There can be many drivers for feeling that you need a change within your organisation. In times of plenty, this may be because don’t have enough staff to cope with the demand for your services, or that your expanding teams require the introduction of a managerial level you haven’t had before.
The impact of Covid 19 started in March 2020, and since then the businesses I work with have been driven to restructure for less positive reasons. A dip in funding for charities, a loss of revenue in the hospitality sector, fewer children attending private day nurseries as parents lose their jobs and need for childcare; they all have an impact on the staff employed by the businesses I work with.
Reviewing the current structure
So you know you want to restructure and have a vague idea of what you want to end up with at the end of your process. My role is to help you get there.
First, we workshop the current structure and break down what it is that isn’t working; it might be that your salary costs are prohibitive, or that specific teams will be affected more than others because their area of the business has been hit worst by the reduced demand.
Together we sit and understand what you have, why you had it, and why it doesn’t work for you anymore. Then we plan for the future.
Designing your new one
Once you’ve identified what is driving the need for change, we begin to piece together your new structure. What at the roles you can’t live without? Are they the sales people bringing new business in? The Managers who keep your teams engaged and the environment a positive place to be? We slot those into your new structure first; who are the pillars of your business that you’ll need in your new world and who do they need working with them to ensure the future of your company?
Identifying drivers – how will you measure the success?
Most businesses I work with have reporting lines which require sign-off for restructure. Identifying how you will consider your change programme to be a success is key when planning out the next stages; what do we need to achieve, when will our work be done?
Drivers can differ depending on the climate you’re working in. Do you want to restructure and retain your staff but have them working in new roles in the new structure, or are you looking to reduce numbers or salary costs and increase workloads for those who remain?
If you will need to report your intentions, the process and then the outcome to an elected Board, this first stage of the process is the key to getting sign-off to begin. After this, we’re ready to get going.
Mapping out the impact for each team, and then each person
It’s important that you have an understanding of every person within your current structure and how your proposed changes will affect them. Together we map this out; are they redundant? Is their job changing significantly so a reduction in salary will be necessary? Will their hours reduce because you no longer need them to work full-time?
By understanding the impact for each person involved and their individual options, your process suddenly contains what so many miss; the human element and empathy. Remembering how important these are is a huge deal; those staff who stay with you beyond the restructure need to know that you care about them. If you care, then they care, and together you can progress to the next phase for your business.
It’s very rare I meet a leader or business owner who finds it easy going through this process; most are struggling with the changes their business needs to make to survive and breaking such difficult news to long-trusted employees can be tough.
We work together to understand the impact for everyone involved and then, by the time we present to the staff to begin consultation, everything we do has those individuals in-mind. We’re then in a position to help them through the process, whatever the outcome may be.
Identifying employee representatives / engaging trade unions
If your organisation has no recognition agreements with Trade Unions, and you’re making more than 20 people redundant, we will need to go through a process of electing employee representatives to discuss your proposals with.
The role of the employee reps is to provide a sounding-board before you consult with all staff. We begin the process by explaining the rationale and what you plan to do, and our meetings with them are intended to find alternative ways to reach your objectives; sometimes they come up with great ideas you’d never have thought of, other times they agree that what you’re presenting is the only way. Regardless of the outcome, electing and then meeting up with employee representatives keeps you compliant with the legalities of restructuring but also helps provide a practice-run before you present your proposals to staff.
Working with Trade Union reps is a similar process; my experience of working with reps in very unionised environments is such that I can manage that relationship with you, to get the most from it and stop them from being a barrier to change.
Beginning consultation, what to prepare
When we present to staff, no matter how much or little information we give them, the same questions are asked every time: “how does this affect me?”.
We develop a full employee information pack, outlining the rationale behind the current and proposed structures, the process we will undertake, how we will identify those who are to be made redundant and what options are available to people.
The key is that, within this document, the employees fully understand what will happen and when. Developing a timeline for the process so they know when it will be concluded is the first step in employees feeling involved in the process. Sticking to the timeline is the second; we build in contingency for employee sickness, for suggestions to be really considered, for interviews to be rearranged and Trade Union reps to not be available at the first meeting we planned. We build in that time because everyone involved needs to know when it will be over and when they can move on with their lives, whether that’s as an employee who leaves and progresses their career elsewhere, or one who stays and needs to feel a part of the business in your new world.
How long will it all take?
If you’re looking to make less than 20 staff redundant, we follow the ACAS guidelines which state that consultation must last a “reasonable” amount of time. This will vary depending on the number of staff you’re consulting with, and the amount of changes you’re looking to make.
For most restructures I’m done within 8 weeks, from the initial discussions with management right through to implementation of the new structure. This leaves enough time to properly consult with staff, to go through the process without hurrying them through it, to allow for one-to-one meetings and support those who haven’t had an interview for a while, to make sure they perform their best.
We can do things quicker than this if you have fewer than 20 staff to deal with, or your circumstances dictate that the process needs to be completed sooner, its very much abut what works for you and your people.
What is my role in this?
It can be as big, or as small as suits you. I can coach your leaders to deliver it all, or I can produce your consultation documents and lead all the meetings. It’s all about what you want, what your team have the time or skills to deliver and your specific business needs.
The first stage is having a chat with you about what it is you need to achieve, which is why I called my business Pathway Partner Ltd; you let me know what you’re looking to do and together we’ll find a way through.
