Founder Stories: How we conquered the US market and built an amazing team (PeopleDoc)
Jonathan Benhamou and Clément Buyse started their own company with no work experience in 2007. Today, they have 1.5 million users and more than 400 client companies. Benhamou and Buyse describe their initial naivety as a real strength — “when you haven’t worked before you have to make up your own model”.
From 2 to 200
In early 2014 they were 30 employees and they are now 120; planning to be 200 at the end of 2016. The purpose of PeopleDoc being providing a great HR management software, they empathize on knowing how to build a team that has diverse skills. The key for them is having a reliable and trustworthy middle management.
How not to make mistakes hiring
Spoiler: you will make mistakes. But you can limit these by making the reference calls — “an hour interview is nothing” says Benhamou — and do a lot of interview rounds. Don’t be scared to be honest: describe exactly to the people what their missions will be, say what you expect from them, and ask them what they think. The idea? “Transform a “classic” interview into a projection of what work at your company will be like” says Buyse.
How to make it in America
Their ambition being to become a global leader in software, the decision to move to the US seemed like a no-brainer. To launch in the US “you need to be prepared, but not too much”, says Buyse: “if you’re already ready, then it is too late”. For any founder out there looking to make it in the US, Benhamou and Buyse’s story will be of interest.
In this video (in French), Benhamou and Buyse explain the root of their success. You will find all our Founder Stories in this YouTube channel.
CrunchBase: PeopleDoc
- Description: The only Cloud-based HR Service Delivery platform that automates processes in all stages of the employee lifecycle, from hire to retire.
- Headquarters: New York, New York
- Categories: Innovation Management, Human Resources, SaaS
- Founders: Jonathan Benhamou, Clément Buyse
- Website:http://www.people-doc.com
Julie Henches, Le Hub Bpifrance
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