Often synonymous with growth, the need to recruit is, in principle, good news. But then comes the real challenge: finding the right profiles without draining financial resources, setting up the first administrative processes, motivating the team, and delegating—without losing control. The starter then becomes an HR manager faced with a number of challenges.
The first of these is to attract profiles that are truly aligned with the company's needs and philosophy. This means clearly identifying the skills needed to grow the business. But it also requires the ability to make yourself desirable in the eyes of potential candidates by making the most of your assets. ‘You have to be able to juggle a sufficiently attractive salary package with expectations in terms of flexibility and mobility. But if they can communicate their passion for their project or technology, a starter can have an extra advantage over a large company’, explains Amélie Alleman, founder of the Betuned recruitment platform.
Integrating them...
Previously somewhat neglected, the Covid confinement has highlighted the importance of integration. Many of the employees recruited at that time left their company very quickly, having only been able to interact with it remotely. Today, a successful onboarding programme - introduction to teams, training in tools, mentoring by a colleague, systematic dialogue during the first few weeks, etc. - is at the top of every HR agenda.
Beware, however, that successful integration also involves raising everyone's awareness. ‘SMEs often rush into recruitment, sometimes recruiting several people at once, without any real strategy. Except that when the team isn't ready to welcome them, it often ends up being a nightmare’, points out Margot Féard, founder of Inspirite, a coaching platform for SMEs and start-ups.
…and retaining them
Small is beautiful? Well, not exactly. For some years now, retaining and motivating staff has been just as difficult in small companies as in large ones. For Margot Féard, it's even the biggest challenge. ‘Employees are looking for more meaning, recognition and personal development. But these aspects are lacking in highly operational environments where the urgency of the day-to-day takes over. For the sake of immediate efficiency, training is often reduced to hard skills, while soft skills, although essential, are all too often sidelined’, she observes. That's why it's a good idea to put in place a proper training plan right from the first recruitments, to strengthen the team's commitment, collaboration and adaptability - all crucial levers for growth.
But in small companies where closeness is the norm, is it necessarily essential to systematise HR meetings and evaluations? For the two experts, the answer is yes: ‘Even if they are informal at the outset, they are essential for giving feedback, setting objectives and discussing career development’, says Margot Féard.
‘It's not because we're a small company that we see each other all the time, for example between solution developers in the office and sales people or installers in the field. In many companies, people only come into the office once or twice a week. So it's all the more important to set aside time to discuss personal development issues, sort out any problems and check that we're still in line. And even more so with introverted personalities’, agrees Amélie Alleman, who has also just set up Jobloom, a digital employer branding service.
The levers of a strong corporate culture
Beyond their individual dimension, can these exchanges serve as a foundation for what will later become a corporate culture? Margot Féard is convinced of this. ‘I'm often asked the question of how to develop a strong culture with few resources’, she says. To achieve this, the expert identifies several very practical and accessible levers.
Firstly, transparent communication. Even in a small team, it is crucial to keep employees regularly informed about the company's vision, objectives and decisions. ‘This can be done via a weekly team update or a simple internal newsletter. An employee who understands where the company is going naturally becomes an ambassador’, she stresses.
Next, a spirit of co-construction. Involving the team by giving them a say and asking for their opinions gives everyone the feeling of having a real impact on the company project.
Finally, the use of feedback and recognition should not be limited to formalised moments. When these exchanges are both constructive and benevolent, they encourage continuous improvement and show that you are being listened to. ‘Valuing successes, however small, with a ‘thank you’, a mention in a meeting or a simple gesture—like a team lunch—really contributes to commitment’, insists Margot Féard, reminding us that a culture of spontaneous exchange enables problems to be dealt with quickly, before they escalate.
Avoiding time-consuming administration
Finally, expanding a team also means formalising a series of agreements and processes to avoid errors and sanctions. In addition to the need for rigorous employment contracts, including benefits and specific clauses such as confidentiality and non-competition, the entrepreneur will be faced with new obligations as soon as he or she starts work, in terms of payroll and all the legal formalities.
Starting with social security declarations and wage calculations. To do this, they will be able to call on the services of an approved social secretariat, of which there is no shortage in our country. The challenge? To prevent time-consuming administrative management from causing aspiring HR managers to forget the human element—by far the most important—of their job. ‘Because HRM is first and foremost a question of openness and empathy,’ concludes Amélie Alleman.