This week, we are pleased to welcome Max Aniortthe CEO of The Collectioniston our blog. A French nugget, The Collectionist specializes in the rental of prestigious vacation homes. After 3 acquisitions and 60 million euros raised in 2022the company intends to cover the world.
In this interview, Max shares with us his ambitions, his way of structuring an ever-growing team and the central place he gives to people.
Enjoy your reading!
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Hi Max! You are now 250, and you raised 60 million last December. I saw that you plan to recruit about 100 people in 2023. Can you explain this recruitment need?
Hi Alexandra! Yes, we are confronted with a non-scalability effect on certain positions. However, we are trying to optimize this by creating geographical hubs. Our operational teams naturally grow with our activity, which explains some of the open positions you see on Welcome to The Jungle.
The other aspect is the scale-up logic. Around 200 people, it becomes necessary to structure the company, which leads to additional levels of management. In a start-up, some functions unfortunately wear the hat of the poor relation, like HR and data. We manage as best we can up to a certain point, by making managers responsible for the recruitment and information of their teams, for example.
However, as we grow, we have to become more mature and structured. We can no longer afford to tinker for ourselves, our investors and especially our growing teams. We can no longer ask everyone to be a Swiss Army knife at all times. Training and specialized jobs are becoming necessary.
So there are two effects at play: the activity effect, of course, and the company structuring effect. Last year, we achieved 100 million in revenues and our objective for 2026 is 500 million. We are already structuring the company to achieve this. I don't think there will be any new teams per se, but rather a solid structure to support this scale-up phase.
The famous transition from firefighter to architect! Can you tell us about the current makeup of your HR team, how they are equipped to handle your challenges?
Yes, Alexandra. Two years ago, the HR team had only one person! Today, we have 8 people, most of whom work on recruitment and training.
In addition, there is a whole "project" part of the HR team that focuses on the integration of new teams. This is a particular topic because we have acquired 6 companies since the company was founded, including 3 last year. We quickly realized that we could devote all our resources to this integration, so we decided to split our attention between "organic development" and "integration".
In most functional teams, we have a person dedicated to integration, especially on the HR side. This person handles integration issues in a general way, with various challenges, such as cultural differences, both in terms of company culture and nationality. This person also has to identify key people, as we are still getting to know the companies we have acquired, and has to support them in recruiting and setting up our perks.
The HR team is responsible for recruitment, training and other projects such as employer branding, internal mobility and integration.
As far as our recruiting stack is concerned, almost everything happens on Welcome to the Jungle. We are also starting to post on LinkedIn and strongly encourage our teams to participate in the sourcing effort. Our employees are our best ambassadors, especially because we are a company that uses a lot of seasonal talent. We also participate in recruiting fairs and partner with schools, speaking at trainings and classes, to reinforce our employer brand and the Collectionist brand in general.
👉 To discover all the offers of the Collectionist, it's here
What do you think is the 'Special Touch' of the Collectionist to attract your candidates?
Above all, I think we are a good school, especially for young professionals and seasonal reinforcements who will be able to grow within the company. There are two aspects that distinguish us. First, the start-up effect: if you succeed, you can move up the hierarchy more quickly than in a more traditional company. For example, for someone who has just graduated from Vatel, working at the Collectionist or in a palace are two very different jobs. One is more rigid and offers well-defined career paths, while the other offers shortcut opportunities for talented and committed candidates.
Secondly, regarding hospitality, our business sector, home rentals, is one of the fastest growing segments compared to hotels and cruises. Yet, it remains poorly represented in hotel schools. I think young professionals are attracted to the idea of joining what is considered the best brand to work in this growing segment.
Of course, there is Airbnb, which does a great job, but their positioning is very different from ours. They are more technology-oriented, and hospitality jobs are less present. So candidates come to us to get the best training in this rapidly evolving sector.
A kind of "academy" The Collectionist in the pipeline?
We've always had that in mind, honestly. Before, there was a volume effect and we didn't need to recruit as much. But now, recruiting is really becoming critical. Managers spend months looking, and there's a Sisyphean effect with the seasons going on and on.
The problem is that when we look at the balance sheet, such a project does not seem to be very profitable. We could create something very luxurious in the Swiss way, but that is not our goal. This project would not be voluntary, but it would never really be profitable, even if it becomes essential for the company at some point.
I think we will eventually create the Collectionist school because we will have no other choice to attract the right people. However, we are putting it off because it will take a lot of internal energy and resources for something that will not pay off immediately.
It's a great project, and I think it might even encourage intrapreneurship internally.
Recruiting also involves team rituals. Do you have a ritual or best practice to share in terms of onboarding new employees or employee engagement?
Yes, we have several rituals for onboarding and hiring our employees. First, we introduce each new person several times. Every Tuesday at our All Hands, we introduce new hires and give them a round of applause (Yes, like the Dorothy Club!). Then an email is sent to the entire team introducing each new hire, and everyone also introduces themselves on Slack with a travel anecdote. I think this is important, especially in our business, because we need to know each other well to work well together.
In other companies, you only realize that a new colleague has arrived when you meet him or her at the coffee machine. At our company, we introduce people at least three times, and I think that's a good practice, especially as the company grows.
In addition, we have a happy hour on the first Thursday of every month in all offices to make sure that newcomers are welcomed and have a chance to chat with others. We also have an annual seminar and I do a communication update with all teams every week. We also have quarterly presentations, where we go over the basics of the company, values, etc.
So we spend a lot of time repeating the same things and introducing people, but I'm a big believer in repetition to establish these good practices.
Any other methods to share with us?
We have been working on a comprehensive integration process for our new employees. There is a buddy system in place when a new person arrives. The buddy introduces himself and makes sure the newcomer feels welcome.
We are also working hard on training managers. A lot of management is learned on the job, and it's normal to make mistakes when managing human situations. However, we are also setting up a "buddy manager" system for all managers, including myself. This system allows us to have a ping-pong of ideas with another person, who challenges us on our decision making and our vision.
This "buddy manager" is also useful to share difficult situations or to ask for advice.
Any final words, Max?
At the risk of stating the obvious, I would say that a company's success depends first and foremost on its ability to recruit the right people and ensure that they feel engaged and fulfilled in their work. Clearly communicating the company's vision and finding candidates who fit that vision is critical.
Transparency and professional growth for employees are key aspects to maintaining engagement. Of course, as the company grows, the family atmosphere may change, but our responsibility as leaders is to ensure that our employees take pride in their work and are confident in their careers.
If we can create an environment where our employees feel good about their work, it will have a positive impact on the rest of their lives. As a leader, this is both the most rewarding thing to do... and the most difficult!
Thanks again for your time, Max!
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