Contribution of Hervé Borensztejn, director of HR Pole of Karistem,

To the collective work entitled “Et la confiance, bordel?” (And what a mess trust is)

Paris, 28 August 2014. Hervé Borensztejn, director of the HR Division of Karistem, is one of the contributors to “Et la confiance, bordel?”, directed by the Montaigne Institute and the Financi’Elles network.

Stress, absenteeism, burnout, and disengagement of managers: what has happened in business for 30 years? Underpinning it all is a trust deficit. There is a crucial issue, even beyond the well-being of everyone. This lack of confidence dramatically harms business efficiency and competitiveness.

This book explores the roots of this “French disease” that is distrust, its various configurations in the company and its practical impact on its operation. Most importantly, it provides keys to rethink our living together, management transformation and social dialogue in search of unifying projects, overhauling the school system to the integration of new generations.

Crossing the perspectives of some thirty authors* – sociologists, economists, psychiatrist, business, HR, organizational consultants, lawyers, trade unionists, etc. “Et la confiance, bordel? ” offers a new relationship to work, another mode that asks everyone to take the gamble of trust.

“Et la confiance, bordel?”
Faire le pari de la confiance en entreprise
Éditions Eyrolles
278 pages – 20€

*Yann Algan / Fanny Anor/ Emmanuelle Barbara / Éric Bellion / Marie-Hélène Bensadoun / Jean-Paul Betbèze / Gonzague de Blignières / Laurent Bigorgne / Vincent Bocart / Adèle Bounine / Hervé Borensztejn / Ewa Brandt / Maria Giusepp ina Bruna / Pierre Cahuc / Juliette Decoux / Odile Desforges / François Dupuy / Camille Dupuy-Olléon / Delphine Ernotte-Cunci / Miguel de Fontenay / Clara Gaymard / Sylvie Gleises / Edouard-Malo Henry / Jean Kaspar / Tania Konicheckis / Vanessa Lamorre-Cargill / Jacques Antoine Malarewicz / Valérie Menu / Alexia de Monterno / Arielle Malard de Rothschild / Sophie Vernay / Sylvie Wahl / André Zylberberg

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Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly.
Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation and operational excellence. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.
www.karistem-consulting.com

The Montaigne Institute briefly
The Montaigne Institute is an independent think tank. Its mission is to develop concrete proposals in the areas of public policy, social cohesion, competitiveness and public finances.
www.institutmontaigne.org

Financi’Elles briefly
Financi’Elles is the federation of networks of women managers in the sector of banking, finance and insurance. Founded in 2010, it brings together networks of twelve companies. The objective of Financi’Elles is to help accelerate the agenda of diversity and improve women’s access to the tops of organizations in the sector of finance.
www.financielles.org

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Press Contact
Sebastien de Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail : sebastien.de-boisfleury@karistem.com

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Three questions to… Maryline Borri, Manager in the HR Division of Karistem

« The anonymous CV is ultimately a pragmatic response to a very real problem of employment discrimination in French companies »

Paris, August 26, 2014 Following a decision of the French Conseil d’Etat in July, the French government must implement decrees passed in 2006, making it mandatory to use anonymous CV for companies with over 50 employees. The purpose of the law: fight against discrimination in the hiring process. Interview with Maryline Borri, Manager in the HR division of consulting firm Karistem.

What do you think about this law making it mandatory for companies over 50 employees to use anonymous CVs to fight against discrimination in hiring?

Contrary to the uproar sparked by the decision of the French Conseil d’Etat, I think that the ultimately the anonymous CV is a pragmatic response to a very real problem of employment discrimination in French companies. Certainly, the anonymous CV is based on a questionable bias, that of losing diversity rather than valuing it. But if we leave aside the denial of discrimination in France, diversity is not yet considered, wrongly, as a vector of performance. We are condemned to deal with the problem defensively (fight against discrimination rather than promote diversity). So the generalization of anonymous CVs could represent a major social achievement in a country where we still struggle to move the lines to ensure equal access to employment for all.

Does the generalization of the anonymous CV pose some technical or practical difficulties?

