(Off Topic) In a Quandry

6 comments

• farmerart

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  14 years ago

  To be bloody minded but to act in your own self interest - brush up your resume and make sure cv are up to date; network like crazy; and search the market aggressively but quietly for alternate employment in your field. Unhappily, cost cutting reigns supreme when takeovers happen and special attention&nbsp; is paid to loss making divisions. Wish you the best.<br type="_moz" />
• CTQWERTY

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  14 years ago

  A couple of tip-offs could be the handling of vacation time off (if it requires prior approval, etc.) and company expense account(s) changes.&nbsp;&nbsp; Too bad the economy is in the shape it's in at present = not a good time to go job hunting!&nbsp;&nbsp;
• georgmicrodong

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  14 years ago

  Having been on both the acquiring and acquired sides of this particular problem, farmerart has the right of it.&nbsp; The common denominator has been the elimination of the employees from the acquired company.&nbsp; In all likelihood, your company was bought for it's client list, assets, name or some other feature that really has nothing to do with the people who work there.&nbsp; If you are very lucky, there may be a transition period where your new company evaluates who they want to keep.&nbsp; It will be a short list.<br />
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  There <b>will</b> be layoffs, and they will comprise a significant percentage of the people who work there now.<br type="_moz" />
• rickdugan

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  14 years ago

  I agree with farmer and gmd - I have been involved in this sort of thing myself.&nbsp; They will undoubtedly be looking to gain economies of scale from this transaction and are likely buying the client list more than anything.&nbsp; <br />
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  It is common for companies to merge acquired targets over a period of time in order to minimize friction and disruptions.&nbsp; Just because they are not yet pounding down the door does not mean that they are not collecting data and&nbsp;analyzing ways to&nbsp;maximize profit margin from the combined client base.<br />
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  You should indeed start polishing&nbsp;up your resume and quietly start reaching&nbsp;out to find&nbsp;potential alternatives.&nbsp; However, also keep your eyes open for ways in which you can help&nbsp;the new company with the transition.&nbsp; All too often, employees of acquired companies put up resistance when&nbsp;new mandates and changes come down.&nbsp; Those who are the most adaptable&nbsp;(and helpful) often stand&nbsp;the best chance of surviving&nbsp;through the cuts.<br />
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• farmerart

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  14 years ago

  Dudester: I should have been more frank with you in my initial reply. While building my own company I bought two smaller operations strictly for their assets. My industry (oil and gas) is brutally cyclical and after taking over these two smaller companies I let all the employees go. Brutal as I said but a fact of life in my industry. I don't know what industry your company is in, but the larger and more bureaucratic the company the greater the chance of some employees being retained.&nbsp; Again, I wish you the best.<br type="_moz" />
• mmdv26

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  14 years ago

  Do you possess goodwill with customers that could be converted to profit for the new ownership?&nbsp; The acquirer is evaluating the situation...gives you time to show what you can do. Seems like they would have a firm plan in mind and would put that plan in action immediately. I suppose they just lost another $167k fiddling around for a month....<br type="_moz" />