Three operations questions to ask before entering a partnership

1. How does this partnership affect hiring?

Last week, Apple and PayPal announced a partnership through which PayPal and Venmo account users can use Apple’s Tap to Pay technology to pay on their iPhones. These account holders will also be able to link their PayPal and Venmo debit cards to Apple Wallet next year. 

The partnership, however, may bring about major hiring changes at PayPal, especially in payments-related departments. In essence outsourcing payments tech development to Apple, PayPal is able to cut costs by needing fewer in-house staff working on a core customer use case. Through its partnership with a competitor, PayPal can both shrink its footprint and pivot hiring and financial resources to other core product needs. 

2. Will the regulator approve it?

This question applies especially to HR and Operations teams at larger enterprises, where tie-ups with other major players can elicit regulatory scrutiny. Amazon’s partnerships with banks and lenders, for example, can invite regulatory intervention and antitrust concern. While HR and Ops teams should gear up for potential partnerships once they’re announced, larger teams should also develop robust fallback plans in case compliance issues cause a deal to fall through. 

3. Do missions and cultures align?

Perhaps most importantly, HR and Ops teams have to prepare for the ways partner companies’ ethos and structure may diverge from their own. From differing KPIs, to points of contact, to forms of hierarchy, partnerships often depend upon both sides of a deal agreeing to mutual languages, organizational priorities, and corporate practices. In particular, bank-fintech partnerships often include more old-school incumbents teaming up with scrappier challengers, which both makes for innovative products as well as potential cultural headaches.

Execs and deal brokers may be in alignment when signing on the dotted line and engaging in high-level thinking, but it’s ultimately up to HR and Operations teams to execute a partnership that is successful for internal and external stakeholders alike.