Technical or practical difficulties often cited are nothing insurmountable, either manually implemented in small companies or through electronic means in big companies. That said, the practice of anonymous CVs often requires a more general diagnosis of recruitment policies of companies, as well as additional actions: internal and external communication, awareness recruiters, adapting the methods of recruitment…

Has this already been tried in some companies? What were the results?

Indeed, several large companies have already tested this and the results were positive. For example, along with a campaign of traditional recruitment, a hotel group tested the anonymous CV a few years. While this group was previously in denial, this test proved that there was indeed, unintentionally or not, discrimination in hiring, even as the CV of a candidate for foreign-sounding name was more viewed in its anonymized version.
The same results of these experiments are sometimes surprising. For example, an insurance company had decided to set up the anonymous CV to recruit its commercial population, hoping to be a better representation of visible minorities. After a few months, if the proportion of minorities had not changed, the percentage of women recruited had evolved significantly. HR have realized that the hours of insurance representatives, rather late in the day, were regarded by recruiters as incompatible with family responsibilities, a prejudice that brought many of them to favor male CVs. But the generalization of the anonymous CV has enabled many candidates to land a job interview and position themselves in relation to their personal constraints. Besides better diversity among its trading, the insurance company was able to measure a few months later the beneficial effects of the HR policy in terms of performance, beginning with an increase in its turnover.

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Maryline Borri has ten years of experience in human resources consulting, after beginning his career as HR operational of Unilever. Experience gained in a first CHSCT expertise firm, then in the network IMS-“Entreprendre pour la Cité” for the management of diversity, and finally at BearingPoint in strategy consulting, organization and HR management. Recognized specialist in improving HR organizations, approaches to skills, managerial development and diversity management performance, Maryline Borri joined Karistem in 2013, for the development of the HR Division.

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Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly.
Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation and operational excellence. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.
www.karistem-consulting.com

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Press Contact
Sebastien de Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail : sebastien.de-boisfleury@karistem.com

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Three questions to…

Thomas Moreau, director of the Karistem Supply Chain Division

“Transit toll for trucks: the constraint must drive innovation”

Boulogne-Billancourt, 30 June 2014. What do you think of the proposed transit toll for trucks which replaces the environmental tax?

Beyond semantics, with the disappearance of the term “tax” in favor of that of “toll”, the drastic reduction of the relevant network (from 15,000 km to 4,000 km) and the exemption of certain categories (agricultural vehicles, milk transport, fairground or circus vehicles) has significantly decreased the scope of the policy. Tax revenues for example should yield half (€ 550 million vs. € 1.2 billion). The introduction of tolls for transit may therefore seem unsatisfactory in some respects but, at least, its part of the virtuous approach of the “Grenelle de l’Environnement” and lays the foundations for a user-pays system. As a reminder, the environmental tax of 2007 and the Grenelle mission were to fight against greenhouse gas emissions. It was a consensus. Thus, according to the Association of Transport Authorities (GART), the environmental tax would help fund more than 120 local urban logistics projects, the development of a metro line or river shuttle for example. At the end of 2013, in a context of fiscal burn out, the project was abandoned. In our opinion, the principle remains interesting and it is consistent that the traffic on the non-franchised national network and some departmental be subject to taxation.

What are the consequences for carriers? Does this project undermined their business model?

The direct consequence for carriers is increased production costs and therefore without changing balances in place, a reduction in their profit margin and as everyone knows, the transport is a sector whose margin levels are very low. As for the environmental tax, there is a possible postponement of the cost of the device on the shippers. The principle seems right but its implementation remains complex. What is the basis of this report? What are the means for shippers to control it? How can the same carrier manage calculating the toll with clients who have very different types of pricing: the cost per kilometer, the package, per ton transported on a fixed variable mix, etc. Beyond the report, what about client factures to refacture the toll linked to km, equipment costs of GPS boxes, software for calculating itineraries, administrative costs, etc. Thus, the entry into force of the transit toll on 1 January 2015 leaves just six months to re-launch the definition of solutions to develop, test and deploy. The deadline is ambitious but tenable, provided allocate resources are dedicated to this project.

What are the consequences for contractors and their transportation purchasing? How to limit any increase in costs due to toll transit?

