HR Operations

Organizational restructuring

As an organizational leader, you may find it necessary to change how your unit operates to accommodate changing unit priorities, initiate new programs, enhance organizational effectiveness, and/or address budget reductions.

A successful reorganization requires preparation and planning that addresses programmatic needs, support services required to advance organizational goals, and effective workforce planning and communication.

Staffing considerations—involve Human Resources

We operate in a complex employment, statutory, regulatory, and procedural environment. It is critical that you involve UW Human Resources when you are planning changes to your organizational structure that may result in adding new positions, eliminating or reducing existing positions, significantly changing work assignment, and/or modifying reporting relationships for current employees.

Such changes can result in the need to:

Your Human Resources consultant will review the factors affecting your need for reorganization, including your reorganization plan, if you have developed one. Your HR consultant will also review before-and-after organizational charts and proposed job descriptions for new positions, if you have already prepared them. Your HR consultant will assess the scope of the reorganization and bring in the necessary HR partners to help you understand impact on staffing, procedural requirements, implementation costs, and communication requirements.

Labor relations considerations

Reorganizations that affect classified staff covered by a labor contract often raise concerns about:

  • “skimming,” the practice of shifting work away from a bargaining unit
  • the obligation to bargain over issues associated with changes to the wages, hours and working conditions of employees in your organization

Your HR consultant will help you identify, understand, and plan for potential labor relations issues that may arise.

Change management considerations

Managing change effectively is no easy task. Take advantage of UW expertise by contacting Professional & Organizational Development (POD). POD can connect you with an organizational development or change management consultant to provide a framework for change, including:

  1. Setting the Tone – Creating the climate for the change and determining what is changing.
  2. Communication – Preparing and delivering a single message and vision for change.
  3. Recognizing and Rewarding Positive Behavior – Implementing and sustaining the change, enabling action, and celebrating short-term wins.

Communications considerations

Ensuring that employees, clients, and partners know what is happening, why it is happening, and how it affects them is critical to successful organizational change. The Layoff & Reduction Communications Planning web pages can help you develop your communications plan.