People Transformation

Organisations feel the need to transform, but the success of a transformation depends on many factors. One of the most important keys to success is a well-conceived human resources policy as part of the transformation process. In a transformation project you can come up against differences in the visions of shareholders and managers, cultural differences, a lack of perspective and transparency, uncertainties, etc. The symptoms are often de-motivation, inequalities in pay practices or a drain of talent. It would seem to be obvious that the planning and management of the transformation project are of the utmost importance.

Hudson places the ‘people’ aspect centre-stage to bring a transformation to a good conclusion. We offer integrated, end-to-end people transformation solutions. We align the strategy, organisation structure and culture to achieve your goals. We help our clients to manage people risks and keep costs under control. We have a multidisciplinary team. It is made up of reward & talent management specialists, program managers and change experts. They can guide you through every phase, or a specific part, of the transformation process.

The objectives we associate with a transformation process can be highly varied. Are you, as an entrepreneur, CEO or board member, facing an important decision about whether or not to proceed with an acquisition? Are circumstances forcing you to rightsize or downsize? Are you facing an important challenge to press ahead with a radical digitalisation of your company? Whatever the challenge, take the time to assess the impact of every aspect of HR.

A due diligence process, for example, focuses on key financial figures to assess an opportunity, evaluate the risks and establish a price. For a rapid view of potential risks and extra costs, the investment manager/buyer may call on Hudson for a fast and pragmatic HR audit shortly after signing. This audit addresses a series of specific questions:

• What are the current HR policies, systems and practices and how effective are they?
• How market representative are the manager, executive and white collar salary packages?
• In what areas is purchasing entity different and what can be learned from an initial estimate of the costs on integration?
• What are the competences, strengths and points to watch in the leadership team and who is the best fit for the new ambitions?
• Who are the mainstays at every level of the organisation, how great is the retention risk and what is the potential cost of departure (loss of sales, recruitment costs, etc.)?
• How large and bridgeable are the cultural differences, and what is required in the way of investment?

By looking at the answers to these questions the audit makes it possible at an early stage to take action to manage the risks and avoid unforeseen costs. An HR audit of this kind can also be used in transformation projects other than an acquisition.

Once the new organisation is up and running we can help define the new HR strategy and translate it into policies and systems for recruitment & selection, training & development, job design & grading and reward & performance management. These polices can be implemented at different speeds, depending on the priorities and the means available.