HSS ProService

Activity

We started off with an intense period of research to ensure we understood the tool hire market and those operating within it. We then took a deep dive into HSS ProService itself – its structure, products, services, employees, previous internal communications and the key individuals running the business.

Under a non-disclosure agreement, we set about understanding the planned transaction  which was undoubtedly the most complex we have come across in over 30 years of corporate finance experience.

Now in the public domain, the deal – which required approval from the Competition and Markets Authority – involved HSS ProService receiving investment from its biggest rival, Speedy Hire plc, while simultaneously disposing of one of its divisions.

Working closely with the head of brand and marketing, we drafted and agreed the core messaging with the senior leadership team and identified the various internal audiences, of which there were many.

We put ourselves in the shoes of employees, customers and suppliers and created an EXCEL document featuring every possible question the HR and customer-facing teams would likely be asked when the news broke.  Questions ranged from TUPE and the impact on company pension contributions to company car allowances and the potential impact on Christmas party arrangements.

Supplemented by senior management who were ‘in the know’ about the deal, this became a hugely important document and ensured all questions, whoever they were from, were answered in a transparent, truthful and consistent manner.

After weeks of being available and ‘on call’ at all times due to the ever-changing scenario, details of the transaction were finally agreed. This enabled us to finalise messaging and draft tailored communications for everyone affected.

This later phase of the project also required us to liaise with Speedy Hire’s internal comms team and both companies’ corporate comms teams, to ensure our messages were aligned.

Immediately following completion, all final communications – emails, intranet posts, presentation decks, scripts, text messages and social posts – were collated into one comprehensive document.

This provided ‘a single version of the truth’ and included a minute by minute plan of release.

Following the Stock Market announcement at 07:00, it was imperative that many moving parts worked in unison and that messages were cascaded to staff, customers and suppliers in an efficient and timely manner to avoid speculation and misinformation.

In short, the right messages had to land at the right time to every single person within the company and beyond to convey the facts, provide reassurance and minimise disruption.

The plan was executed to perfection and on announcement day, we provided additional support by monitoring the press and social media to gauge reactions and sentiment to the news.

This complex and highly sensitive project wasn’t without its challenges!

Securing sign-off from multiple parties; ensuring we captured the right tone of voice for different members of the HSS ProService team; dealing with an ever-changing situation; liaising tactfully and sensitively with people who weren’t privy to the imminent transaction; and helping ensure it was ‘business as usual’ during the process.

Throughout we aimed to be a supportive and strategic partner to the HSS ProService brand manager (an absolute star) and senior leadership team.

Success

HSS ProService’s internal communications strategy was a resounding success.

A week after announcement day, all HSS ProService employees were polled about how well informed they felt  about the deal and its impact on the business and them personally. There was unanimous agreement that they felt well informed and supported.

The head of HR reported that the Q&A document produced was so comprehensive and user friendly that only one additional question had been received to the dedicated email address set up to answer employee questions – a clear indication that people understood the deal and that we’d addressed all their concerns in our communication strategy.