Hello Laura! Could you tell us a bit about the history of HarfangLab?
Of course Nicolas! HarfangLab was born in 2018, founded by four co-founders. The latter, from naval backgrounds, have also had the opportunity to work within ANSI and the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. Our main mission at HarfangLab is to provide high-performance software to effectively protect organizations against cyper-attacks. To achieve this, we have developed what is known as an EDR, which is a kind of next-generation antivirus. Its full name is "Endpoint Detection and Response". This tool is designed to detect and neutralize sophisticated attacks, whether on our customers' servers or workstations. By the way, our customers are varied, ranging from public to private companies. What's interesting is that most of the EDRs available before ours were either American or Israeli. However, in terms of data protection, these were not always suitable for French companies, particularly those in the public sector. It was this shortcoming that motivated us to create a 100% French product.
If you had to convince a candidate to join you, what would you say?
That's an excellent question! For my part, I only joined a week ago, so I'll share with you the reasons that prompted me to join the team. First of all, I find the field of cybersecurity fascinating. What's great about HarfangLab is that even if you start out with no specific knowledge in this sector, as long as you're motivated, you have every chance to learn and develop. The team has all the necessary resources and everyone is ready to help you progress. What also attracted me was the opportunity to make a real impact. HarfangLab is looking for autonomous people who can take the initiative, and this proactivity is highly valued within the company. Finally, I'd like to mention the prospects for career development. The company is booming: there were 40 of us at the beginning of the year, and today there are 80. And that's not all, because we have expansion plans, not only in France, but also internationally, with ambitions in Germany and the Benelux countries.
So, speaking of recruitment, do you have any feedback or anecdotes about events or methodologies that have contributed to HarfangLab's progress?
I can tell you about a previous experience that I think could apply here. I've always believed that we learn a lot from our mistakes. At a previous company I worked for, I was responsible for building up a team in Germany, which is what I'm going to do at HarfangLab too. We had arrived a little too confident and underestimated the complexity of recruiting the first employees in a new country, especially for a French start-up unknown in Germany. We had to completely rethink our approach, taking into account cultural differences. For example, we quickly realized that in Germany, it's frowned upon to ask a candidate's current salary. What's more, our messages on LinkedIn or Xing received better feedback when they were written in German. We also realized the importance of networking: in Germany, you seem to need a certain amount of trust, or a recommendation, to join a company. We had to work hard on this aspect, in particular by showing the co-founders' commitment to development in Germany, ideally by having a local representative, and by having premises available to facilitate recruitment.
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What does a "Made in Harfanglab" recruitment process look like?
Typically, we start with an initial interview to get to know the candidate, validate practical information and assess cultural suitability. Next, we systematically propose a case study or technical test that places the candidate in a real-life situation, reflecting what he or she will be doing on a daily basis at HarfangLab. This also enables them to project themselves into their future role. Whatever the outcome of this stage, an interview with the Hiring Manager is organized to provide feedback to the candidate. This is followed by a team-building interview with other team members. Finally, we administer a test called ECHO, which assesses the candidate's professional personality and sources of motivation. This helps us to better understand how to work with him/her.
As for onboarding, we have a well-established process. To give you an example, when I arrived last week, there were 8 of us. Each new employee is assigned a mentor to guide them through their first few days. What's really nice is that our diary is full of planned presentations, ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour, with the different members of each team. This allows us not only to get to know each other, but also to understand each other's role within the company.
So it's a well-structured process with many stages to recruitment. Regarding onboarding, or even the recruitment process, is there a best practice or tip you could share about what's done at HarfangLab? Did you experience anything in particular during your own recruitment?
What I really appreciated was the follow-up and feedback. When HarfangLab offered me the job, one of the co-founders sent me a very motivating email. I was particularly touched by this message, which explained why I should join the team. Honestly, it was this email that convinced me to choose HarfangLab.
Last question: why should we NOT join you?
That's an original question! Well, I'd say that if someone is primarily interested in corporate political games, then HarfangLab is probably not the right place. We're a more modest structure, where the emphasis is on team cohesion and corporate objectives, rather than on issues of power or influence.
Thanks for your time Laura!
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