"A company's management is only interesting if it values the well-being of its teams as a performance gas pedal" - The case of Inside

‍HelloEmilie, hello Denis! Could you introduce Inside to our readers, in a few words?

Emilie: Of course! Inside is a provider of solutions, services and value to companies and CIOs for agile digital transformation. Today, we are proud to employ 400 people in Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse and Pau. We have 4 main areas of expertise: ops (Cloud and infrastructure), digital (DevOps, Development, Craftsmanship), IT consulting and support, and shared services (expertise and technical support). We respond to our customers' needs in terms of both committed services and technical assistance.

How did the project come about?

Denis: The Inside story began just over ten years ago. My partner Jérôme and I were working for a large group at the time. What struck us was the lack of attention paid to the human aspect. Interaction was limited, and people were treated as mere pawns. This didn't sit well with us. We wanted to create a company focused on people and authenticity. A good example of this philosophy is our website. Unlike the clichés of ESNs that use models or overly professional images, at Inside you'll find real photos of our employees, our "Insiders". This reflects our transparency, accessibility and community spirit. This approach, based on listening, caring and consistency, was quite innovative at the time. We're delighted to see these values spreading throughout the industry today.

I imagine that this DNA is still part of what you want to instill in Inside's employees. What would you say to a candidate to make them want to join you?

Denis: Absolutely, this DNA is at the heart of our company. We're certainly an ESN, and this is not a new business, but what sets us apart is our approach. Instead of simply offering services, we focus on creating solutions and value, both for our customers and for Insiders.

Emilie: I agree. What's special about Inside is not so much what we do, but how we do it. For example, a systems engineer with us has the same technical skills as with our competitors. What changes is our interaction with customers, our approach to their challenges, and the way we bring value to them. And the way we work with each Insider, taking into account his or her skills, career aspirations and desire to invest in the company. At Inside, values such as listening, transparency and benevolence are not just words; they are reflected in our daily actions. That's why we don't focus on the number of employees, but on preserving these fundamental values.

What are the main pillars of Inside's philosophy?

Emilie: Our pillars are clear: people, efficiency and expertise. We value listening and the contribution of each individual. In a recent internal survey, many of our employees appreciated the fact that they were listened to, and that they were able to take their projects beyond their job and/or customer assignment. Everyone can contribute to making Inside the company they want to work for.

Efficiency is also crucial, as it enables us to aim for a higher level of quality and customer satisfaction, while improving work-life balance.

Finally, expertise is an essential pillar in our constantly evolving field. At Inside, we encourage everyone to develop and evolve in their area of expertise.

Denis: The most important aspect for us is happiness. Our aim is to maximize well-being in and around Inside.

In fact, a fairly common view in the world of entrepreneurship is that a business project is financial, and that customer and employee satisfaction are the means to this end.

At Inside, the project, the challenge, the objective, is happiness, and financial results are at the service of this. It's not a nuance, it's structuring!

Denis, can you tell us about your recruitment and onboarding process?

Denis: Of course, our recruitment process is a collegial one involving several players: the HR team, sales, our technical experts and management. We make sure that candidates share our values, and that they have the soft and technical skills required to build a great story with Inside. As for onboarding, Emilie played a key role in its implementation. We devote a lot of time and attention to it. The process involves various functions such as HR, sales, operations and management. We have a system of referents by customer and business area, as well as teams organized into squads and technical communities. This creates a welcome and support system, comparable to the many layers of an onion, offering new arrivals access to various groups and interactions, not only for their integration but throughout their career with us.

And in concrete terms?

Emilie: Our recruitment process mainly consists of four parts: a discussion with the HR team focusing on values and fit with the company's project, a discussion with sales to assess the compatibility of the candidate's skills with our sales positioning strategy, a technical exchange to assess skills and potential for progress, and finally a meeting with management to validate all this. These exchanges can take place in a single meeting or in several, depending on requirements. We take care to maintain a certain agility and flexibility in this process, aware that opportunism and spontaneity are also key elements in our success.

Read an Insider's report on his onboarding experience.

Do you have any special news to share? What professions are you currently recruiting for?

Denis: Yes, there's a lot of exciting news. Our vision for 2025 is to position ourselves on increasingly national projects and to act as a global player. With telecommuting and technological developments, geographical barriers are disappearing. We want to strengthen our centers of expertise to offer solutions throughout the country, regardless of geographical constraints.

In terms of recruitment, we're looking for a wide range of skills. In digital, we're looking for lead developers, scrum masters, product owners, coaches and craft experts. In infrastructure, we're looking for systems0 engineers, DevOps specialists, production engineers and cloud architects. And on the project side, we're also looking for project managers, project directors and PMOs. Needs are constantly evolving, with a focus on specific technologies such as Java or DevOps, depending on the projects in hand.

Discover all Inside job offers.

Last question: why should we NOT join you?

Denis: The main reason for not joining Inside was the lack of alignment with our values. We had an experience with a talented salesman who, unfortunately, didn't share our vision. For him, the main objective of a company was to generate profits, whereas for us, although profitability is important, the human dimension comes first. At Inside, we're not just motivated by financial gain. Jérôme and I aren't interested in running a company that doesn't value the well-being of its employees.

We understand and respect that everyone has their own vision of an ideal company. There are many digital service companies, each with their own focus. Some may share our vision, others may not. Our values are not just a marketing ploy; they are the core of our identity. If someone doesn't see themselves in these values, it's best that they don't join us, as this could lead to dissatisfaction on both sides!

Many thanks to both of you for this moment!