Lego rebuilds global HR function brick by brick

The Lego Group has announced it plans on consolidating its global HR department to work from just three offices worldwide: Singapore, Mexico and the Czech Republic.
 
The Singapore office will become the headquarters of Lego’s HR team for Asia.
 
This move is designed to align with the company’s growth strategies which require the HR function to be scaled up or down in a “responsive and agile manner,” according to a Lego spokesperson.
 
The transition will take place over two years from January 2016. It will involve 190 jobs in existing locations which will either be limited in size or closed down by 2018.
 
The affected employees have already been notified of the changes and told their positions will be moved to other locations over the coming two years.
 
“We will do our utmost to support the impacted employees in finding other jobs, hopefully in the LEGO Group, and if this is not possible, then in other companies,” said senior vice president, Simon Riis-Hansen, executive HR.
 
When handling a major restructuring like this, the key is to look at the matter from both a business and staff perspective, said Natalie Ashdown, CEO of the Open Door Coaching Group.
 
“We need to make tough decisions and we need the logical side of our thinking. At the same time, we need the other side of the coin that is focused on core values and people,” she told HRD.
 
“We need to encourage our leaders to not be afraid to speak up and ask and answer the hard questions like, ‘How will [our] employees feel?’”