In simplifying the scheme, the contractors will have three options. First, put more carriers under economic pressure, through a tender for example, to maintain the same total cost of transport. Knowing that the end period of the year is a perfect time for this type of discussion. Secondly, refer this additional cost to their end customers and industrial consumers. Third, look for areas of improvement to offset the rising costs by improving transport productivity. The first two axes are of course possible, but again, the margin levels of carriers and the economic situation in France do not lean in their favor. However, the exploration of the third option is more interesting and we believe source of larger and more lasting gains. Indeed, many levers exist, such as the reduction of kilometers traveled, finding optimal routes or the pooling of transport. Activating these levers can significantly reduce the transportation bill, without changing the margins of carriers. In conclusion, it is ultimately very classic, constraints spur innovation. Thus, the implementation of the new toll will force carriers to change their system and shippers to be more inventive in their modes of operation with the carriers. It should be born of greater efficiency in transport operations, provided that shippers and carriers are able to collaborate. This new toll can be seen as a new opportunity to foster collaboration between these two players and not the balance of power. And thus minimize the effects for everyone.

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Thomas Moreau has over 15 years of experience in logistics consulting. Graduate from the École Spéciale de Mécanique et d’Electricité and IAE Paris Sorbonne, he began his career in the industry, at P & G then in consulting at Masai before co-founding the firm Austral a few years later, which became Factea Supply Chain in 2011. Specialist in supply chain optimization for companies in all sectors, Thomas Moreau is now one of the Directors of the Supply Chain Division of Karistem Corporate Consulting.

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Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly. Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation and operational excellence. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

They trust KCC: ALSTOM, AREVA, ASML, BOUYGUES, DCNS, ERAMET, GDF-SUEZ, HEURTEY PETROCHEMICALS, MUSHRIF, PEARSON, SAFRAN, SAINT-GOBAIN, TECHNIP, THALES, TOTAL…

Press Contact
Sebastien de Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail : sebastien.de-boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press relaeses

Karistem and Paradoxes study

The efficiency of the training function is still lacking in major companies

Paris, June 16, 2014. Only 57% of major companies are “very” or “somewhat satisfied” with the efficiency of their training services, making this a key issue for 85% of them. But yet, very few large groups have implemented actions plans in this direction. These are the main findings of a series of interviews conducted by consulting firms Karistem and Paradoxes, between March and May 2014, with HR and training managers of 21 major French companies. “If we knew that in the current economic environment, companies want to maximize the efficiency of their training and to operate at the lowest cost, our study shows that the different recognized levers to improve this efficiency are used in widely varying degrees across companies,” says Hervé Borensztejn, director of the Karistem HR Division, a consulting firm in strategy, transformation and operational excellence, and Philippe Joffre, founding president of Paradoxes, a consulting firm specialized in supporting and professionalizing players in training and skills development.

Continuing face-to-face training despite digital advances

While 93% of respondents reported currently working on optimizing and modernizing their training offer to improve efficiency, it appears that 85% of them still offer almost all courses in a face-to-face format . “There is a gap between rhetoric and practice, says Philippe Joffre (Paradoxes). The discourse is strongly oriented towards digital (e-learning, web-conferences, video casts…) but these innovative devices are, on average, 5% of training hours.” E-learning remains the most widely used digital tool (70%). “However, it suffers from a poor image due to the fact that it is often reserved for unattractive subjects, there is insufficient teaching offered for the modules and the ergonomic quality is very low. Moreover, it is more often “rapid learning” rather than e-learning itself,” continues Philippe Joffre.
Optimizing training purchases is another lever used by more mature companies to improve the efficiency of training. “The goal here is not to reduce costs in order to reduce costs, but to secure the process of competition, to survey and source methods, procedures and training actors, define the right need to set up a SLA (Service Level Agreement) and results engagements,” says Hervé Borensztejn (Karistem). If only 28% of respondents training departments work “systematically” with training services, 50% work collaboratively “according to certain criteria.” “Overall, the collaboration between training and training services is increasing,” says Hervé Borensztejn although, as Philippe Joffre stated “the functional relationship between training services and supplies management remains largely optimizable, more than 50% of participants felt that the respective objectives of the two directions are not aligned, making value-added cooperation difficult. “ Another good practice in terms of process: 82% of respondents systematically carry out tenders when buying training.

