From Application to Appraisal

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 0:00

Before, candidates had to give the best of And now I have to say that it's a bit the opposite. Companies have to be really attractive and propose a lot of advantages to candidates to be able to recruit them. What is really important is to be focused on the employee, and to really do a strategy that is tailor-made for every candidate and every employee. If you focus too much on the CV and what is written on it, you might miss someone who would be a great fit for your team just because maybe it doesn't have the degree you're looking for. So I would say that it's really important to go over the CV and see maybe the potential that the person has for your team. If as a company, you are transparent, then you're not taking too many risks when recruiting someone because you already told them everything about you. Now, we have our own payroll application, so we don't go with external partners as well like for recruitment. And everything is done in Odoo. So it's just a few clicks, but in a few clicks, you can pay the salaries of all your employees, which is actually quite magic as well. If you want to get the job of your dreams, I would say that taking risks is really worth it. If you never try, you will never know. So apply and take the risk, and it might pay off. So yeah. Get it.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 1:20

Hey everyone, welcome back to planet Odoo. I'm your host, Artur Cariat, and today's episode is titled From Application to Appraisal. We'll discuss about the new HR challenges companies are facing today and how Odoo suite of applications, including payroll, referral time off, and more, can transform your recruitment process. Join us as our recruitment expert. Mathilde Verlaine shares invaluable tips for leveraging Odoo to optimize your recruitment efforts. Plus, we'll explore the crucial role of recruiters in this process. Let's get started. Hello, Mathilde.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 1:54

Hello.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 1:55

How are you today?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 1:56

I'm good, and you?

ARTHUR CARIAT: 1:56

Really good. Could you please introduce yourself to the audience?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 2:00

Yes, sure. So I'm Mathilde. I have been a recruiter at Odoo for four years now. Um, before that, I worked at a big recruitment agency as a recruiter. And if I can tell you a bit more about myself, I love trying new things and pushing my limits. And so that's why I'm here today.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 2:17

Could you please tell me what are the common HR

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 2:22

Yes, sure. Um, so first of all, I would say that Since I joined Odoo, we noticed a big switch on the job market. Before candidates had to give the best of themselves to be attractive for a company. And now I have to say that it's a bit the opposite. Uh, companies have to be really attractive and propose a lot of advantages to candidates to be able to recruit them. Yeah, now, candidates really have the power, especially for developers so they receive multiple offers, etc. and so it leads us to another topic, which is employer branding. Um, marketing has always been a thing, uh, you know, how to market a product, etc., but now even as an employer, you have to have a good image and to be attractive to candidates. Um, when I arrived at Odoo, um, employer branding didn't really exist. We didn't have any strategy. Now, we have two people on the team working on employer branding and trying to promote our jobs to external people. So I have to say that it's quite a change in four years. Um, so yeah, it's a it's a big challenge that we're facing today.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 3:40

I've witnessed some actions you had in the real You sent some things to the developers. Could you maybe talk a bit about that as well?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 3:48

So we already did a lot of actions with Uh, a few years ago, we sent them brain teasers to attract them and to try to recruit them. It was a bit like we dared to do it, but it was a bit risky because a lot of employers didn't really like the action. Um, so now we changed a bit the focus, and we want to attract them, but with technical stuff. So we want them to join Odoo because we are technically interesting and we want to challenge them, but in a good way. Um, so yeah, we changed a bit the focus.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 4:25

All right. And, uh, how do you do to retain all What's the trick?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 4:30

Uh, I would say that it's a challenge of every And it's a non-stop process. We have to think about new ideas on a daily basis. Um, what is really important is to be focused on the employee and to really do a strategy that is tailor-made for every candidate and every employee. Uh, for example, when we recruit someone, we have a follow-up with them every three months. So after three months. They already have a meeting with HR to see if they're feeling good at Odoo and if they feel like the job is made for them. Um, then after six months and then after one year. So we try to have regular meetings with them to see if everything is going well and if Odoo is a good fit for them.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 5:16

Okay. And to jump back a bit about the process of maybe the pitfalls?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 5:25

