The Challenge

Imagine working for a small company where everyone knows each other’s name then suddenly finding yourself part of a global organization with thousands of employees spread across multiple time zones. This shift from a smaller operation can be overwhelming, with new challenges in collaboration, communication, and building a sense of belonging.

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This was the reality for The Access Group, which provides business management software to more than 100,000 organizations globally. With over 8,000 employees worldwide, the company’s workforce spans offices in the UK, Europe,USA, and Asia-Pacific, along with operations centers in Romania and Malaysia.

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The Access Group completes many acquisitions each year, ranging from smaller start ups to larger organizations of up to 400 people. The company works hard to give acquired employees an excellent integration experience. But facedwith a new culture and ways of working, these colleagues needed help to find their feet and make connections in their first few weeks and months.

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Although The Access Group had a mentorship, or “buddy,” program to support new hires, it relied on manual processes for matching employees that were difficult to scale. The M&A team quickly realized they needed an efficient and impactful solution to help new team members feel informed, engaged, equipped, and most importantly, connected. They partnered with Together Software to transform the existing buddy program—an initiative used by the M&A team designed to:

• Make transitions smoother for employees who join through acquisition
• Strengthen connections and relationship-building
• Uphold the company’s commitment to an inclusive culture