Client Testimonial
HR Insourcing: Thyssenkrupp Material France’s
successful experience
In this interview between Ludovic Grignola, managing director, and Nathalie Séverin, director of Social and HR Consulting at Primexis, find out how Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe France started an HR insourcing project with our team’s support following a carve out.
Ludovic Grignola : I am the managing director at Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe France (TKMPE France). We are a Service Center that transforms steel coils for car manufacturers and an industrial customer. We are part of the German Thyssenkrupp group and part of the European network of service centers, which allows us to address higher-volume markets.
Nathalie Severin : I work with companies on their HR development or transformation projects, managing their labor management relations, and optimizing their HR performances. It was in this context that Primexis helped Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing France with their human resources insourcing project.
Nathalie Severin, Director of Social and HR Consulting at Primexis, Ludovic Grignola,
Managing Director at Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe France, and Julie Cottencin,
Financial and Administrative Manager at Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe France.
Why did TKMPE decide to reintegrate their HR internally?
LG : We recently reintegrated our HR following a carve out that we successfully completed on July 1, 2023, and to do this, we had to bring our HR management up to standards and, beyond that, get our employees to adhere to and integrate into the company’s strategy.
NS : Human resources insourcing is carried out in two major stages: the first phase consisted of reappropriating all the HR documentation that had been centralized within the group’s Share Service Center (SSC). This was done in three stages: the first consisted of taking inventory of all the HR documentation; the second step was an analysis and recommendations on regulatory and contractual compliance with regard to the new legal entity; and finally, the third stage was to rewrite the HR processes and policies in collaboration with senior management.
At the same, we administered the day-to-day management of human resources at Thyssenkrupp France. This was done through various actions such as preparing and participating in Social and Economic Committee (CSE) meetings, disciplinary and litigation management, and more broadly, personnel administration, as well as onboarding and offboarding employees.
Following these initial actions, we also ran communication campaigns, mainly led by Ludovic Grignola for the demerger, particularly with employee but also by HR, to explain to employees what new HR processes and policies were being implemented throughout 2023 were. These communication initiatives showcased the senior management’s strong commitment to re-insourcing its human resources and encouraged the employees’ involvement in the life of the company.
LG : There are three key success factors for this project. First, attentiveness. This allowed Nathalie Séverin to understand our structure and ours needs. The second was the expertise and skills that allowed all the necessary tools to be implemented. The third was the communication and conversations with our internal teams, which enabled us to develop this HR strategy.
What are the key success factors of this project?
NS : The project’s success depends on close collaboration between TKMPE France and Primexis. It’s a question of understanding the senior management’s wishes, history, business, culture, and men and women.
What is the roadmap for TKMPE France’s HR team in 2024?
LG : The roadmap for 2024, set up with Primexis, is to structure the integration of the HR skills, which we identified as being key to our business. Today’s team is young and needs to be aligned with the company’s format so that they are able to take over from the Primexis team.
NS : We have listed all the HR areas that still need to be covered. We have identified the right people to carry out this project, and we have also drawn up a schedule of priorities and corresponding deadlines. For example, the demerger led to renegotiating the company’s agreements.
Why did you choose Primexis?
LG: We chose Primexis, initially, to carry out a payroll project in the old company. In July 2023, when we were to become independent, I needed to ensure that the HR structure would be at the right level. We then met the Primexis HR team. Nathalie Séverin understood the challenges and how we wanted to organize our HR too, and as such, we succeeded in our joint assignment.
Today, we are in the midst of rolling out our future HR department. Over the months, we have managed to establish a close working partnership, which allows us to implement the HR policy we wanted. I can only recommend the support we have received because it is truly valuable.
This collaboration allowed Thyssenkrupp Materials Processing Europe to successfully reintegrate its HR and strengthen its employees’ commitment.
To find out more about our HR Audit & Support services, please visit our dedicated page.
