Jet Import is one of the largest distributors of premium beverages and snacks in the Benelux, with brands such as Red Bull, Fever-Tree, Copperhead Gin, Salitos, Vithit, and Fulfil in its portfolio.
We are a company with a Dutch-speaking DNA. Our HR department is Dutch-speaking, and we had a real difficulty connecting with French-speaking candidates, for two reasons. First, it was a matter of network: in Flanders, we have many contacts with schools and universities, but this was far less the case in Wallonia. Secondly, I believe that Dutch-speaking and French-speaking candidates do not always share the same characteristics, and we wanted to take these cultural differences into account.
In short, we received many spontaneous applications in Flanders thanks to our network and Jet Import’s reputation, but we did not have the same reach in Wallonia.
On top of that, we were experiencing strong growth. In three years, we added several brands to our portfolio such as Capri-Sun, Jägermeister, Fritz-Kola, Perrier, and of course Red Bull, which continues to grow year after year. To support this development, we needed to recruit in Wallonia with a specialised approach, while we did not have the internal resources to do so.
For us, the relationship with the consultant was a key factor. Before Profile Group, we had already worked with other agencies in Wallonia.
What struck me was that most of them immediately started talking about financial conditions, without really trying to understand us. They sent me profiles very quickly. Out of ten, maybe nine did not match our expectations at all. I had to do the filtering myself.
Ludovic did the opposite. He first came to visit us. He discovered our environment and culture and spoke with different stakeholders: HR, management, and operational teams. He understood who we are and what we were looking for. Together, we defined a clear framework before he started his search.
I had to wait a bit longer for the first profiles, but they were already much more targeted. In the first weeks, he asked me to be as critical as possible in my feedback so he could better understand us. And over time, the profiles became increasingly aligned with what we were looking for.
Today, after three years of collaboration, whenever I receive a profile, I always know why Ludovic is sending it to me. I no longer need to do a second screening. Ludovic also comes back to visit us every year (he even attended our staff party) to meet the teams and refresh his understanding of our DNA.
Very quickly, we decided to give him exclusivity for our recruitment in Wallonia, which is absolutely not how we usually operate in Flanders.
We started by testing Ludovic on one position and quickly entrusted him with all our recruitment in Wallonia. Today, there is virtually no French-speaking profile at Jet Import that does not come from Profile Group, except for a few spontaneous applications. Even in Brussels, Profile Group finds the majority of our candidates.
At a time when our HR department was heavily overloaded, we even asked Profile Group to manage all our spontaneous applications. We systematically redirected everything to Ludovic.
What strikes me the most is that when I speak to a candidate introduced by Ludovic for the first time, they are already engaged and want to learn more. Ludovic truly embodies Jet Import’s employer brand.
I also notice that very few candidates drop out during the recruitment process, despite its demanding nature. This is a major advantage, as we invest a lot of time in each stage of the hiring process.