In this exclusive interview with Alessandra Le RouxCOO of Bloomco, discover the behind-the-scenes recruitment process of this startup unlike any other.
💡 S ince its inception in 2017, Bloomco has established itself as one of the leaders in independent consulting in France. With a community of 2,500 highly qualified independent consultants (alumni of BCG, McKinsey, etc.), they support their clients in their transformation projects.
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Hello Alessandra, can you briefly introduce us to Bloomco?
Hello and thank you for welcoming me! Bloomco was founded in 2017 by Pierrea former consultant who had noticed a growing demand to connect independent consultants with companies seeking their services. Since then, our team has grown considerably and we're proud to be profitable as of 2019. Our vision of growth differs from that of other start-ups, as we rely on healthy and sustainable expansion.
How would you define your company culture?
Our culture can be summarized with the acronym FLOW. It represents the following values: focus on impact, Learn & be curious, Own your choices, Win with integrity. In short, our corporate culture is characterized by innovation, learning, autonomy and integrity. We encourage our employees to take initiative while remaining true to our core principles.
As a candidate, why should I join you?
At Bloomco, we combine the best of the startup world and the consulting world. We offer a spirit of innovation and tremendous learning potential, while maintaining a culture of integrity and impact. We pride ourselves on offering a challenging work environment and unique opportunities for growth to our employees. If you want to join a dynamic team and make a real impact in the consulting industry, Bloomco is the place for you!
👉 To discover all the offers of Bloomco, it is here
How do you attract talent?
We have developed specific strategies to attract candidates to Bloomco. For consultants, we have designed a unique and differentiating path from our competitors. The feedback we receive is very positive about the experience we offer. We've focused on optimizing that experience, and it's paying off! To date, 70% of the consultants who join our community are referred to us by other consultants.
What does a "Made in Bloomco" recruitment process look like?
We start by posting our job openings on platforms such as JobTeaser and Welcome to the Jungle. Then we set up an initial 15-20 minute video conference interview with a member of our team. At Bloomco, we don't have a dedicated recruiting team, so I usually coordinate the process, but all of our team members are trained to participate in the various stages of recruiting. The purpose of the first interview is to get to know the candidate and to introduce the position.
If this first meeting is conclusive, we organize a second interview, usually in person. However, we are flexible and offer remote interviews for candidates based in other cities. Thus, we adapt our recruitment process according to the positions to be filled and the geographical constraints.
What about onboarding?
We have put a lot of effort into developing our onboarding process, which I put in place when I first joined Bloomco, when we didn't have any employees. Our onboarding process is based on three fundamental pillars.
The first pillar concerns the acquisition of a global knowledge of the company. During the first week, we present various aspects on a daily basis, such as the functioning of the team, the different professions, the modes of communication, etc. For this, we rely on a very complete knowledge base and on an essential tool to organize it: Notion.
The second pillar is immersion. We organize numerous observation sessions, called "shadow", covering all the business lines, whether it is consultant relations or customer relations. We believe that it is essential that each team member understands the chain from A to Z to better understand his or her role and perform it effectively.
The third pillar is practical application. We aim to have new recruits in direct contact with the field, whether with consultants or clients, in less than 10 days. For this, we have prepared pitches in advance. Although this may seem a bit tedious, it is very effective for getting started quickly.
In addition to these three pillars, we offer eight weeks of themed training. Each week, we cover a different topic, such as finance, marketing, data, etc. For each topic, we provide readings and videos that candidates can consult independently.
And after these eight weeks?
After the eight weeks of onboarding, the process does not stop completely. Once a month, we organize a presentation that we call "Bloomco Thursdays". During these sessions, two members of our team focus on a specific business, expertise or sector to share their knowledge with the whole team. This ensures continuity and enrichment of skills within the company, even after the initial onboarding period.
Can you tell me more about your current team?
As I mentioned earlier, we are a young and dynamic team. We have made the choice to recruit young graduates and people in retraining, by focusing on onboarding and training. We are extremely proud of our ability to train our employees and to see them grow within the company.
Finally, our corporate culture is something we are particularly proud of. We are a close-knit team, characterized by close collaboration and open communication. At Bloomco, we believe that every member of our team has a significant contribution to make. We encourage innovative ideas and calculated risk-taking in order to continue to grow as a company.
How do you keep your employees engaged?
I think our low resignation rate (only one resignation in four years) shows that we are on the right track in terms of employee engagement. From the start, we have created a healthy corporate culture, which has contributed to a pleasant working environment for everyone.
In addition, we took the time to interview each team member to understand what was important to them. This allowed us to set up personalized career paths that provided visibility into their professional development.
We have found that valuing the skills and talents of each individual is a key element in keeping them engaged with the company. By cultivating a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, we ensure that our employees feel engaged and motivated for the long term
Thank you, Alessandra 😉
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