All change at No.10 | The hidden HR challenges behind Andy Burnham's Cabinet rebuild

Andy Burnham’s Cabinet appointments may have been announced within hours of him becoming Prime Minister this week, but building a functioning leadership team will take considerably longer.

From the outside, the changes made at the heart of the government can look deceptively simple: one minister leaves and another takes their place. Behind every appointment, however, sits a daunting people-management exercise involving exits, onboarding, handovers, responsibilities and relationships.

To explore what such a dramatic leadership overhaul means from a people perspective, HR Grapevine reached out to business leaders, executive coaches and organisational advisers. Their responses suggest Burnham’s most difficult task is not deciding who sits around the Cabinet table, but establishing the trust, stability and shared purpose needed for them to work effectively.

Dmitry Zaytsev, Founder and CEO of Dandelion Civilization, believes the greatest immediate risk is losing the institutional knowledge held by outgoing leaders.