Being HR today: a demanding and strategic job

To begin with, could you introduce yourself and tell us about your career? 

My name is Flaubert Vuillier, I'm 54 years old and I have a master's degree in private law. My career path has not been linear: I took the time to find my way. At the time, when I was doing an exercise that was almost anecdotal, the letters «HR» came to me. I had a background in law, a taste for human contact and a real interest in business: human resources was an obvious choice.

I started my career at Club Med in HR, initially in an operational position and then by structuring the HR function and becoming head of the establishment.

I then joined McDonald's in Aix-en-Provence as an HR adviser to franchisees, managing complex issues and sometimes tense industrial relations, before being called in to the head office to support HR teams at national level.

Finally, at Sushi Shop, In 2007, I structured the HR function and managed a team of 35 people, covering training, payroll, recruitment and skills development.

After these experiences, I felt the need to stand on my own two feet and I founded The HR Manufacture. Our aim is clear: to help HR managers do their jobs better and feel better in their day-to-day work. We support HR departments in recruiting their teams, whatever their expertise, but also through HR coaching. The HR function is a paradox: it is very much in touch with people, but often extremely isolated within the company, with obligations and responsibilities that few other functions can really measure.
We work in particular on posture, communication and leadership, and provide HRDs with an ecosystem of partners (training, lawyers, occupational health, etc.).

I've also created an HR podcast, «13th month», available on Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and now on YouTube. With 60 episodes to choose from, I welcome HR managers, players from the world of Human Resources: former RAID negotiator, neuropsychologist and other management and leadership experts.
Finally, I'm also involved in the mentoring HR start-ups.

What are the biggest challenges facing HR in today's constantly changing environment?

The question is vast, because the challenges are many. The first is undoubtedly that of artificial intelligence. The HR function is at a real crossroads. AI is already present in HR tools, but
It is also a major challenge for the company as a whole, particularly in terms of skills management and business transformation.

I am deeply convinced that the issue is not to choose between the human or the machine, but to think about the human. with the machine. AI represents an opportunity, provided it is properly framed, understood and used. HR departments have every right to work closely with IT departments and IT teams on these issues.

Another major challenge concerns pay transparency, This involves in-depth work on job descriptions, gap analysis, the notion of equivalent value and the construction of coherent pay bands. This involves in-depth work on job descriptions, gap analysis, the notion of equivalent value and the construction of coherent pay bands. This issue, which stems from the desire to strengthen gender equality, is forcing companies to rethink their practices in depth.

HR also has to deal with societal issues. The company is a micro-society and can no longer be hermetically sealed off from what is happening outside. The boundary between professional and personal life has become considerably blurred. HR managers now have to manage issues such as the rise in verbal violence, relational tensions, political instability and health crises, in a way that is consistent with the company's values and culture.

In addition, there are issues relating to skills transformation, which is largely accelerated by AI, as well as the problems of health at work, quality of life and mental health. Burn-out, psychosocial risks, work organisation: these issues have long been underestimated. Superficial initiatives are not enough to correct deviant or toxic management methods. Mental health is now a national cause, and HR managers are in the front line on these issues.

What are your tips for building a high-performance, committed HR team? 

First of all, you need to know surround yourself well. That's our job at La Manufacture RH: to identify the right profiles. Having held and managed a number of HR functions, I'm very familiar with the realities on the ground and I'm in daily contact with HR managers. A lot of HR talent is not visible on the market.

Secondly, I'm convinced that there are no bad employees, but rather contexts that don't fit. To have committed teams, you have to be committed yourself. The HR Director must be a «A coaching coach», It's about being able to choose the people you want to work with. There is a real difference between a team that is chosen and one that is submissive. Human fit and the ability to share a common language are essential, all the more so in HR where we work on profoundly human, sometimes thankless and emotionally demanding issues.

Lastly, the HR department must have a a strong position on the executive committee. The CEO-HRD partnership is fundamental. It is often said that the HRD whispers in the CEO's ear. They need to be able to express their vision, make proposals and sometimes disagree. This posture helps to give meaning and a clear direction to his teams.
In a profoundly uncertain world, the HRD must be a captain capable of setting a course, even in the midst of a storm. Crises come and go: the challenge is no longer to wait for them, but to know how to steer through uncertainty.

What is the most difficult emotional burden for HR to manage, and how do you deal with it?

The emotional charge is omnipresent in the HR function, even if it is often underestimated. Only those who have never conducted a redundancy interview think that it is trivial. Announcing a termination, expressing criticism or managing conflict situations is not pleasant for anyone, but it's part of the job.
It's never a case of randomly dismissing someone, but of finding that an employment contract has not been respected. This in no way detracts from the human dimension of these situations.

For me, the major difficulty remains loneliness. We often talk about the loneliness of the manager, but the loneliness of the HR Director is even more marked. The HR Director is caught in a vice between pressure from employees, general management, managers and sometimes social partners. The function is heavily criticised, often without all the decision-making factors being known. We notice more what's going wrong than what's working.

It is therefore essential for HR to have a protected area, where they can express themselves freely, take a step back and receive support. To feel good about others, you first have to feel good about yourself.

What advice would you give on how to remain effective and conserve energy in the HR function?

The key word, in my opinion, is the opening. Too many HR managers allow themselves to be absorbed by the daily grind, the pressure and the files, at the risk of shutting themselves off. Open up to yourself, get to know yourself better, identify your levers for recovery (sport, for example), but also open up to others: networks, associations, exchanges between peers.

Sharing allows you to get out of the tunnel, to take a step back and sometimes to discover solutions you wouldn't have thought of. It's important to distinguish between spending time and investing time.

This openness also applies to AI, societal developments and changes in the workplace. The more AI progresses, the more strategic the HR function will become. The human element remains the real added value. We are social beings, and the need for connection remains fundamental.
Teleworking and AI raise new questions: how can we make employees want to come to the company? The company should be a place for collaboration, exchange and the creation of collective value. It's not just a physical space, but a place where you feel you're missing out on something if you're not there.

The HR function is demanding, but deeply fascinating and essential to the sustainable performance of companies.