Leading HR Transformation with Employee-Centric Perspectives

Caroline Bénech, Head of HR and Transformation, Colliers France

Caroline Bénech currently serves as the Head of HR and Transformation at Colliers, leading strategic human resources initiatives aimed at fostering organisational growth and adaptability. Drawing from her experience as Communication Manager at the Ministry of Defense, she seamlessly transitioned into roles as Director of Change Management and Communication Department, and Chief Transformation Officer prior to assuming her current position, steering Colliers through transformative changes. Her multifaceted role involves driving business development, managing change projects and developing strategic initiatives that facilitate a culture of innovation, making her a key player in the company's ongoing success and evolution. Top of Form

Through this article, Bénech discusses how she navigated the challenges and opportunities in the HR sector, showcasing her innovative approaches and transformative initiatives at Colliers.

Could you share insights into your initial challenges and tasks when you took on the role of Head of HR and Transformation at Colliers?

Colliers approached me during the second wave of COVID-19, a period of global uncertainty. To be truthful, the initial offer to become the Head of HR and Transformation at Colliers left me feeling apprehensive. Coming from a background in business communications, I was struck by imposter syndrome, overwhelmed with doubts about my capabilities since I had never held such a position previously.

However, after some reflection, I accepted, encouraged by the CEO's confidence in me and the realisation that the role was more about leading transformational change than about technical HR expertise. Colliers had a lawyer and a team of HR experts on hand to manage the technical aspects, providing me with the support I needed to succeed.

This opportunity pushed me to innovate in the HR space, focusing on transformation over traditional practices, and marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career where I could leverage my strengths in a way that truly mattered to the company's future.

Could you discuss the HR initiatives you spearheaded at Colliers?

When I joined Colliers, the company was facing significant economic challenges, with employee engagement rates among the lowest across its global operations in 66 countries. To boost employee morale and foster a culture of performance, the CEO tasked me with increasing our engagement levels. Leveraging my team's expertise, I focused on training the employees in change management for organisational recovery. Together, we worked to meet the need for improvement and performance, initiating a concerted effort to revive the company's fortunes.

One of the toughest initial decisions was addressing long-standing employees who were resistant to the new performance-driven culture Colliers was adopting. Recognising that some staff, who had been with the company for 20-25 years, were not aligning with the required changes, we offered them the option to leave under the best possible conditions.

To address equity and development within Colliers, we prioritised promoting employees, improving hiring practices and enhancing bonus structures. Remarkably, we placed significant emphasis on narrowing the gender pay gap, implementing more equitable salary practices between men and women.

We also increased the frequency of training for all employees, as I firmly believed in the importance of ongoing learning for everyone. Over the past three years, we ensured that every employee received training annually, a practice that was not previously in place, marking a fundamental shift towards fostering a more skilled and fairer workplace.

“The demand for flexibility and continuous adjustment to employee needs is another major challenge in the HR sector, pushing us towards being change management ambassadors rather than rule enforcers.”

Several initiatives were introduced to support disabled employees at the company, such as providing transportation assistance for their commute home via taxi services, increasing opportunities for remote work and funding specialised furniture for their homes and office spaces tailored to their needs. These created a more inclusive and accommodating work environment, ultimately enhancing the overall well-being and productivity of the employees.

Observing that only about 20 of our 220 employees came to the office on Fridays, I proposed to close the office every Friday to promote energy and economic sobriety, aligning with French government recommendations.  Along with supporting remote work, this decision offered employees the flexibility to work from co-working spaces. To make this easier, we have established a partnership with a co-working platform, accessible via an app on our phones, where all our employees can reserve a workspace every Friday across France. This provides a valuable alternative for those facing space constraints at home, ensuring they have a dedicated place to work.

Could you throw some light on the key challenges faced by consumers in the HR sector?

Over the past three years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the obvious challenge in HR has been attracting and retaining talent. This has been particularly difficult for Colliers, especially given our lesser-known brand in a market dominated by competitors offering higher salaries.

To address this, we prioritised innovation in our onboarding approach and invested in onboarding tools to enhance the new employee experience. This involved maintaining regular contact with candidates from the moment they sign the contract, extending our welcome and support throughout their first three months. We also invested in an HR information system for immediate access to essential information via mobile.

The demand for flexibility and continuous adjustment to employee needs is another major challenge in the HR sector, pushing us towards being change management ambassadors rather than rule enforcers. Emphasising empathy and active listening has become a priority, shifting the HR team's focus from administrative tasks to genuinely supporting and advising employees and managers, aligning with a more coaching-oriented approach to meet the evolving expectations of our workforce.

Is there any emerging technology or approach in the HR sector that you find particularly exciting?

I have attended numerous webinars and conferences on artificial intelligence, and it is evident that its integration into HR has the potential to significantly reshape practices in the field. We have recently started integrating artificial intelligence into our HR processes, launching a new HR system this year to significantly reduce the administrative workload for my team. This technological advancement is transforming the HR landscape by making employees more engaged in their own HR-related activities through an intuitive app.

We are also applying technology to enhance our onboarding experiences with gamification and to streamline recruitment via a dedicated platform that manages job postings and applicant tracking. These innovations are making HR more interactive and efficient, both for the team and the employees, as we navigate the evolving role of technology in HR.

Do you have any words of wisdom for the budding entrepreneurs in the HR sector?

In my humble opinion, dedicating ample time to actively listen to people is crucial, as many issues are resolved simply through attentive listening. My team has learned the importance of investing time in discussions, realising that by the end of these interactions, many of the problems initially presented no longer exist. So, it is essential to make time for others for effective problem-solving.

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