Posted on: 15/04/2026

Videos Thought Leadership

In this article, Graham Bradley, (MCIPD), explores what it takes for resourcing leaders to keep services stable and capability growing through Local Government Reorganisation. LGR is a public, time bound workforce transition, often under financial constraint and rising demand. This paper distils ten resourcing considerations to help leaders balance internal mobility and targeted recruitment, align to programme dependencies, and manage risk as the new authority takes shape.

By Graham Bradley MCIPD, Senior Consultant - Resourcing, at West Midlands Employers

LGR is a public, time bound workforce transition, often delivered under financial constraint and rising demand. This paper distils ten resourcing considerations to help leaders balance internal mobility and targeted recruitment, align to programme dependencies, and manage risk as the new authority takes shape.

It requires resourcing leaders to balance internal mobility with targeted recruitment, stay aligned to programme dependencies, and actively manage risk as the new authority takes shape. But are current resourcing approaches built to handle both stability and transformation at the same time?

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) brings one of the most complex workforce challenges any authority will face. Structures evolve, services merge, cultures collide, and expectations rise, all while maintaining continuity for residents.

For resourcing leaders, the task is broader than recruitment alone: it spans workforce planning, deployment, controls, capability, and ensuring critical roles are in place at the right time. These ten considerations set out what matters most in practice.

Workforce Planning & Transition Successful reorganisations start with clarity.

Councils must map the future operating model early, identifying which functions will grow, shift or consolidate. Roles will inevitably change, so job descriptions must reflect new priorities. Alongside this, a full skills assessment can highlight capability gaps, often in digital, change management, commissioning and commercial skills.

A robust internal mobility approach (including redeployment/slotting where applicable) and talent-matching is vital, especially where employment protections and transfer arrangements apply (which may include TUPE principles, depending on circumstances) and local policies are in place.

Legal, Policy & Governance Requirements

LGR brings complex legal frameworks and local policy decisions that shape workforce planning.Agree early what sits at council, programme and service levels, for example: resourcing controls, approval routes, delegation, and decision criteria. Many programmes implement vacancy panels to maintain consistency, affordability and pace. Resourcing leaders also need a clear approach to aligning structures, managing interim arrangements, and navigating differing pay grades, terms and conditions, and job evaluation approaches across legacy organisations.

Change Management & Employee Engagement

Uncertainty drives turnover, and LGR can amplify this. Clear, consistent communication helps maintain morale and retention. Visible leadership is equally important, especially when attracting external talent. Authorities often benefit from structured retention strategies, such as development pathways, secondments, or temporary retention payments for business critical roles where policy allows and with clear governance/criteria.

Resourcing & Attraction Strategy

Demand spikes quickly during LGR. Prioritising critical roles is key, especially transformation, programme management, digital, finance and statutory services. Attraction messaging should position the new authority as a unique opportunity to help shape something from the ground up. Simplified and well governed processes, from requisition to offer, can significantly improve candidate and hiring-manager experience during periods of organisational complexity.

Diversity, Inclusion & Community Representation

When merging councils, the demographics of the new geography matter. Resourcing must support a truly inclusive and representative workforce, and recruitment is a key lever within that. This is a chance to strengthen equality commitments and ensure attraction and selection practices reflect the communities being brought together.

Resourcing Capacity & Delivery

Resourcing functions are likely to be stretched during LGR and sometimes impacted themselves. Planning internal capacity becomes essential. External partners such as executive search firms, interim specialists or RPO providers can help plug gaps, especially for specialist or high volume demands. Technology integration is another challenge; multiple ATS systems may need interim integration or parallel running with clear processes.

Financial Constraints & Value for Money

Budget constraints drive decision making during reorganisation. Resourcing spend (including recruitment, search, interim and onboarding costs) must align with the broader financial case for LGR. Making better use of internal pipelines, internal mobility, and succession planning can reduce external costs. Interim resource is often valuable for continuity but must be carefully justified.

Organisational Culture & Identity

A new authority means a new identity, and resourcing plays a central role in shaping it, through the people you attract, appoint and develop. Employer branding, values and leadership messaging should reflect the culture being built. A unified onboarding approach also helps embed consistency and belonging across the newly merged workforce.

Risk Management Service continuity is critical.

Critical front-line services (e.g., adult social care, children’s services/safeguarding, homelessness, waste collection) must remain fully resourced during the transition period. Poor or inconsistent resourcing processes, including recruitment and internal movement, can attract public criticism, making reputation management a key consideration. Monitoring turnover patterns helps identify and address emerging risks early.

Timelines & Programme Dependencies

Resourcing must align tightly with the wider programme plan, including shadow authority formation, executive appointments, structural redesign and the go live date. Getting the sequencing right ensures people are in place at the right time, through recruitment, internal mobility, interim cover and effective onboarding, to maintain momentum.

Local Government Reorganisation is challenging, but it’s also an opportunity. An opportunity to redesign services, strengthen leadership, modernise skills, and build a unified organisational culture from day one. With the right resourcing strategy, covering workforce planning, internal mobility, targeted recruitment and strong onboarding, councils can ensure the new authority launches with the capability and confidence it needs to succeed.

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