What to say, when to say it and how to sustain the conversation while the answers arrive
To communicate a merger to your team, say early what you know, what you do not yet know and when you will speak again, and do not promise what you cannot control.
A merger touches what matters most to people: their job, their manager, their role and their culture. When information is missing, people make it up, and rumors travel faster than any announcement.
Internal communication matters more than it seems. According to the Employee Communication Impact 2024 study by USC Annenberg and Staffbase, based on more than 1,000 employees, 61% of those who are thinking of leaving cite poor internal communication as one of the factors. In a merger, that risk is higher.
What should be clear before you speak?
Meet with the people leading the process and get answers to four questions: what can be said now, what is still confidential, who speaks about what and when there will be news.
If there are issues involving contracts, roles, a change of employer or working conditions, ask a labor lawyer to review them before they are communicated. Every case is different and this guide does not replace that advice.
Prepare yourself too. Your team will watch how you react. You will have your own doubts, and it is fine to acknowledge them without dramatizing.
There is an advantage in getting there early: when you explain the situation, the team receives a complete and consistent version. When you do not, each person builds their own from fragments.
When and how do you break the news?
Make sure they hear it from you, not from a rumor or the press. If there is an official announcement, coordinate so you speak to your team the same day, ideally before or just after it.
- First in person or live. Gather the team, either in person or by video call. Avoid delivering the news by email.
- Then in writing. A short message summarizing what was said serves as a reference and prevents misunderstandings.
- A channel for questions. Open a mailbox or a fixed weekly meeting where people can ask questions, even anonymously.
Also ask your own manager which messages are already defined and which ones you can adapt. The same message delivered by every leader in their own words creates consistency without sounding scripted.
What should you say and what should you avoid?
Use three short blocks: what is known, what is not known and when it will be known.
- What is known. The confirmed facts, in simple words and without jargon.
- What is not known. Say it plainly. Saying I don't have that answer yet builds more trust than improvising.
- When it will be known. Set a date for the next update and keep it, even if only to say there is no news.
Avoid promising that nobody will lose their job or that everything will stay the same. If that changes later, you lose credibility. Also avoid speculating and criticizing the other organization.
Here is an example of an opening message, to adapt in your own words: the merger was announced today; this is what I know; this is what I still don't know; I will keep sharing updates every week in this meeting; and you can ask me anything, even if sometimes my answer is that I don't know yet.
How do you handle questions and emotions?
Expect worry, anger, silence and, in some people, enthusiasm. All of these are normal reactions. Listen without defending the decision and acknowledge what you hear people feeling.
Write down the questions you cannot answer and take them to the right person. Answering with an honest delay is better than improvising. Also talk one on one with key people and with those who seem most affected.
Look after your best talent. They have the most options in the market and tend to decide early whether they will stay.
Spend time on the people who need it most, not just on those who make the most noise. Quiet people are afraid too.
How do you handle a clash of cultures?
Two companies rarely work the same way. They have different rhythms, ways of making decisions and even vocabularies. If nobody talks about it, each team believes its way is the right one and the other is the problem.
Help your team identify what it values about its way of working and what it could learn from the other. Organize meetings between teams and small joint projects. Avoid expressions like them and us, which reinforce the divide.
How do you keep communicating in the following months?
A merger is not communicated once. Keep a fixed rhythm, for example a biweekly update, even if it is short. Explain what changes in day-to-day work, what stays the same and how processes, teams and culture are being integrated.
Ask for feedback. A short survey or a group conversation each month shows you what concerns people and which messages are not getting through. Celebrate small wins, like the first joint project.
Before your next team meeting, write three lists on a sheet of paper: what you know, what you don't know and when you will speak again. Huvantia supports leaders and organizations through change processes like this one.
Sources
- Staffbase and USC Annenberg, Employee Communication Impact 2024 (press release of September 30, 2024). Data: 61% of employees who consider leaving cite poor internal communication as a factor; survey of more than 1,000 employees. https://staffbase.com/press/releases/employee-communication-impact-study
Frequently asked questions
Should I tell my team before the official announcement?
Only if your company authorizes it. When the information is confidential, ask what you can share and when. Ideally, your team hears the news from you and not from a third party.
What do I do if I don't have answers?
Say so honestly, say when you will have them and keep that date. Saying it is not known yet is better than improvising.
What do I do if someone asks me whether they will lose their job?
Do not promise something you do not control. Share what is known, say whom to turn to for contract matters and remember that legal issues are best reviewed with a labor lawyer.
How often should I communicate during the process?
On a fixed rhythm, for example every one or two weeks. Regularity matters more than the length of the message.
