A Strategic Guide to Organization Restructuring, Part 1

Author: Ada Tai, MBA, CPHR, SHRM-SCP


I’ve been watching the pace of corporate restructuring accelerate this year, and it’s striking how no sector seems immune. ConocoPhillips is reducing its global workforce by a quarter. Intel is preparing to slash 24,000 jobs in one of the largest shake-ups in its history. Salesforce is eliminating 4,000 positions as it doubles down on its AI strategy. Paramount Skydance, fresh off its blockbuster merger, is shedding up to 3,000 roles; while Hudson’s Bay, a retailer that’s been part of Canada’s identity for more than 350 years, is closing its doors and letting go of more than 8,300 employees. Add to that layoffs at Starbucks, Amazon, PwC, Burberry and even Recruit Holdings, the parent company of Indeed and Glassdoor1, and the picture becomes clear: we’re in the middle of a global restructuring storm, where technology, cost pressures, and shifting markets are re-writing the rules of work.

 

In my recent conversations with business leaders, one theme keeps surfacing: many are contemplating a restructuring of their own. However, they’re not just looking to cut costs; they’re seeking a clear strategy. That’s what this guide is about: how to prepare for restructuring with purpose, clarity, and humanity.


Step One: Define the "Why"

Restructuring is one of the most complex decisions a company can make. Done poorly, it can destabilize operations and damage culture. Done well, it can reset the business for future success. The starting point is always the “why.” What problems are you solving?


Common drivers include:

  • Financial distress - Reducing costs and/or improving profit margin to stabilize the business
  • Market changes - Pivoting toward new products, services, or geographical territories
  • Technology shifts - Re-organizing to adopt AI, automation, or other innovations
  • Efficiency and competitiveness: Streamline structures or flatten hierarchies


The objectives must be specific, measurable, and aligned with the company's long-term vision. This "why" is the foundation for the entire plan and is essential for communicating with stakeholders.


Step Two: Define the “What”

Once the purpose is clear, organizations can proceed to define the scope. Which functions are absolutely critical to preserve? And which areas could be restructured, consolidated, or phased out?


This stage is about mapping priorities. In my work with clients, I often find that once they clarify their non-negotiables, the rest of the plan comes into focus much more easily.


Step Three: Plan the “How”

Too often, companies jump straight to layoffs, but effective restructuring requires scenario planning. Before jumping to layoffs, I’d advise businesses test different options to see which will lead to the best results for their company. This might include a hiring or salary freeze, reduced hours, offering voluntary exits, retraining employees, or re-deploying talent to new roles. Each option carries different financial, operational, and cultural impacts. Running these scenarios before making cuts prevents costly missteps.



Equally important: restructuring can’t be run by a single department in isolation. Organizations need a cross-functional team of leaders, supported where needed by external advisors who bring objectivity and specialized expertise.


Step Four: Don’t forget about the impact on people

Restructuring doesn't end after the final announcement. In fact, what happens next often determines long-term success.


  • For departing employees: Outplacement support protects your brand and helps those affected move forward.
  • For remaining employees: Survivor's guilt, anxiety, and low morale are real risks. Leaders need to clarify roles, rebuild trust, and provide a compelling vision for the future.
  • For managers: Equip them with training on how to lead through uncertainty and engage in difficult, yet empathetic, conversations.


Restructuring is not just a financial event; it’s an emotional one as well. I explored this in depth in my recent blog, “Layoffs Are Inevitable, Abandoning People Isn’t”, where I shared strategies for minimizing the impact on employees and maintaining trust through change. Organizations that recognize this recover faster and retain stronger teams.


Final Thoughts

Restructuring is never just a financial exercise, it’s about re-designing the future of your business. The choices you make from clarifying the “why” to supporting your people will shape not just your balance sheet, but your culture and competitiveness for years to come. This blog has focused on the critical steps to prepare for a restructuring. In my next post, I will discuss the crucial steps in the execution phase. Stay tuned!

 

If your organization is considering restructuring, now is the time to prepare. Our team collaborates closely with leaders to bring structure, objectivity, and empathy to the process. Let’s talk about how we can help you navigate change with confidence.


Reference:

1Intellizence. (2025). Major companies that announced mass layoffs. https://intellizence.com/insights/layoff-downsizing/major-companies-that-announced-mass-layoffs/

I see. I hear. I experience. is a column created by and written by Ada Tai, a chartered member of CPHR Alberta. The column is written in a blog format where Ada and invited co-authors will present their own experiences and interpretations of the world of human resources and its impact on business management. This and the subsequent posts are copyrighted materials by the author(s) and only reflect their personal views, not CPHR Alberta’s.


Author bio: With an MBA Degree, a CPHR, and an SHRM-SCP designation, Ada Tai has been working as an HR professional in a variety of industries for close to 20 years. Through her consulting firm, Ada and the team provide a variety of management consulting services. Ada’s public speaking skills have enabled her to be regularly invited to speak about HR, people management, and career-related topics throughout the province. She is also a well-respected Instructor at local universities.