A very diverse knowledge of financing methods

Another lever used to improve the efficiency of training: integrating a true engineering of funding in all training projects. A topic even more relevant now that a new vocational training reform, with funding impacts, is underway. “Companies are waiting for the moment the regulations are applied and a priori do not plan to change their practices in depth, notes Philippe Joffre (Paradoxes). This reform is still an opportunity to think differently about training, and a way out of a number of anachronisms and cumbersome practices.”
Engineering of funding practices have largely been developed since the 2014 law, the majority of surveyed firms reported actively using “Contracts and periods of professionalization.” Similarly, 70% of them regularly meet their OPCA. Thus, the engineering of funding is increasingly complex (job training rather than a single logical qualification for example), co-financing develops (with local authorities in particular) and it is important that the players adapt or companies develop their skills accordingly, as Philippe Joffre.

Little visibility on the organization and performance of the training department

Finally, the study by Karistem and Paradoxes recalls that the transformation of the organization of the training department can significantly improve the efficiency of the back office. “The pattern of target organization depends on the model of governance of each company, but some drivers can be applied generally such as the establishment of a qualification at the request of interfaces with the business, or the pooling of dedicated educational resources or dedicated transactional tasks,” advises Hervé Borensztejn (Karistem).
That said, many businesses are not currently able to develop their back office, lack of visibility into their organization or their performance. Indeed, only 42% of respondents know how to differentiate their back office of their front office, 33% say they know the full cost of their back office, and 23% have KPIs or indicators on the quality of their service. “This lack of visibility does not always achieve the benchmarks, or assesses the potential gains achievable by optimizing the organization, says Hervé Borensztejn. It is however necessary when it comes to convincing the board to change the organization. “

A new dimension for the training function

The conclusions of the Karistem and Paradoxes study were nevertheless resolutely optimistic. “The training function, stakeholder in the make or buy decisions on the HR component, is taking a new dimension in business overflowing particular administrative framework and its traditional teaching practices to invest in new ways and new territories, enthuses Philippe Joffre (Paradoxes). It is now considered a real service, offering training and marketing oriented innovation, knowing that new technologies have announced other ruptures.” A feeling shared by Hervé Borensztejn (Karistem) who believes that “the training function has transformed from a logic of spending (by obligation) to a logic of investment (performance obligation). And this is great news!”

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Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly. Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation and operational excellence. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

They trust KCC: ALSTOM, AREVA, ASML, BOUYGUES, DCNS, ERAMET, GDF-SUEZ, HEURTEY PETROCHEMICALS, MUSHRIF, PEARSON, SAFRAN, SAINT-GOBAIN, TECHNIP, THALES, TOTAL…

Press Contact
Sebastien de Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail : sebastien.de-boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press releases

Karistem recognized for its commitment to CSR

Paris, May 26, 2014. Karistem, consulting firm in strategy, transformation and operational excellence, has been recognized as a “committed supplier” by EcoVadis, a collaborative platform allowing contractors to assess the environmental and social performance of their suppliers.

Indeed, following the analysis of answers to an online questionnaire and supporting documents requested by the experts EcoVadis, Karistem was placed in the “Silver” category, synonymous with proactive CSR strategy and a structured approach (political tangible actions, performance indicators, regular reporting, etc.). Karistem is particularly well noted in its HR practices (recruitment, evaluation and promotion, etc.) and business practices, and the level of working conditions of its employees (private work / life balance, internal projects, etc.).

“We are very proud as a consulting firm to be part of this “Silver” category, says Maryline Borri, a manager at Karistem Corporate Consulting. “We must be exemplary because we offer Sustainable Development and Human Resources consultancy. We absolutely want to show that we apply what we recommend to our customers.”

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Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly. Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy, transformation and operational excellence. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

They trust KCC: ALSTOM, AREVA, ASML, BOUYGUES, DCNS, ERAMET, GDF-SUEZ, HEURTEY PETROCHEMICALS, MUSHRIF, PEARSON, SAFRAN, SAINT-GOBAIN, TECHNIP, THALES, TOTAL…

Press Contact
Sebastien de Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail : sebastien.de-boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press releases