Make no mistake about it. Diversity in a company like Spaycial is not a marketing ploy. "It's a management project, a vision that makes diversity a strength," says Arnaud Gien-Pawlicki, Head of Talent.
Diversity remains a complex term to define, especially in these times when it is becoming "trendy". It must therefore be understood as a dynamic notion, whose perception may change from one manager to another or from one company to another.
Diversity can be understood as demographic, linked to origin, gender, sexual orientation, but also concerns academic background, affinities, hobbies and abilities, reminds the Harvard Business Review. A wide and diverse spectrum that Spaycial wants to embrace.
Diversity is part of the company's plan
In September 2021, Spaycial will have about 40 employees with an average age of just under 30. With a highly international scope and clients in a dozen countries, Spaycial has naturally been quick to recruit from abroad. This means that 12 different nationalities (Armenia, Vietnam, Poland, Canada, Senegal, Algeria, Colombia, Morocco, Turkey, Togo, Mauritius, France) and a third of the total workforce is first or second generation diversity based in France. To this can even be added a first employee based in London, French but on a local contract for several months. "The cohesion is natural", says the HR director.
But where does this project based on diversity come from, which seems to be the strength of Spaycial? "Diversity is part of the background and the association of our two founders, continues Arnaud Gien-Pawlicki. When I arrived, the highest paid person in the company was a woman, who was better paid than the CEO", he adds for the anecdote.
To successfully complete such an edifice, that of making the company a pool of meetings and profiles, one needs solid foundations and above all a natural harmony.
"We recruit from outside our own backgrounds. We don't look for clones", continues the Head of Talent.This is a small dig at young companies that are often tempted to recruit from their own network. But be careful not to overdo it. I'm looking for skills above all, not diversity. You have to know how to "recruit the right talent at the right time for the right impact. That's what naturally pushes you out of the usual channels. We're all good at something, we just have to figure out what it is.
"One in six employees is over 45."
This is also evidenced by the recruitment of age groups that we don't see often in freshly new companies. "My first hire was in 1968. It was the quality manager, customer support, Cyrille," says Arnaud. Here, one employee out of six is over 45. Our need for seniority is real, we have to go out and look for these talents and not wait by simply running our ads."
What about the generation clash concern? "The false problem related to age is a problem of stereotypes, we need experience, the real issue is the 'culture fit, that's it."
This diversity remains, last but not least, "a primordial subject" for all growth companies that seek to maintain a real variety within their workforce and their management bodies.
Because beyond the project, beyond the aspirations, the reality of 2021 is that diversity is a necessity, not a mere wish or marketing object. That's why, once again, three of the six members of Spaycial's board of directors are from a diverse background. And in the end, the set ends up being really diverse. "There's a lot of debate, we have lively board meetings and that's exactly what we're looking for", says Arnaud.
Finally, we can no longer create a company in 2021 that is international in the retail sector and that addresses such diverse consumers, with a team that builds this product that would be at odds with the users.
And if you also add the implementation of the remote first - you can work from abroad - and the parental act, Spaycial is definitely turning to the qualities of its employees, to serve its vision.