Atos Origin
How clients raise their game
Atos Origin
Global IT consultancy and outsourcing services provider Atos Origin is the third largest provider in Europe. Growing through its IT outsourcing contracts with national and international clients, the company regularly acquires the IT functions of its client companies. It means the regular acquisition of employees whose previous role has
been within the client company. Now they have a new employer.
Integrating these employees, supporting them through the transition and promoting the virtues and values of Atos Origin is the responsibility of Global HR.
The Challenge
The successful transition of new employees into Atos Origin offers a number of challenges. It was never the choice of an employee to leave their existing employer to join Atos Origin. Some will welcome the change and the greater opportunities for them within an IT speciaist services company.
For others, it will be a time of confusion and doubt. The Atos Origin Global HR function wanted to make the transition easier and less stressful for employees. They also wanted the transferees to quickly understand and embrace the new working cuture.
The Result
Learning from the feedback from those who had previously made the transition, an approach was developed that would be deployed for all future mergers. This included everything in the 'Transition Experience' from early sessions during client negotiations to explain the process to employees to individual discussions about careers and prospects.
The 'Transition Experience' answered many of the questions and allayed some of the natural fears that employees have in times of merger. It also offered Atos Origin a solution that could be deployed rapidly and globally to ensure an efficient transition and uninterrupted service for client companies.
Importantly for Global HR, it was an approach that could be deployed worldwide utilising a team of professionals to lead local transition activities. It meant that lessons could be learned and the results shared quickly across the company. From the client company perspective, they were impressed with the smoothness and professionalism of the transition itself.
The How
Global HR looked to Saffron House to help create the 'Transition Experience'. Our support included developing explanation tools for the process and also, from a neutral viewpoint, interviewing employees who had made the transition.
This was an important learning experience as it highlighted some of the key obstacles and opportunities for improvement. We also develeloped other channel materials including employee magazine and intranet microsite.
Some of the transferees' experiences were used as the basis of a Transition brochure, specifically aimed at transferees and also featured in a dedicated microsite. It covered diffiiculties which employess experienced as well as those who had made the transition and were enjoying the new culture and opportuinities.
In this way, career development possibilities were illuminated and hints and tips on getting to grips with the new culture were offered by those who had had the experience themselves.
Solutions
“The highly professional work done by you and your creative team was a major contributor to our success. The creative realisation was excellent. An outstanding performance especially given the short notice and limited briefing you received.'”
Brendan Rogers - Philips Lighting
“Overall, the aspect of working with Saffron House that I value the most is that they challenge my thinking, and then deliver pragmatic solutions.”
Paul Rutherford - Clearswift Corporation
