In the fast-paced world of startups, recruitment is an essential pillar of a company's growth and prosperity. But what really goes on behind the scenes of this often complex process?
We had the privilege of interviewing Jeanne (Senior Talent Acquisition) and Chloé (Global Head of Talent Acquisition), from Agicap, a fast-growing company that has been tipped as a future unicorn. In this rich and detailed discussion, they give us valuable insight into the art of creating a great team.
Jeanne and Chloé describe how Agicap works to attract exceptional talent, emphasizing the importance of transparency and alignment with their values. They talk about the importance of the integration process, the constant support of the HR team and creative strategies to stimulate team cohesion.
They also cover topics such as the challenge of rapid growth, the importance of adaptability and why the working environment at Agicap isn't for everyone.
Enjoy your reading!
Hello Chloé, Jeanne, could you introduce Agicap to our readers?
Chloé : Hello Nicolas! Agicap is a Lyon-based scale-up that was founded in 2016. Our main mission is to meet a crucial need for all businesses: cash management. We have developed a solution that greatly simplifies this process.
In our solution, users have access to clear dashboards that give a detailed overview of cash inflows and outflows. They can view forecast graphs and even create scenarios. For example, if a company is planning to recruit or invest, they can see the real impact this will have on their cash management. That's what Agicap is all about.
We also offer automation for suppliers, meaning that payments can be made directly on our platform. All information and data, including invoices, are also managed here. And finally, we have a customer section where dunning processes are automated, with personalized messages.
In short, the main point to remember is that Agicap enables companies to save time and gain considerable precision over their past, present and future cash balances. Above all, it enables them to make informed decisions on strategic cash management issues.
If you could sum up your values in a few words...
Jeanne: I'd say "Excellence, Ambition, Impact". That's what motivates us every day at Agicap. We call it "reach for excellence".
Agicap is highly ambitious, setting itself highly demanding business and growth targets, and we do everything in our power to achieve them. Impact is important to us, because everyone who joins Agicap has the opportunity to make a significant difference, both for our customers and within the company.
The second word I would choose is " Benevolence". This is something we value enormously, both in our recruitment and among our employees. We have put in place a wide range of supports for our employees, to ensure that everyone feels listened to.
Finally, the last word is "Humility". Despite our ambition and pursuit of excellence, we maintain the importance of humility at the heart of our company. Within our various teams, there are individuals with remarkable backgrounds, who nevertheless remain profoundly modest. This virtue is something we actively seek out and assess in applicants during our recruitment process.
Chloé: Yes, these are genuine values for us, not just nice words we write on our website. They're concrete things that are really felt in our teams and that we take seriously, whether internally or in our discussions with candidates.
Ten years ago, before the rise of French entrepreneurship, it was difficult to associate benevolence and performance. Today, we are striving to bring these values closer together. We are a company that wants to do business and grow fast, while working together, in line with the values and needs of our customers.
In a minute, what is Agicap, and why should we join you?
Jeanne: Agicap is a French Tech scale-up, founded in 2016 to solve a very real problem: helping small and medium-sized European companies manage their cash flow and growth. After several fundraisings totaling $121 million, we've grown from 30 employees in France in 2020 to nearly 500 employees in six countries today.
A month ago, we were voted by UK investment firm GP Bullhound as the next billion-dollar company, potentially the next unicorn in the next two years.. Our project is very ambitious, and we're still looking for people to join us on this exciting adventure.
You made it easy for me by talking about your rapid expansion, from 30 to almost 500 employees since 2016. I'm guessing this required a solid structuring of recruitment to build what is today Agicap?
Chloé: Of course. We have a mentality at Agicap of testing a lot of things, seeing what works and improving over time. We iterate a lot, between ourselves but also with the teams, managers and our co-founders, who are very involved. I think that's our strength today, what sets us apart and enables us to move forward so quickly while remaining efficient and candidate-oriented. Our recruitment processes are generally in three stages, sometimes four, depending on the position.
Today, we have a recruitment team of around fifteen people. For the time being, our team is mainly based in Lyon, for the whole of Europe, except for Germany, where we have a local presence.
In terms of tools, our main tool is LinkedIn. Most of our recruiting is done by active search. We also use Lever to track our candidates and processes with teams and managers.