 

Contact information:

●     Website: https://www.badab101.com/

●     Blogs: https://www.badab101.com/blog

●     LinkedIn: adatai or BadaB-Consulting-Inc

●     Facebook: @badabconsulting

●     YouTube: BadaB Consulting Inc.

 

BadaB Consulting Inc. has been a trusted partner in HR and business transformation since 2011. We provide practical, people-first solutions in strategic HR planning, organizational audits, restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, training, recruitment, policy development, outplacement, and beyond.

Our team also helps organizations prepare for the future with technology strategies that align infrastructure, talent, and long-term goals.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.



What HR Leaders Are Telling Us Their Organizations Need Right Now

By Marina Perkovic • July 22, 2026
At the CPHR Alberta Conference, we asked HR leaders one question: What leadership capability matters most for the future of your organization? Leaders picked up a star and placed it beside their answer. By the end of the conference, HR leaders cast 131 votes across 16 capabilities. Three stood out, with two tied for first place. Here is what they told us. What the Data Showed The capabilities on the board came from Bright Wire's PLUS Leadership Framework, a proprietary model built to define what effective leadership looks like across every level of an organization and is organized across four dimensions: Courageous Coach-Like Disciplined for Results and Relational The results below reflect the capabilities HR professionals believe matter most. 

The Business Case for Sleep: What HR Professionals Need to Know

By Jessica Jaithoo • July 9, 2026
Author: Robin Daultani Mental health support. Fitness benefits. Stress management resources. Workplace wellness programs have evolved significantly over the past decade. Yet one foundational pillar of employee health and performance remains conspicuously absent from most wellness strategies: sleep. The cost of this gap is staggering. A landmark RAND Corporation study¹ found that insufficient sleep costs the Canadian economy up to $21.4 billion annually, through a combination of absenteeism and reduced productivity. A Gallup study² reinforced this finding, showing that poor sleepers report more than double the rate of unplanned absences compared to other workers. And a 2026 Wellhub study³ found that 83% of employees identify poor sleep as a contributing factor to burnout, a figure that demands attention when nearly nine in ten employees report burnout symptoms annually. Consider what this looks like in practice. A team member who slept poorly scrolls through emails at 7am already feeling behind. By mid-morning, a decision that should take minutes stretches into a 45-minute deliberation. After lunch, focus drops sharply, not because of the workload, but because the brain is running on insufficient rest. By 3pm, a second coffee masks the fatigue but does nothing for the impaired judgment underneath. Research shows that after 17 hours of continuous wakefulness, the equivalent of a normal waking day ending at 11pm, cognitive impairment matches that of someone who is legally intoxicated⁴. This is not an unusual day. For many employees, this is every day. Sleep rarely appears on the wellness agenda, leaving a significant and measurable performance gap unaddressed. The reason is partly cultural. Sleep is still widely perceived as a personal responsibility. But the research suggests otherwise: sleep is not a personal indulgence. It is a performance lever that affects every metric HR professionals are already tracking: productivity, absenteeism, burnout, and retention. The same RAND study¹ that quantified the cost of insufficient sleep also found the flipside: if Canadians who sleep under six hours started sleeping just one hour more per night, it could add $12 billion to the national economy. The returns are not theoretical. They are measurable, achievable, and waiting to be captured. The good news is that addressing sleep does not require a major overhaul of existing wellness programs. Organizations can start by simply putting sleep on the wellness agenda. Most workplace wellness surveys ask about stress, mental health, and physical activity. Adding questions about sleep quality or duration to existing wellness assessments can provide baseline data to identify and measure the scope of the issue within their workforce. Leaders and managers who openly prioritize rest and recovery give permission for the rest of the organization to do the same. Small cultural shifts like discouraging late-night emails or respecting boundaries around after-hours communication can quietly improve sleep conditions across an entire team. None of these require a budget. They require intentional inclusion. Now consider what becomes possible. A team member, after two weeks of consistent, quality sleep, arrives at work already focused. The mid-morning decision is made in minutes. The afternoon dip is manageable, not debilitating. The second coffee becomes optional, not essential. Nothing else about their workload or responsibilities has changed. They show up more empathetic and more present for their customers, peers, and family. The only difference is how well they slept. The performance gap between these two versions of the same employee is not marginal. It is the difference between surviving and thriving. The question for HR professionals is no longer whether sleep affects organizational performance. The research has answered that definitively. The question is whether sleep has earned a place in their wellness strategy. And if not, what that gap is quietly costing their organization.

