08 November 2022

Governance, CSR, support: TOURNAIRE’s HR objectives

Interview with Stéphane Nicolas, Human Resources Director at TOURNAIRE.

Can you introduce yourself?

To introduce myself professionally, I have 30 years of experience as an HR manager. Since I started working, I have been in the HR field. I have worked in large French and international groups. I also have experience in small, fast-growing structures, such as start-ups. But also in family businesses. The context of the family business is not a new context for me when I joined TOURNAIRE.

Can you give us some representative figures of the HR activity at TOURNAIRE?

The TOURNAIRE Group employs about 300 people, spread over 4 sites, the main site of which is in Grasse, the historic site. This is where most of the production is carried out. There is also a relatively large site in Chalon-sur-Saône. The company also has a subsidiary in the United States and a subsidiary in Asia with a presence in Vietnam in particular.

300 employees with an average age of 45 years, 15 years of seniority. Moreover, there are problems with the transmission of knowledge because a certain number of employees are going to retire. This is an important HR issue for the company to ensure its long-term survival.

We have an internal school within TOURNAIRE with which we train operators and production staff. This is where it is important, because it is thanks to this training that we can keep the know-how in-house. It is a real know-how of the company, very specific. You don’t go to school to learn how to work at TOURNAIRE.

As far as recruitment is concerned, there are about fifteen positions to be filled, as well as work-study positions. These positions are linked to the retirement of employees. They are replacements. There is also growth in the company with the search for new profiles.

What are your objectives and HR strategy at TOURNAIRE?

I have 3 main HR objectives. The first objective is one of support and transformation. We are going to deal with subjects such as governance, the company’s strategic plan, but also subjects such as CSR. The company is obliged to transform itself on these subjects and change its operating methods a little. How do we make decisions? How do we involve all managers in the decision-making process?

The second objective is to modernise HR practices in all areas of the HR function: from recruitment to integration, from welcoming new employees to e-learning, from the implementation of an HR information system with a digital tool that allows access to more information, that is more collaborative and intended for managers, but also open to all employees.

The third objective is really to create managerial support. This is an important subject. Training is not enough. We also need to provide personal support to all managers so that they can change their attitude. This means that it has an impact on the system in which they are, on the culture of the company and on the way we operate within the company.

What do you say to a candidate to convince them to join the TOURNAIRE team?

What I really like about TOURNAIRE is that it is a family business with good human values. It is a company that is financially solid, that innovates, that is in the new technologies, that is growing, that is transforming itself and that has a playground for those who like technology, but also in the support functions. It’s a very dynamic playground with good values and a company that has a bright future ahead of it.