Joséphine Noirot-Nérin's Interview

Joséphine Noirot-Nérin

"The main challenge will be to create a sense of collective unity and adherence, at all levels of Smile France, around our DNA and purpose. " Human resources director.

 09 june 2024, by Rayene Imane Chikhi 

Rayene: Can you introduce yourself?

Joséphine: Hello, my name is Joséphine Noirot-Nerin, I am 38 years old and I was born in Paris. I joined the Smile adventure on May 2nd as the HR Director of Smile France.

Sport has always played an important role in my life, particularly volleyball and tennis, which I have had the opportunity to play competitively. Values such as team spirit and self-improvement are strong drivers for me :)

Outside of sports, I am passionate about contemporary dance. The movement of the dancing body and its raw expression fascinate and inspire me.

Rayene: A few words about your professional background?

Joséphine: I have 15 years of experience in the field of digital transformation, and I chose a career in HR very early on. I saw in this profession the opportunity to contribute to giving meaning and promoting professional fulfillment.

Smile is the fourth digital services company I have joined. My career revolves around two main areas: the deployment of HR policies and the structuring and support of teams in a high-growth context.

The biggest challenge of my career so far was during my last experience. When I arrived, we were 900 employees and I managed an HR team of 10 people. Four years later, the company passed the symbolic threshold of 1,500 employees and my team tripled. The HR function became a strong and strategic lever to support the company's growth. I worked particularly on recruitment, employer brand development, change management, management support, and career paths to foster skills development.

Rayene: Why the digital sector?

Joséphine: The choice of the digital sector came naturally to me :) First of all, it is a constantly evolving sector that requires great agility and a strong business orientation. Moreover, in digital service companies, human beings are at the heart of the company. It is therefore essential to support employees in their development and guide them so they can provide the best possible service to our clients.

Rayene: How did you come to join Smile?

Joséphine: I was referred by Coralie Blot, the Lille agency director. We were colleagues in a previous experience. In fact, we faced some great challenges together back then! Ludovic Perdrijat was looking for someone to lead HR for Smile France and Coralie thought of me :) When I heard about the project and the challenge, I was immediately captivated and found myself aligned with Smile's values and DNA. This is how the opportunity to create the HR Director position for Smile France came about.

Rayene: What are your main missions and what are the challenges of your position?

Joséphine: As HR Director, my missions are to lead social dialogue, employee development, recruitment, and employer branding. The main challenge will be to create a sense of collective unity and adherence, at all levels of Smile France, around our DNA and purpose. One of my priorities will be to bring together and create more synergies between the HRBP, Recruitment, and Social Relations functions to share a common vision of the HR strategy.