Designing for Change: A modern operating model for HR
This InsideHR session looked at how HR, finance and IT can design an operating model that copes with frequent organisational change, from acquisitions and restructures to AI. Host James Marsh of HRreview was joined by Archie Veerabahu, Senior Product Marketing Manager at HiBob.
Archie Veerabahu, Senior Product Marketing Manager, HiBob. Hosted by James Marsh, HRreview.
Key takeaways
Plan for change as business as usual, not a one-off
In a HiBob survey of 1,700 HR, IT and finance leaders in early 2026, 93% had been through at least one major change and 76% more than one. Veerabahu counted a change as major if it affected what everyone in the organisation does or how they work. Veerabahu also cited Deloitte data putting the average employee at around ten planned changes a year.
Agree the workforce numbers with finance and IT before the change starts
Veerabahu said mismatched data, such as finance and HR holding different headcounts after an acquisition, was the number one issue HR leaders raised in HiBob's research. Without one agreed set of figures, the number used is simply whoever has time to reconcile it.
Watch for change debt
Each acquisition, restructure or expansion tends to leave a workaround behind. Veerabahu said that over a year these stack into an unstable foundation, and the cost of the debt grows the longer it is left.
Keep a stable core and let the edges flex
Veerabahu's model holds organisational goals, shared data and the rules everyone follows steady, while workflows, teams and structure can change. Decide which parts are non-negotiable and say so, so people know where they have room to adapt.
Run each change like a 90-day project, and draw the org chart last
Veerabahu's steps are to agree the outcome and what must be true in 90 days, name an owner for each decision, then identify where local flexibility is allowed. Work through goals, data, rules, workflows and teams first, and only then design the structure.
Measure a baseline before you try to prove AI productivity gains
Asked how HR can show the gains from AI, Veerabahu said you cannot measure improvement if the starting point was never measured. Build a trusted picture of teams, goals, roles and skills first. Veerabahu said organisations adopting AI most often revisit performance management first, because employees want goals and feedback that keep pace with changing roles.
The worked example of applying the six design questions to an acquisition, and the Q&A on whether the pace of change becomes counterproductive.
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