M&A Employee Communication: Six Phases for Successful Employee Engagement

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are complex, high-stakes events that impact employees at all levels. Clear, strategic communication is essential to keeping teams informed, engaged and aligned throughout the transition. Internal communicators play a pivotal role in ensuring that messaging is timely, transparent and effective.

So how do you build a strong employee communication strategy in an M&A environment? In our latest ROI Talk, ROI Senior Vice President Claire Berney and Vice President Virginia Stefan outlined the six phases for successful engagement:

For communicators, the initial focus is to craft a clear, compelling narrative that will resonate with both employees and external audiences. While internal communicators may not always be involved in shaping the initial announcement, they should be ready to reinforce and build on the rationale for the deal, amplify the benefits and address employee questions to begin fostering trust early on.

It’s worth noting that involving internal communication professionals in M&A communication discussions and planning early on can help ensure a successful integration. If you believe a merger or acquisition is in your company’s future, now is the time to educate leadership about the importance of a great internal communication strategy and how you would approach it.

The pre-close phase is where much of the communication groundwork happens. Key actions include:

• Identifying and engaging key partners
• Joining the integration team and building a joint communications plan and team
• Partnering with HR to align messaging with employee questions and concerns
• Shaping all communication plans and messaging relating to organizational changes
• Launching a regular cadence of communication and building new channels
• Crafting Day 1 messages and toolkits
• Preparing leaders and managers to effectively communicate changes

Communicators from each company involved in the merger or acquisition need to collaborate closely, ensuring that messaging is cohesive and that employee concerns are addressed proactively. Many organizations go dark, mistakenly believing that nothing can be shared with employees until the deal closes or fearing they could run afoul of regulatory rules. While there are certainly limitations, there is actually a lot that can be shared with employees, and doing so will help pave the way for a smoother transition.

Closing day marks the official completion of the deal, but the actual communication to employees can take various forms. It may be as simple as sharing the press release with employees, or it could be a more detailed message announcing the deal closure, the new leadership team and next steps for employees.

Although the specifics of what is shared on close day will differ somewhat depending on the deal and company, communicators should be ready to reinforce the purpose, value and benefits and to

Day 1 is a milestone moment that sets the tone for employee experience in the newly integrated company. This phase should focus on:

• Hosting All Hands meetings
• Providing clear instructions, materials and resources to employees
• Launching new communication channels
• Engaging employees with celebratory events and/or welcome packages

Employees are often entering this process with little prior knowledge, so it’s essential to have open communication channels where they can ask questions and receive timely responses.

The work doesn’t stop after Day 1. Keeping employees engaged and informed is an ongoing process that requires:

• Equipping managers with materials for team discussions
• Sharing updates on company culture and organizational changes
• Hosting integration events to bring teams together
• Publishing weekly integration updates and progress reports
• Highlighting success stories to reinforce positive momentum

Employees will have concerns about job security, benefits and future roles. A consistent communication strategy should address these issues, providing clear timelines and regular check-ins.

M&A deals are significant moments of change that can create uncertainty among employees. By following a structured communication plan and advocating for employees, IC professionals can help maintain transparency, reinforce company culture and drive a successful integration.

Need assistance crafting an employee communication strategy for a merger, acquisition or major change? Contact us at inquiry@roico.com to get started!