Yeah, sure. So first, uh, when a candidate then if the reviewing is, uh, if, if we review it positively, then we give them a call. And then there is one last step, which is a more practical interview with a manager, uh, or someone responsible for recruiting for the team. Um, and I would say that, uh, maybe one trap that would be, um, important to focus on is the reviewing of CV. If you focus too much on the CV and what is written on it, you might miss someone who would be a great fit for your team, just because maybe it doesn't have the degree you're looking for. Um, so I would say that it's really important to go over the CV and see maybe the potential that the person has for your team. Um, we have a really good example here at Odoo. For example, we have someone, Morgane. Uh, she was a chocolate maker before joining Odoo, and she's now a developer. So if I stopped at the review of her CV, I would say, okay, maybe she's not the best fit. She's a chocolate maker. Why is she applying for a developer job? And now she's really rocking it, and she's killing everything. So we are super proud of her.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 6:40

Yes, Morgan is really great, and we actually had called Odoo Unplugged. And the title is complicated, but I'm going to tell it the role of women in a predominantly male developer world. That's it. Yeah.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 6:54

Good job.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 6:55

Yeah. So to jump back on our subject, any advice

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 7:00

Yeah. So I would say that you have to take some Um, if you only do like a basic resume, uh, with everything you've done, it's okay. I mean, I know that it takes a while to apply to a lot of companies and to get a job, but sometimes it's worth risking and taking a bit of, uh, risk. If you want to get the job of your dream, to try to get out of your comfort zone. Um, and maybe you Arthur, you are a good example of that. Can you maybe explain us a bit, about your story and how you got the job at Odoo?

ARTHUR CARIAT: 7:35

I mean, yeah, you are right. Uh, I took a chance. My CV was pretty traditional, but actually my motivation letter was, uh, a little bit risky. So I just wrote three lines and just ended up the thing I basically said on those lines. Uh, I smelled good, and I loved T-Rex, and they had to basically scroll, uh, way down to see the real motivation letter. And, uh, I found it funny enough to hide some keywords. That was the tweak. Uh, and so it was really subtle. And unless I told you actually, uh, I eat some lyrics from the tactic du gendarme, it's, uh, pretty well-known song in France and Belgium. And by adding those keywords to my motivation letter, I showed that I was able to do SEO basically. And for a marketing position, it's good, right?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 8:24

Yeah. And actually, I remember that, uh, the team of CV every day. And your, uh, was, uh, a bit different from what we see every day. And so we noticed it. Um, so it was risky because maybe in some companies, it wouldn't work, but at Odoo, it worked. And so, yeah, it was actually a good, uh, good thing that you did.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 8:47

So T-Rexs are great. Yeah. Um, also, I would like to tackle the fact of using, uh, or putting culture first while hiring. Uh, is it a significant advantage?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 8:59

Um, so first, we want to focus on the skills of Like, we won't focus on the degree you have, um, but more on the skills. And I think if you focus on the skills, soft and hard skills, automatically you will have, um, also a culture that will be matching what you're looking for. Um, so, uh, at Odoo, we want to focus on people who are really, um, open-minded and able to learn quickly and to be able to, uh, change because the environment at Odoo is changing pretty quickly. Um, and I think that if you match those criteria, then automatically you will be matching the culture at Odoo. So, uh, yeah, it's important to have a culture fit as well when you're looking for someone to join your team.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 9:47

And also, why is transparency about the process

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 9:51

Um, when you're looking for a job, you want to uh. Feel like it. It would. It could be a great fit for you. Um, and so if as a company, you are transparent, then you're not taking too many risks when recruiting someone because you already tell you already told them everything about you. Uh, it's, uh, the same in a relationship actually. Like, communication is great and it's the key. But for example, at Odoo, we have the salary configurator that is, uh, published online. So if you want to join Odoo and you would like, for example, to get, uh, an idea of the salary, the salary you would get if you join, you can go on the website and there is, uh, the salary configurator online where you can see the salary and the advantages you would get if you join.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 10:39

That's perfect. You talked about the salary actually is, uh, why is it important to have the right tools for recruitment and for an enhanced HR process?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 10:50

