Innovapost executes on high‐speed merger and acquisition activities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of how our internal HR team overcame a number of hurdles and achieved 100 percent success in the transition of 85 targeted employees into Innovapost on a timeline that left barely five weeks from start to finish. Design/methodology/approach – In July 2006 Innovapost found that it needed to plan for the transition of 85 new employees from epost and Borderfree, two members of the Canada Post Group of companies that would be dissolving on 1 November. Despite a timeline that left barely five weeks for the transition activities, the HR team was able to develop the transition approach, present it to the new employees, answer their specific questions and get 100 percent positive response to the offers of employment with Innovapost. Findings – Although organizational and prioritization skills are critical for the success of this type of activity, having a clearly defined transition philosophy to guide you is critical. Decisions have to be made quickly and consistently to ensure that employees have faith in the success of the transition. It is also vital that the HR transition team establishes a visible presence among the transitioning employees and reiterates the message that they are seen as valued new additions to the parent company. There is no such thing as too much communication when dealing with employees, especially when the timeline is short and they are required to make decisions affecting their careers with very little notice. Originality/value – The paper presents a methodology of how to successfully integrate employees from outside the company.