With Dell and EMC merging together over the next 18 months, HRD sat down with Dell’s HR executive director to find out more
By far the biggest challenge for Dell and its HR team for the next 18 months will be the integration with EMC – a process which Tiffany See, APJ HR executive director at Dell Singapore, says is probably the biggest technology integration “ever”.
In a recent interview with HRD, See talked about the steps Dell would take throughout the process.
“Very early on when we announced the integration, we did a culture survey across the two companies,” she said. “This took a sampling and tried to identify what was common.”
There were two or three attributes that stood out as common between the two companies – one of which was a drive for results, she added.
“We’re really trying to focus on that commonality to bring the two companies together. The way we’re approaching it is as an integration. It’s not an acquisition – it’s an integration.”
An entire change management team had been set up to focus on the similarities as well as the differences for both firms.
“It’s one thing to focus on the similarities,” she said. “But we also need to understand what the differences are as they could be obstacles as we integrate the two companies. We’re making sure we’re really clear on what these differences are so we can address them throughout the process.”
Communication is a key component, See said, with the firm ensuring everyone is kept up-to-date throughout each stage of the integration process.
While managing the integration, Dell is focusing on 14 work streams that “deep dive” into specific areas, she said. Two of these fall within the HR agenda.
“One is very much focused on the back-end processes and tools such as what happens on day one. Will everyone have the same badge? What about building access or access to IT systems? So it’s really about operationalising day one and beyond.”
The second work stream is about building org talent and culture including retention, organisational structure and diversity & inclusion.
“We have a very specific pillar within that work stream just on D&I,” See said. “Everything we do has a D&I lens on it as we go through the integration. Even the consultants have told us this is very unique to have such a D&I focus on the integration as a whole.”
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