Yeah. So, um, if you have the right tools to that have value, uh, like reviewing CV, but in a good way and not using AI, for example. Um, so at Odoo we receive a lot of applications, uh, and to be able to deal with that and to be able to focus on the things that matter, we have to use right, the right tools, and we use Odoo, of course, the recruitment app. Um, and I have to say that compared to my previous job, where I was losing so much time with admin stuff and, uh, so much time, uh, doing manual stuff in the software at Odoo, it's pretty magic. When I joined, I was like, okay, I need to show this tool to my, um, former colleagues because I think it will, like, revolutionize the way they work. Um, and at Odoo, I have the feeling that I can really spend time with candidates talking to people instead of doing admin stuff, and that's part of my job that I really love.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 11:55

And so that's why we are able to hire that many Uh, how many candidates have we hired since you started?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 12:03

Um, when I started at Odoo, we were 350, and now Uh, so I would say 1003 hundred. So. Yeah, plus 1000.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 12:15

That's crazy. Yeah.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 12:17

That's crazy.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 12:18

Uh, could you please explain a little bit more within Odoo so we can use it greatly? Sure.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 12:26

Um, so, uh, when we use the recruitment app, it So when we want to create a new job, we just like in one click create a job. We then write the content that we want to, yeah, to have on the website with the requirements, etc.. They must have. Nice to have. Um, and then we can publish it on the website. And then as a candidate, when you go on the job page, you see a list of all the jobs you can directly apply to the job, uh, through the website or through, uh, email alias that you can also create. Um, and then as a recruiter, you will see all the applications coming into the recruitment app, and then you can manage all the steps into the recruitment app. So, uh, qualification, first interview, a second interview, and then you can also directly make an offer through the recruitment app. Um, so the salary configurator that we talked about before is available from the recruitment app. And you can directly make an offer. Then the candidate can sign the contract online. So it doesn't need to come to the office to sign a paper. Everything is done, uh, on your computer.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 13:38

And, uh, just to make another jump, uh, we're we're gonna speak a bit about the salary configurator and the cars you can get through. Uh Odoo. For example. But also how you can use it for your own company. So stay tuned for that information. Um, could you please tell me a bit more about your work process and also more deeply about, um, what was the cost of hiring then? Because before we had the recruitment apps, kind of we, we were, uh, sourcing externally those process, uh, what were the costs then versus now?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 14:18

Yeah. So, um, as I told you before, I was working cost to go with a recruitment agency. And, uh, for a developer profile, for example, it's approximately like ten K, so it's huge. Um, and with Odoo, uh, right now at Odoo in the recruitment team, we work, uh, only like with the recruiters we have internally. We do not work with external partners. We don't need it. Um, so I would say that, like apart from our salaries and using the tools, etc.. Odoo, uh, there is no cost of hiring. Like, we, um, we don't go with external partners for recruiting.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 14:58

But we. I'll have the referral, uh, tool. Right.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 15:01

Indeed. Uh, so the referral, uh, program is reward if you refer a friend. Uh, so, for example, if you are, you know, someone who would be interested in working at Odoo, you can send them your referral link. And then if the person applies and gets hired, of course, you will get a reward, uh, which is a voucher on the platform where you can buy a lot of stuff. Um, and uh, when I started at Odoo, we didn't have the referral app yet, so we were manually encoding everything in the recruitment app. It took us a lot of time because of course, when you refer someone you want to know, uh, in which step you they are from the recruitment process. Um, and so employees were coming to see us, uh, almost every day asking us, uh, okay. Is my friend hired or not? And I can totally understand, of course. But now everything is done on the referral app. So you can see if you refer someone the different steps, uh, if they are getting refused, you can also see the reason, um, and then if the person is hired, you will see directly in the app that you can claim your voucher and get it automatically. Okay.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 16:10

And so for, uh, let's say a company that would specifically, uh, especially for the recruitment, uh, how much time would they need to be ready?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 16:22

