.
• HR’s primary role in assimilating the workforces for the two hospitals.
• The HR management model is to be followed.
• How to foster relationships between HR and department managers.
Instructions
Write a 3-4-page executive brief that addresses the following merger-related items:
- Recommend a relevant HR trend or practice that would be useful to consider as part of this merger. Justify your recommendation.
- Analyze HR’s primary role(s) as a strategic corporate partner in merging the workforces of the organizations.
- Recommend an HRM model that would effectively steer the joining of each organization’s employees into a single, cohesive workforce. Justify your recommendation.
- Recommend two initial steps that HR should initiate to develop an effective relationship between HR and management. Justify your recommendation.
