In this episode, I was joined by Vincent Cano, Chief People Officer at Agicap, a fast-growing fintech company based in Paris. We discussed lessons learned from failed attempts at rolling out global HR policies, balancing consistency with local needs when expanding internationally, determining critical roles to add during rapid growth, and more.
Episode Highlights:
2:22 - Need to customize policies to different local norms and cultures
6:07 - Get local buy-in when translating HR policies across regions
8:25 - Think long term, stay close to local markets, get the right leaders when expanding internationally
15:54 - Organizational design flexibility critical even if aligned to business goals
18:47 - Bring in HR specialists only when scale and needs are clear
27:34 - Build HR function around key employee lifecycle touchpoints
Vincent and I discuss lessons learned from failed attempts at rolling out global HR policies without properly adapting them to local contexts and cultures. Vincent emphasizes the need to get local buy-in, understand political and cultural nuances, and find the right local leadership when expanding globally.
We also talk about determining critical roles to add as organizations scale, while maintaining flexibility in organizational design. Even if structure is aligned to business goals, things change quickly during hypergrowth periods so agility is key. Vincent covers building out the HR function and specializations like learning & development only when there is enough clarity on needs and resources to support it. A key framework he discusses is structuring people operations around vital employee lifecycle touchpoints - effective talent acquisition, smooth onboarding, impactful development, and proactive retention.
One of the best pieces of advice Vincent gives in this episode is that when expanding internationally, companies need to think long term, stay closely connected to local markets even after launch, and ensure the right local leaders are in place to drive success.
About Vincent Cano:
Vincent Cano is currently the Chief People Officer at Agicap, a fast-growing FinTech providing cash flow management solutions to SMEs across Europe. He has international experience leading people operations and HR functions during rapid scaling and growth stages at both startups and mature global companies.