Due Diligence · Integration · Change
The people side of the deal, handled end to end.
HR due diligence, organizational integration, and workforce transition — so the deal's value survives contact with the org chart.
Deals close on financial models and die on people reality. Hidden liabilities, culture clash, key-person flight, and botched Day-1 integration erase the synergy story. You need HR that moves at deal speed.
What changes
Outcomes you can hold, not slides you file.
HR diligence findings leadership can price into the deal or conditions
A Day-1 and Day-100 people plan with named owners
Integration design for structure, comp, and culture — not slogans
Reduced key-person risk through retention and communication sequencing
How it works
A clear path from first conversation to delivery.
Diligence
Workforce risk, contracts, culture signals, leadership depth, and people liabilities before the ink is dry.
Integration design
Target structure, comp approach, culture work, and communication plan matched to deal thesis.
Day 1
What employees hear, who manages whom, and which systems and policies apply from the first morning.
First 100 days
Execution, retention, restructuring, and feedback loops so value actually transfers.
Deal timeline
The people workstream, phase by phase
Engage us for diligence only, integration only, or end to end. Confidentiality and clean-team discipline are assumed.
Pre-deal
Diligence
Workforce risk, contracts, culture signals, leadership depth, and people liabilities priced before close.
- People risk memo
- Hidden liability flags
- Key-person map
Close
Integration design
Target structure, comp approach, culture work, and communication plan matched to the deal thesis.
- Integration blueprint
- Comp harmonization path
- Retention design
Day 1
Go-live
What employees hear, who manages whom, and which systems and policies apply from the first morning.
- Day-1 script
- Manager cascade
- Immediate policy set
Day 100
Value transfer
Execution, restructuring, feedback loops, and culture work so the synergy story becomes operating reality.
- 100-day review
- Org transitions
- Leadership alignment
What's included
Scope of the practice
Core workstreams we run under M&A Advisory. Engagements are scoped to what you need — not a forced package.
- HR due diligence
- Organizational integration planning
- Workforce transition
- Change management
- Compensation harmonization
- Cultural integration
- Leadership alignment
- Post-merger organizational restructuring
Who it's for
- Companies in active M&A or restructuring situations
- Acquirers needing HR due diligence before close
- Leadership teams managing post-merger integration
- PE-backed platforms integrating add-on acquisitions
Who should choose another path
- Deals with no access to people data or leadership decision rights
- Pure valuation or financial diligence (we own the people workstream)
- Cosmetic rebrands with no integration intent
Questions
Straight answers before you book.
When should HR get involved in a deal?
As early as possible in diligence. Late involvement is how surprises show up after close. We can also join mid-integration if the people workstream is already slipping.
Do you work with buy-side, sell-side, or both?
Primarily buy-side and integration leadership. Sell-side readiness (clean people data, contract hygiene) is available when a seller wants a cleaner process.
How do you handle confidentiality?
Deal work is run on a need-to-know basis with clean-team discipline. We align with your counsel and deal team on information walls.
Can you help only with diligence, not full integration?
Yes. Engagements can be diligence-only, integration-only, or end-to-end across the deal timeline.
Often paired with
Related practices
M&A Advisory
Ready to talk m&a advisory?
Share the deal stage confidentially. We will propose a people workstream plan.