Jeanne: What's interesting to note is that our recruitment team is really at the heart of Agicap's strategy. Our management understands that to achieve our objectives, recruitment is essential to growth. That's why our teams and managers are fully committed.
👉To discover all Agicap's offers, click here!
And what about integrating new employees?
Chloé: Good question. At Agicap, integrating new members is a process in its own right. Once the contract has been signed, our HR teams and Office Managers take over from the TA teams to set up an onboarding process in close collaboration with them.
Before our new members arrive, we set up a pre-integration phase. They receive a set of e-mails containing company information, standard HR information, and detailed guidelines to help them project themselves into the company. This can happen the following week or three months later, depending on when the contract was signed.
If the integration is scheduled for three months later, we make an effort to integrate these people into Agicap by inviting them to take part in team-building activities and our afterworks. For example, on the occasion of the Fête de la Musique, we invited all future arrivals to an afterwork, as well as those in the process of being recruited, to give them an insight into the company.
Then, on the day of arrival, a general integration process takes place. This consists of three mornings dedicated to new arrivals, whatever their position or country of origin. During these mornings, they will discover each department, have a product demo, cultural workshops and so on.
What's important to emphasize is the involvement of our co-founders in this process. For example, the first person new arrivals meet on their first day is our CEO, Sébastien Beyet. For him, despite our size - we're a company of 500 people - it's essential to be present at every integration.
Jeanne: To complete the picture, after the general onboarding, there are other team-specific onboarding processes that are also put in place according to each department. However, one thing we all have in common is our "on the job" training mentality, which becomes very practical right from the start. For example, an SDR (Sales Development Representative) will make his first calls in his first week.
The HR teams also provide a great deal of support for all new arrivals during their first few months, but also afterwards, giving them a clear idea of potential future developments.
Can you tell us about the positions you are currently recruiting for, and recent news at Agicap?
Chloé: There are lots of opportunities at Agicap. We recruit across a wide range of departments and countries. Our business department, for example, encompasses positions ranging from sales teams to customer support and loyalty teams in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and so on. We're also looking for talent for our tech, product and data teams. There are a considerable number of positions open at the moment.
Jeanne: As far as current events are concerned, an important piece of news is the opening of our new office in Lisbon last spring. Initially housing mainly French teams, our vision is to make this office an international hub. We already have around twenty people on site, and our short-term aim is to expand this to include English, Italian and German teams. We have recently hired two UK team members who will be based in Lisbon.
Do you have any other recommendations or best practices for building a team? Something you do at Agicap that other companies don't do?
Chloé: One thing we do, which may seem obvious but is very effective, is to encourage new recruits to bond with each other, even if they're not in the same teams. It creates a certain cohesion right from the start, which is what I've observed during previous onboardings.
Jeanne: Absolutely. Employee commitment is strengthened by the community they join. Our approach, which consists of integrating new employees even before they arrive and involving candidates in the process of being recruited in our internal events, is potentially different from that of other companies.
Chloé: Indeed, at Agicap, we have monthly budgets per team dedicated to team building activities. This allows us to spend some quality time together, outside the usual framework, and encourages cohesion. In fact, our next team building event is next week! We like to do things that are a little out of the ordinary and that strengthen the bond between our employees. Every year, we also organize a global off-site seminar, where all the teams and all the countries get together to celebrate the past year, our successes, do different activities together - usually with a sporting theme - and discuss the year ahead. What's more, it's usually held in very pleasant surroundings: this year, we're all going to Chamonix!
Last question: why should we NOT join you?
Chloé: In fact, we're very transparent in our recruitment process. It's a question we answer ourselves during interviews.
My answer to this question is quite simple. The meteoric growth we've seen in recent years, and which we've been talking about throughout this conversation, requires a huge investment. And it's not just a professional investment. There's also a certain mental burden that goes with it. Everything moves very fast with us. Processes can change on a weekly basis. We're constantly testing new things. It's a fast-moving environment that demands a high degree of adaptability.
Jeanne: Frankly, it's not for everyone. It's a dynamic environment that attracts those who like daily challenges and constant stimulation. However, we realize that it's not the ideal working environment for everyone!
Thank you for your time :)
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