If you’re an employer, an acquisition is a good thing. This indicates that your company’s growth in sales and popularity convinced a larger company of its potential and led to the acquisition of your business. If you’re an employee, you might view acquisitions differently than a business owner. Employees, unlike employers, frequently do not take this transition lying down. Employees are worried about their job security following an acquisition, and understandably so. Employees are confused and anxious as a result of all these changes, which is why we’re here to clarify:
#23 My company is being acquired, what do I do next?
Why may a company be acquired?
One company might want to acquire another for a variety of reasons, including:
What does it mean when a company is acquired?
A company is acquired when another company buys it in order to control it and create a single legal entity for business purposes. As a result of this modification, company stakeholders are now able to make commercial decisions that can aid the larger organization in achieving its objectives.
8 things to do if your company is being acquired
If your business is considering an acquisition, think about doing the following:
Review your job description
One result of company acquisitions is sometimes layoffs. Once the two businesses merge, owners and executives may decide to fire any employee, particularly if there are overlapping job responsibilities and position titles. It’s crucial to be fully aware of your job responsibilities in order to ensure that you are carrying out your duties as required and to be able to fully and accurately explain to management what you do each day and the duties you have. Make sure to record any specialized skills you have acquired while working for the organization as you go through this process.
Make a list of suppliers and vendors
Senior management in both organizations will probably start looking for ways to consolidate operations in order to reduce costs and ensure that they don’t pay twice for goods that come from two different organizations. You can assist management with this task by compiling a list of the vendors and suppliers you use for your work. They can assess each one to see which ones are repeat customers before deciding which supplier they’ll stick with.
Furthermore, if you’re laid off, you might be able to use your own list if your employment contract permits it. If you have a list of companies you are familiar with, you can succeed somewhere new right away.
Continue to be productive
Although an acquisition may cause employees to worry about being laid off or that management will be more scrutinizing of their work, it’s important to continue producing. The executive team will see that you are serious about staying a valuable asset to the company and that you are a deserving employee for the value you bring if you continue to produce work of the same caliber and quantity. How newcomers to the company perceive you as an employee will be greatly influenced by your willingness to continue performing your duties as required.
Ask questions
Ask your manager or a human resources professional for advice if you have any reservations about the acquisition. While there may be subjects they are unable to discuss with you or for which they lack the answers, you may also find comfort in their response and gain more faith in your company and the leadership’s business decisions. Ask questions about your benefits and stock options, two things that might change as a result of an acquisition. Executives will need to decide how to handle these issues because it’s likely that the company that buys your business offers different benefits to employees.
Attend required meetings
You might discover that management wants to hold company meetings to go over ongoing projects, learn more about the work of your departments, or share information about the acquisition. Try your best to be present at all meetings so that you can participate as needed and learn any pertinent information that will help you better understand the acquisition. Additionally, your attendance at these meetings demonstrates to your management team that you take your responsibility and interest in company news seriously.
Stay positive
In the midst of an acquisition, try to maintain a positive attitude because morale is a crucial component of any company culture. Find ways to connect with your coworkers and managers, both those you’ve worked with before and new hires to your company, so you can maintain open communication and help create a collaborative, enjoyable workplace culture for everyone. Because these are typically the same people who enhance the workplace and treat everyone fairly, executives are also more likely to notice positive attitudes.
Be cooperative
As executives determine the next steps for the newly formed business entity, continue to cooperate as they do so. It is likely that they will expect a certain level of cooperation from all employees. Follow instructions if managers request a status update, project information, or a peer pairing for a task. When they request it, give them feedback, and exhort your team to do the same.
Seek employment elsewhere
You might want to apply for alternative positions if the company’s acquisition makes you uneasy or if you no longer feel as loyal to your company as you once did. Consider whether you’ve fully processed the company’s acquisition and made your decision based on factors that are important to you before taking any further action. Ask your manager or a member of human resources about your choice to see if they have any additional information that might cause you to reconsider.
FAQ
What does it mean when a company gets acquired?
A company acquires another company when it does so, and the acquiring company then owns the target company. In other words, once a company is acquired, it ceases to exist because the acquirer has absorbed it. The equity shares of the acquiring company continue to trade.
Is a company being acquired a good thing?
An acquisition is an excellent way for a business to experience quick growth. Companies choose to expand through M&A to increase their market share, create synergies across all of their operations, and take ownership of assets.
Will I lose my job if my company is acquired?
Most workers who lose their jobs as a result of an acquisition go through a career transition process. The termination period can vary anywhere from 30-90 days. With the help of policies, instructions, scripts, and forms, they will handle terminations.
