What happens if my company is taken over?

Takeovers and mergers are becoming commonplace as companies face growing economic pressure and competition. And with change comes new challenges, new demands and new personnel.

When a company has been taken over and various departments merge it’s inevitable that certain roles will no longer be tenable. In general it’s the employees working for the company who are doing the buying that tend to keep their roles, although employees in the company being purchased usually have the chance to re-apply for their jobs.

It's common for the remaining staff to feel de-motivated, anxious or sad that former colleagues - and friends - have lost their jobs. The group dynamic has changed and the introduction of new faces in the office may be met with a certain element of distrust, uncertainty and negativity with some staff feeling unclear about roles as brilliantly portrayed in comedy series, The Office.

Fans of the programme will recall the merging of two offices of Wernham Hogg and the effect this had on staff; from David’s distrust of his new, dynamic boss Neil, to Gareth’s dismay at Tim’s promotion to Sales Manager.

Changes in the office should be seen as a new challenge, so, how to you cope with the new faces in your office to make the changeover run as smooth as possible?

• Keep an eye out - Company purchases usually take many months and you may hear rumours in the industry or even national press. It’s much easier to prepare for change when you know its coming

• Find out the plans - Although it may not be easy information to extract, try and find out what s happening to your role as soon as you can. Regardless of whether you’re safe ir under threat, prepare a case for why you’re a valuable member of the team that will help move things forward.

• Take your second chance to make a first impression - Under the old regime you may not have got along with some of your former colleagues. But this change may feel like a breath of fresh air to you. Now you have an opportunity to make a good first impression with your new peers and management. Approach this change in the same way as you would your first day of work in a new job.

• Break-down barriers - When new faces enter the office, there may be some people who feel that they had earned promotion instead of an office outsider or they assume that they have more responsibility simply because they have worked in the same office longer. Avoid being part of an ‘us and them’ environment. Be prepared to help your new colleagues settle into their new office and be on hand for your new boss.

• Avoid nostalgia - Working in an office that has recently gone through a merger is akin to returning to your old job at a previous company. It is tempting to look fondly on the way things used to be because with change comes uncertainty. But avoid getting sentimental - what may seem unusual now will become normal within a short period of time.