Case Study: A business acquisition in a close-knit community

Some people find change fearful, particularly when there are many uncertain elements. And this fear can be magnified for employees and businesses who work in close-knit, regional communities.

HMC was engaged by an aged care provider to assist with their acquisition of another aged care home. This was an exciting opportunity, and the service would be an excellent addition to their portfolio. But, it was also the first acquisition the organisation had undertaken in a very long time, and limited hands on deck to help manage the communication required.

The challenge

The aged care home had previously been run by a community organisation for over 40 years. People loved that it was ‘community owned and run’, and it was one of the largest employers in the regional town. Our challenge was to use strategic change communication strategies that would limit any fear or resentment around ‘big city folk’ buying the community asset, and engage and retain staff, residents and community stakeholders alike.

The solution

We developed a comprehensive, detailed change communication strategy, based on our EPIC Change Communication Framework. The framework is centred on core principles, including always understanding who the most impacted stakeholders are, and focusing more efforts on those groups. Knowing the sensitivities involved, the plan focused on as much face-to-face conversation and two-way communication as possible, and multiple feedback mechanisms.

The outcome

In a follow-up survey of employees, the majority said they could see the change was a positive step for the service, they felt well informed throughout the process, and were curious about what opportunities the acquisition could potentially give them in the broader organisation. Retention of staff, residents, and community groups aligned to the service has been maintained, and the service is still known for its high-quality offering.