Future-Ready HR: A Recap of the CPHR Alberta 2026 Conference

By Jessica Jaithoo • June 25, 2026
Author: Rheya Patel , 2026 Social Media Committee Member Leading with Courage, Empathy, and Connection Over the past two days, people leaders and business professionals as well as members of our CPHR Alberta community gathered at the BMO Center in Calgary to explore the ever-evolving terrain of Human Resources, firmly reminding me just how incredibly interesting, as well as important our work is in daily organizational operations. Coming from an in-person perspective, the energy was incredible. As Co-Chair of this year’s Social Media Committee, I had the privilege of attending both days, capturing these moments and learning alongside all of you. The overarching theme of this year's conference was clear: while technology and processes are evolving, the future of HR is fundamentally asking us to be more human. Day 1: Adaptability and Breaking New Paths We kicked off Day 1 with a focus on Change Management. The first panel emphasized that in a world defined by constant shifts, HR must prioritize workforce planning and clear communication to remain resilient. One of the most unique panels on day 1 explored the world of Military Reservists led by three actively serving reservists. It was intriguing to learn about skills that can be transferred both "on and off the field"—such as leadership under pressure and community networking—and how undoubtedly invaluable they are to the professional world. Our panelists also touched on the vital importance of motivating and connecting with Canadian youth to build our future talent pipelines. Our closing panel was a powerful discussion on Leading the Future. The message was bold: do not wait for a path to be cleared for you. Courage is the Catalyst: Small ideas can spark massive change. Validation through Action: When you take the lead, others join the idea, creating the momentum needed to become a changemaker. A New Approach to Leadership: Instead of leading solely with data, processes, or solutions, the panel challenged us to lead with stories, questions, and silence. However, this was not the end. After all scheduled events, the day wrapped up with an HR Social in our exhibit hall. And though my duties were finished for the day, I took full advantage of the opportunity to meet with other HR professionals to continue to learn and grow. Receiving invaluable tips on starting off my own career as an emerging HR professional. Day 2: Culture, Integrity, and the AI Balance Day 2 shifted our focus toward the internal health of our organizations. I firmly believe that organizations should take care of the people within, just as they care about the people on the outside. We can think of it as how we take care of ourselves and each other. Empathy causes us to care deeply for others, but sometimes caring for ourselves can lose priority in our day to day lives, but our bodies are tuned in to making sure we don’t forget. Such as internal signals to let us know when we’re tired, our stomachs rumbling to indicate hunger. These internal signals can be a mini, personal version of an HR group, taking care of the internal needs while we take care of external needs. Starting bright and early, our opening keynote speaker addressed the difficult reality and complexities of toxic bosses. As HR professionals, it is our responsibility to ensure toxicity isn't "hidden in plain sight," to hold these bosses accountable, and to protect employees from potential retaliation when reporting harmful behavior. It is part of our role to reach the root of the issue and help to resolve it before the weeds grow out of control. Our first micro-session of the day dove into a matter that has become a topic of intense discussion as of recently. Our Aging Workforce. The speaker brought up insightful thoughts on mitigating the impacts, redesigning work environments to support employees at every life stage. By debunking the myth that older workers are "more expensive" and encouraging mentorship between generations, we create a more inclusive culture. The Role of Trust and Culture The second microsession of the day served as a great reminder to all those who attended the conference, that culture and trust are formed much earlier than we often assume. From the transparency of the hiring process to the clarity of defined roles, the employee experience begins the moment trust is established. And this can serve as a defining factor in a candidate’s decision when applying for roles as well as accepting offers. The "Ghost of AI" vs. Human Connection I had the pleasure of attending one of the three offered breakout sessions for day 2, and it touched on an increasingly more relevant concern emerging in the HR world and in the workforce in general. Artificial Intelligence. While AI is a powerful tool for managing vast amounts of data and streamlining applications, we must be wary of its "ghosts." The AI Limit: While AI can assist in conflict analysis, it is largely useless in resolving conflict if there is no genuine human connection. Three Smarts: To navigate conflict, we need a balance of book smarts, street smarts, and—most importantly—emotional smarts. Connection is the Cure: As we use AI more, we risk connecting with each other less. Conflict resolution requires building real bridges, not just analyzing data. With AI becoming much more prevalent in today’s workforce, being more reliable in terms of productivity and efficiency, it is missing the lifeblood of any organization. Being human. While AI has many uses and can easily adapt on the flick of a dime, it is us, the culture, being human, that makes a workplace come to life. Closing with Empathy To close out this years’ CPHR conference, our final keynote on transformative leadership was led by the Honourable, Beverley McLachlin, the first female and longest-serving Chief Justice. While short, it had to be the most powerful session I got to attend over the two day conference. The lesson was simple, yet profound: Leading with integrity and empathy means finding the best in your people and highlighting their unique strengths to succeed as a unified team. And I believe this is what HR is about. Working with people that bring out the best in each other to form strength and unity in the workforce. Looking Ahead to 2027 I hope everyone learned something invaluable that changes the way they work. That we all remember, in the end, the future isn't just about efficiency; it's about courage, flexibility, and a deep commitment to the people we serve. It was a privilege to be part of capturing insights from the Conference with the Social Media Committee. You’ll soon have the opportunity to revisit select sessions when our On Demand offering launches. Stay tuned this fall for ticket sales for the CPHR Alberta 2027 Conference, happening in Edmonton on June 9th and 10th. We can’t wait to welcome you back!
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