How To Communicate To Internal Staff About Your MAT Merger

Growing your Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) can reap benefits for all partners with the bringing together of resources, marketing, knowledge, increased pupil numbers, and talent. But to achieve all that, you first have to navigate many unique challenges, potential disruptions, and how to retain talent.

The Government’s recent white paper on schools and education stated that in an MAT we are stronger together, and we need strong schools and teachers to better educate our children. It means that it is vital you develop an internal communications strategy to ensure that your employees, both teaching and support staff, are kept fully informed.

To this end, it is worth taking leaves out of the merger playbooks of the corporate world. According to research by the King’s Business School and the University of Helsinki, mergers will be more likely to succeed if staff feel that they are being treated fairly and their jobs are safe.

However, all too often, when mergers start taking people into account, it can be too little too late,  with timescales and finances taking priority and a looming merger can often provide the incentive for employees to consider their options elsewhere. In such cases, resignations can quickly snowball, effectively damaging the chances of a successful merger as skills and knowledge is lost

To prevent this from happening and a potential exodus of skills and knowledge, we take a look at how to develop and implement a robust internal communications strategy. Here are 10 ways to create a people-centric strategy to help support staff during an MAT merger.

1. Company culture over synergy

Synergy is important, and an essential first step. To be stronger together, the resulting merger needs to be greater than the sum of its parts, or it will be rendered ineffective.

But the shared cultures of the separate organisations are considerably more significant and must be part of the due diligence. Take a close look at the differences and similarities of the cultures of all parties to see if values are shared and aligned. Then honour both cultures and take time to develop and define a new culture.

Cultural Intelligence is the skill to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations, and employees with high cultural intelligence will show their value and have a high positive impact on teamwork, performance, cooperation, and communication during the merger.

2. Maintain transparency

A merger will likely lead to staff feeling uncertain about their future, and they will look to their leaders for reassurance. But managers who are unable to show authentic and honest leadership right from the beginning will only acerbate the feelings of distrust and scepticism.

Here at Glove, we strongly advocate an ‘open door’ communication policy that keeps all parties, staff and trust members fully informed about what is happening, as well as when and why.

3. Carefully listen to concerns, and be prepared to take action

It should go without saying that effective communication is key to a successful merger. Your employees will undoubtedly have concerns about their jobs and what the merger will entail. It is important that you openly share as much information as possible at each stage of the merger and always ensure that staff are welcome to ask questions and provide input.

By addressing any concerns about job security and what the merger means for employees, you will help them feel heard and part of the process, supported and more secure.

4. Don’t drag it out

There can be a need for some level of secrecy about some aspects of a merger, which can conflict with the need for transparency. With less transparency, trust and commitment will be impacted, which means that once the moment for secrecy has passed, you must act fast to inform staff.

Uncertainty amongst employees can quickly breed contempt and anxiety. Quick action is the proverbial ripping off a plaster, and any pain will be short-lived rather than being dragged out.

5. Consider the power dynamic between parties

Proper representation from both parties is essential. The dynamics of 10 per cent from one organisation and 90 per cent from another will ultimately never work in anyone’s favour. Looking at the corporate world, mergers in large organisations are typically perceived as acquisitions at a departmental level.

The two teams must be aligned, especially the new leadership teams looking at the governance of the merged trusts and academies.

6. The importance of shared technology

There can be difficulties in bringing together different technologies, software, and systems, and it can lead to problems that could negatively impact a merger. It would be unreasonable to expect one side to adapt all its systems and strategies to the other, especially if it means adopting older versions of software that will likely be less compatible or capable.

In the planning stages, to avoid resentment, leaders need to decide how software should be adopted and ensure there is enough time, with a transition period, to allow staff to be trained in any new technology.

7. Ensure equality and inclusion

To ensure a healthy, unconflicted workplace, equality, including pay, benefits, and holidays is important. You must encourage teamwork and colleagues to collaborate in order to benefit from diversity. Plan how colleagues can get to know each other better, especially if one of the organisations is larger than the other, for instance, an academy joining a large trust.

8. Agree on a new, encompassing set of values

When developing a new culture, you must take the time to create a clear set of values and a sense of purpose that will align with employees’ beliefs. These should be built on a set of principles such as respect and trust.

9. Measure long-term impacts

It may be that once your merger team has completed the due diligence and merger, someone else is left ‘holding the baby’, which means that it is vital that you ensure everyone’s motivations are aligned.

To this end, continually check that inclusion and equality are kept on track, and that the original motivations and purpose for the merger are maintained.

10. Bring in transition and change experts

It can take time for staff to adjust to the trust and new culture but employing independent advisors can often make the difference between success or failure. Mitigating the impact of the merger in advance is essential and will always be a rewarding investment.

At Glove, we recognise the importance of maintaining effective, transparent communications with your employees during and after the merger process. We can help you develop a strategy that will clearly communicate the reasons for the merger and how it will benefit the organisation, the staff, and the pupils.

Our experience in dealing with MAT mergers and growth means we can help you build a knowledge base that will address the most common questions and enquiries to help reassure employees and ensure they feel that they are being heard and valued.

If you’re looking for help with internal communications during your MAT merger, come and talk to us today!