Um, I would say that it's quite, uh, fast. For example, I have a friend of mine who is working for a big, uh, factory, um, and their Odoo customers, they were using a lot of, uh, Odoo apps, but not recruitment yet. And when they started to use recruitment, it took them, like one week to get everything ready in the app and on the website. The only thing you need to do first is to have your job description ready. But actually, it's something that you have to be like, it's not Odoo-related. And then when everything is ready, you just publish the job. And then from then, uh, from this moment, people can already apply on your website. So it's pretty quick. Um, and of course, if you want to have the salary configurator and payroll, it might take a bit longer. Uh, it might take a bit longer, but, um, if you just want to recruit and to publish the job, it like one week is the maximum, I would say. So it's quite quick.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 17:17

Okay. And would it be relevant to any company

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 17:21

Yeah, sure. Um, so for example, when I started at tool to recruit. Now we are we are more than 1003 hundred and it's still the perfect tool. And even my father, he has a small business. Um, I'm pretty sure that if he needs to recruit someone right now, um, he would use Odoo. And it would be the perfect tool for him as well.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 17:44

Okay, then, let's sign him up.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 17:47

Yes, sure. If I can give, uh, some of, uh, I can first one to get it, uh.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 17:56

Ask for your kids. Um, could you please remind to between all apps? That would be great. Yeah.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 18:06

So to explain a bit, the process from application applies, uh, to, uh, to Odoo, you will get the application in the recruitment app. From there, you can create a contract and send them the salary configurator. When the person signs through the sign application, it will create a contract. And so an employee profile. So into the employee app um from the employee app you can request an appraisal. And so it's also linked to your appraisal application. And at the end of the month of course you need to pay your employees. And so you can use the payroll application to do so. Um, so everything is integrated, which means that you don't have to go and create the PDF in the sign app and then, uh, download it and put it in the employee profile. Everything is integrated so you don't have to do everything manually. Uh Odoo will take care of it for you.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 19:02

And for the payroll application. Uh, so you talked about, uh, paying salaries. Is it possible to just press a button and pay or do you still have to connect to your bank, or how does it work?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 19:12

So, um, it's a bit more complicated than just years ago, we were working with a social secretary. Um, and, um, it was a lot of processes because, you know, it's a lot of admin stuff to pay salaries and, to have the time off, etc.. Um, and uh, now we have our own payroll application so we don't go with an external partner, uh, as well, like for recruitment. And everything is done in Odoo. So it's just a few clicks, but in a few clicks, you can pay the salaries of all your employees, which is actually quite magic as well.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 19:53

So that means as well that you are able to employee leaves. The company. For another thing, you can generate everything.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 20:02

Yeah. And you can have it directly into your sign So one more time, the person doesn't need to come to the office to sign the paper. You can do everything, uh, online.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 20:13

And about the sign application. I heard that we are using some kind of AI, and we can detect everything that's written on a page that we just scanned. How does it work?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 20:22

Yeah. So, for example, if you need to fill some, have matching files and you will be able to complete it through AI. So it's a pretty like you gain a lot of time thanks to this feature.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 20:38

Okay. Uh, would you have maybe an anecdote to

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 20:43

Yeah. So, um, as you might know, we recruit a lot Belgium. Sure. Um, and so, uh, I have one employee that, uh, started like six months ago is called Ali, and he's a developer. And I remember that when I made him the offer, we were in a call, and he was so happy about it because he lives, he lived in Egypt and he was relocating to Belgium, and he was so happy about it. And when he came to Belgium, um, it was the beginning of autumn. And so he saw the leaves changing colors, and he was like, oh my God, this is so beautiful. I love Belgium. And then we had snow for the first time, and he was so happy about it. And so when I realized that, um, I kind of, uh, changed people's life, I'm so happy about it. And I really love Ali. So nice. Uh, he's one of my friends now, so I'm happy about it.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 21:37

What a nice anecdote. I like that, uh, and then to conclude, uh, do you have maybe any last advice?

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 21:44

Um, if you want to get the job of your dreams, I Um, if you never try, you will never know. So apply and take the risk, and it might pay off. So. Yeah.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 21:57

Get it. All right, then. That's a wrap. Thank you very much for your time.

MATHILDE VERLAINE: 22:02

Thank you Arthur.

ARTHUR CARIAT: 22:03

Thank you Mathilde. Bye bye. Well, that's a wrap. I hope you had a great time with us. Don't hesitate to engage in the pad that we created so we can interact and answer your questions. Busuu.