Mission Impossible? Not for us!

We were in Marbella for the Econocom EMM last November. Enter Jean-Louis Bouchard, Hélène Lory Delambre and Chantal De Vrieze. Wearing hats and black sunglasses, the very special agents disrupted the ongoing presentation to highlight a mainstay of the One Econocom strategic plan: Mission Impossible, an ambitious recruitment plan aiming to expand our salesforce by hiring 156 sales representatives, including 100 independent sales agents, by 2026. They will be critical to achieving the €800 M organic growth objectives outlined in the strategic plan. To bring you insight into this extraordinary initiative, Econocom Stories infiltrated the Mission Impossible Team for a few days…

The Econocom agent model: a mainstay for over four decades

Hélène Lory-Delambre, Executive Director for Strategic Development (EPS) and member of the project team, says it loud and proud: « The model has no equivalent in the sector. Through the benefits offered to agents, the company and of course our clients, we’ve created a unique model that’s now more connected than ever to the changing world of work. »

Econocom has been building on its Sales Agent model for four decades, contributing significantly to its performance. The approach is based on shared values, including audacity, honesty and responsiveness, guiding relationships between principal and agent in pursuit of common interests.

As independent professionals, agents enjoy autonomy over client negotiation and consultancy and work closely with the Econocom teams to develop offerings tailored to clients’ expectations.

The benefits extend to the agents, Econocom and clients. The agents’ independence, coupled with the constant pursuit of client satisfaction, provides stable business dealings and exceptional retention. For clients, it guarantees a lasting relationship with a trusted middleman. In short, a relationship, as Hélène Lory-Delambre explains, that is a « win-win-win for the agents, business and clients… »

An extraordinary project and exceptional communications campaign…

Laura Barracco, Deputy Managing Director Technology Management & Financing and member of the project team in communications, explains: « Econocom has a certain notoriety but that needs to be boosted. The sales agents programme is unprecedented in the market and not known or understood enough by the market-leading sales representatives we want to attract. »

This acculturation issue, whether the independent sales agents to convince or in-house sales representatives likely to be drawn to a new career, demands a mass communications campaign, externally and internally. As Laura Barracco stresses, « communication is going to be the project’s fuel, setting the pace and progress and, obviously, inspiring all the audiences we want to persuade. »

Externally, the company has also launched a call for tender involving several communications agencies to support Econocom on the project’s strategic and creative aspects in the next three years, across all of the group’s markets. Local deployment will happen in synergy with all marketing and communications officers in the countries and business lines to launch the project whilst considering individual specificities.

An ambitious organization in Human Resources too

As Sophie Latourrette, Group Talent Management Director and member of the project team, explains: « We have defined a multi-channel sourcing strategy, including internal and external co-option, partnerships selected at group and country level with renowned recruitment firms, the use of artificial intelligence tools, social media and associated services, to have ‘firepower’ enabling us to screen the market and target the necessary profiles and hunting grounds across Europe. » Contracts with all our partners will be reviewed and renegotiated to incorporate strict quality criteria making it possible to monitor and adjust the process in real time if necessary and keep the partners motivated over the long term.

Furthermore, a support group is in place to lead and support the sourcing and recruitment process over time, providing all the key elements of the project, including the profiles sought, the model’s specificity, the career path and the employer brand kit.

Finally, the Mission Impossible project is also an opportunity for Econocom to redefine its employer brand and communicate its many distinguishing features in the European market. Amidst fierce competition to attract and retain sales talents, « this ambitious project is a major strength to develop our attractiveness, increase our ability to recruit the best and build our reputation as an employer of choice. »

As we approach the first quarter of 2024, the internal and external communications plan’s imminent launch marks a crucial step in the ambitious deployment of Econocom’s Mission Impossible project. After months of close collaboration with all countries, national management committees and support functions, the group is now ready to structure its approach and roll out the programme country by country, activity by activity.