Building a Transparent Communication Path
Brought to you by the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 Tax Managed Services Team.
The benefits of a careful, individualized approach
A transformation that moves the tax function to a managed services provider can add significant value to your business but requires experience and compassion in navigating the emotional impact on employees. In The Human Side of Tax, we looked at how rebadging can turn that process into a win-win scenario for both your company and your employees. Here we look at communication, a key element in the transition.
Once the decision is finalized, your provider should work with you to build your communication plan. It鈥檚 best to be transparent, concise, and individualized. In our own approach, we work closely with your leader(s) to understand how each individual is likely to respond鈥攁s they know their people best. We want to understand who may have strong reactions or be a key team member that has influence over others. Together, we鈥檒l hand-select a mentor for each individual on the team, ideally someone at 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 with whom they already have an established relationship. Shortly after notification, the team members will be individually contacted with their detailed offer, followed by their mentor to talk through all their questions and concerns. We explain the reasons for the transformation, along with all the benefits to them. We stress that they鈥檙e still going to be a valued member of the team and describe all the opportunities they鈥檒l gain access to.
After your team members have been notified about the change, it鈥檚 important to communicate to others in your organization. Your tax team invariably works with other functions, and they need to be aware of this decision to understand how they鈥檙e impacted and what to expect going forward. The change will likely be seamless from their perspective, however keeping them apprised promotes ongoing partnership and positive receptiveness with the tax function, which in turn helps the entire team.聽
鈥淚f you didn鈥檛 care about your people, you wouldn鈥檛 even be considering a solution like this鈥�
There鈥檚 typically a lot of follow-up with the mentor, with conversations that tend to be similar to therapy sessions as people shift mental frameworks and expectations. The emotional stages many employees go through may start with denial, then sadness about losing their work family, and perhaps a sense of betrayal and even anger. A typical response may be, 鈥淚 understand why they have to make these tough decisions, but I still feel like my loyalty has been betrayed. I feel like they don鈥檛 care about me.鈥�
That鈥檚 where we explain that any company using this solution cares a lot. Companies that don鈥檛 care just fire people.
We acknowledge the shock and suggest they give themselves some time to think through the new offer, although we keep a tight decision window and try to help them through their thought process quickly. During that time, we also try to help them work through their emotions as much as possible. A mentor may talk to an individual seven or eight times over the week and weekend to help them process what is happening.聽
Focusing on your people helps everyone
As a result of this careful, individualized approach, we have close to a 100% acceptance rate. And while that鈥檚 not always possible, knowing that we really focus on your people should bring some sense of comfort to your leadership, while also protecting your company culture and improving the service we can deliver to you with insights from your own tax team. Most of all, it helps your employees.
And this is just the first step. We follow through on our commitments to the individuals and continue to support their career development and personal goals for years after the transition. We protect them from the broader resource pool within 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 and measure their performance against other Managed Services individuals, but once they鈥檝e stabilized within the 乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 infrastructure we continue to check in to ensure they鈥檙e getting the opportunities they need鈥攚hether that鈥檚 staying on their initial engagement or branching out for further growth. Because we firmly believe that a company鈥檚 most important asset is its people.
CLIENT STORY
HP Inc. reinvents tax operations with new technology and talent
乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 CLIENT
乐鱼（Leyu）体育官网 has designed a strong managed services solution for tax and finance that allows us to leverage both a global tax compliance platform and their investment in technology to position us for the future.
Global Head of Tax, HP Inc.
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