

Now that you’ve found your dream job in France, how do you get shortlisted with that perfect CV? It’s important to remember that every country has its own CV standards to abide to. This may impact the structure, length, and general format among other things. Depending on the industry type, even the tone that… Read more »
Friday, 12 February 2021 marks the beginning of the new lunar year. This year will be the Year of the Ox. The second of all zodiac animals. Also known as Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, or Chunjie (China); Tet (Vietnam); Seollal (Korea); or Losar (Tibet), Lunar New Year is celebrated by about 1.5 billion people around the… Read more »
Do you feel a sense of stigma when negotiating your salary? Feel uncomfortable when placing emphasis on your salary package? This feeling can be magnified in times like COVID-19, when the job market is oversaturated and the future seems uncertain. Whilst this is true, negotiating a fair salary is not only valid and reasonable,… Read more »
We’re thrilled to share that Polyglot Group is now certified for Business France’s Cheque Relance Export! But wait a second… What is it and why does it matter? What is the Cheque Relance Export? For those of you who don’t speak or understand French, “Relance Export” translates to “Reboot Trade”. Unsurprisingly, since COVID-19, businesses… Read more »
Company culture is the heart of a business, a set of shared beliefs adopted by all the people in the organisation and supporting its strategy and structure. According to Deloitte’s research, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe strong company culture is essential for a thriving business. In today’s day and age, employees… Read more »
On the 30th of January 2020, the World Health Organisation’s Director – General declared a Public Health Emergency of international concern due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the beginning of a domino effect that would shape our current job market. Indeed, the dynamics that once drove the recruitment industry changed dramatically as governments… Read more »
In Australia, there are 8 national public holidays observed as part of the National Employment Standards (NES) that underpin employment throughout the country. In addition to these key dates, some states and territories also have additional regional public holidays or substitute public holidays. Substitute public holidays mean that if a public holiday falls on… Read more »
France observes and celebrates a number of holidays throughout the year, whether religious holidays, seasonal holidays, or national holidays relevant to the history of France. Should your foreign business have a presence in France, it is important to keep on top of all public holidays from a HR compliance perspective. For ease, we’ve summarised all… Read more »
Spain observes and celebrates a sizeable number of holidays throughout the year. Most of these, however, are regional holidays, celebrated only by select few provinces or even cities. Should your foreign business have a presence in Spain, it is important to keep on top of all public holidays from a HR compliance perspective. For… Read more »
Expanding your business overseas is far from a walk in the park. In fact, between figuring out how best to expand, researching and complying with the numerous local laws as well as handling local employment steps amongst many other things, expansion remains a considerable challenge for most businesses looking to enter a new market.… Read more »
Founded and headquartered in the south-west of France, Polyglot Group’s intercultural communication partner is now the second largest independent pharmaceutical company in France, with branches in 44 locations and distribution agreements in over 130 countries. Pierre Fabre started its business more than 50 years ago, and settled into Australia in 2001.
"Polyglot Group's knowledge of both the French & Australian markets was, and still is, extremely beneficial & suited to our needs. Their ability to understand details & regulations from both sides is a big plus for us. Their tenacity & service were invaluable to our company." Florence Edmond - MD for Pierre Fabre Australia
The French Pharmaceutical giant, Pierre Fabre looked to continue its international expansion through rapid growth and further business development. Specifically, Pierre Fabre aspired to transform the Australian representative office into a subsidiary (Pierre Fabre Medicament Australia). This transition involved the internalisation of distribution, logistics, sales and customer service.
As such, the French Pharmaceutical giant sought an intercultural communication partner with expertise in both French and Australian local markets. Pierre Fabre’s rapid growth meant they also needed a partner who inherently understood the value of timeliness, and responded accordingly. The Polyglot Group proved to be the perfect partner for these specific values – a partnership which has thrived since 2012.
Pierre Fabre originally approached The Polyglot Group with HR concerns that arose from the new Australian subsidiary. Initially, Pierre Fabre needed to create employment contracts which ensured compliance with Australian law and legislation. Pierre Fabre’s HR needs did not stop there: the Australian subsidiary gave rise to many more requirements such as the need for new policies and procedures, as well as necessary Australian-based salary benchmarks. Overall, Pierre Fabre sought a HR partner who would provide expert and practical HR advice around the clock. For Pierre Fabre, this support was essential for bridging the social differences between French and Australian business cultures.
As our intercultural communication partnership with Pierre Fabre grew, they soon viewed us as a holistic partner, and as such, asked us to fulfil a diverse range of needs. Soon, Pierre Fabre looked to The Polyglot Group for recruitment solutions, including the recruitment of a new CFO. Pierre Fabre’s transition from a representative office to a subsidiary meant they needed to fulfil a number of different roles across sales, marketing, supply chain management, and accounting. Overall, The Polyglot Group was relied upon to source best talent for multiple roles.
The Australian subsidiary also generated payroll obligations—a time-consuming requirement which Pierre Fabre simply did not have time to perform internally. In addition, payroll obligations were difficult for Pierre Fabre to perform independently, as the company was largely unfamiliar with the Australian laws and legislation. As such, Pierre Fabre looked to The Polyglot Group to fulfil all of their payroll obligations.
As Pierre Fabre’s Australian presence grew and changed, so did their needs. As such, Pierre Fabre’s top priority was having the support of a specialised partner who could provide expert support, and continually adapt to their evolving needs.
The Polyglot Group understands that every business is different—accordingly, tailor-made solutions are our speciality. This proved to be fundamental for Pierre Fabre, as we continually modified our service in accordance with the development of the Australian subsidiary and proved to be a suitable intercultural communication partner.
Beginning with Pierre Fabre’s HR needs, we initially created a tailor-made HR support plan for the company. This support included HR Administration, HR Hotline, and HR Newsfeed–all of which ensured Pierre Fabre was up-to-date with the latest Australian legislation. Using our proactive approach, The Polyglot Group solved each of Pierre Fabre’s concerns: from the drafting of employment contracts, all the way through to creating new policies and procedures. Our commitment to Pierre Fabre saw us go one step further to ensure best practices for their Australian operation. The Polyglot Group HR experts (including the CEO, Corinne Bot) conducted an on-site HR audit to thoroughly assess and optimise Pierre Fabre’s HR practices.
To create an ideal Australian team for Pierre Fabre, we sourced the best talent to fulfil recruitment needs. Over the years, we recruited 30 ideal candidates, ranging from a permanent CFO to a multilingual Beauty Advisor.
When it came to outsourcing payroll requirements, Pierre Fabre did not incur any set-backs. The Polyglot Group was swift to update Pierre Fabre’s tailored solution to include the responsibility for all payroll obligations.
The Polyglot Group’s mission is to help international companies expand by bringing pragmatic solutions. Accordingly, we adopted a proactive approach to helping Pierre Fabre develop their Australian presence through continuous support. In choosing their intercultural communication partner, Pierre Fabre knew that expert help was just an email or phone call away.
We did not only provide leading advice, but also helped Pierre Fabre to implement these practical solutions, which were often required urgently. Florence Edmond, Managing Director at Pierre Fabre reported “Reactivity and timing are very efficient at Polyglot: I am able to pick up the phone and make a call to… Polyglot directly.”
Our expertise in both French and Australian business gave Pierre Fabre the confidence in knowing they were implementing best practices for creating the Australian subsidiary.