Org and Workforce Design at NatWest

As organisations continue to evolve through transformation, restructuring, cost pressures, and changing workforce expectations, Organisation Design plays an increasingly important role in shaping how companies operate, grow, and reward talent effectively.

In this session, Allison McMillan, Lead Organisation Design Consultant at Nat West, will share practical experiences and perspectives from her work within the UK Financial Services sector.

Alison has over a decade of experience in Human Resources and Organisation Design and has worked with organisations including NatWest and the UK Department for Work and Pensions. She is passionate about helping organisations use OD as a driver for meaningful and sustainable change.

During the meeting, we will explore topics such as:
• How Organisation Design influences workforce structures and decision-making
• The relationship between OD, job architecture, and Total Rewards
• Supporting leaders through organisational change and transformation
• Practical lessons learned from large organisational environments

While rooted in Financial Services, the discussion will be highly relevant for HR and Reward professionals across industries who are involved in transformation, workforce planning, organisational effectiveness, or change management.

Effective organisation design starts with strategy, not structure. The session highlighted that leaders should first clarify business outcomes, required work, capabilities, accountabilities, and operating-model needs before making structural choices. Organisation charts should be treated as the result of design thinking, not the starting point

The discussion also emphasized that organisation design, workforce planning, and total rewards are increasingly interconnected. Clear roles, future capabilities, AI-enabled work, career pathways, and reward frameworks need to be considered together so organizations can evolve sustainably rather than simply restructure.

• Start with strategy, not boxes
  Strong organisation design begins with strategic objectives, desired outcomes, work, and capabilities. Moving reporting lines without understanding the underlying work risks creating activity without real effectiveness.
• Design work for the future, not only for today
  Future capabilities, AI, automation, digital operating models, and evolving skills should be built into design decisions. The session reinforced that AI often changes tasks and responsibilities rather than simply eliminating roles.
• Connect organisation design with total rewards
  Role clarity, accountabilities, job evaluation, incentives, career development, and retention are directly shaped by how work is organized. Reward frameworks should therefore evolve alongside organisation design choices.
• Use regulation and governance as guardrails
  In complex environments, compliance requirements should guide and constrain design choices without becoming the sole driver of the operating model. Effective design balances business value, governance, and regulatory accountability.
• Treat organisation design as continuous evolution
  Markets, technology, regulation, and workforce expectations keep changing. Organisation design should therefore be an ongoing management discipline rather than a one-time restructuring exercise.

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