During a divestiture, HR’s primary responsibility is to protect and maximize deal value by ensuring operational continuity and workforce stability. The two most critical priorities are retaining and transferring critical talent (C) and managing employee uncertainty (E).

Critical talent—including leaders, technical experts, and employees with institutional knowledge—represents a significant portion of the value being transferred. Failure to retain these individuals can reduce the attractiveness of the deal, disrupt operations, and undermine post-transaction integration. HR must identify key roles early, implement retention strategies, and ensure seamless talent transfer.

At the same time, employee uncertainty is a major risk during divestitures. Lack of clear communication often leads to disengagement, productivity loss, and voluntary turnover. Managing uncertainty through timely, transparent communication helps stabilize the workforce and maintain performance during the transition period.

While engagement improvement (A) and leadership coaching (B) may be beneficial, they are secondary priorities. Feedback focus groups (D) may provide insight but do not directly protect transaction value. SPHR exam content stresses that HR’s role in transactions is risk mitigation and value preservation, not program enhancement.

References :

HRCI SPHR Exam Content Outline — Functional Area: Leadership and Strategy (organizational change; mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures).

HRCI SPHR Study Guide — HR priorities during divestitures and workforce transitions.

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