Sonnar

“The issue isn’t so much about cultural fit, but rather fundamental shared professional values that don’t really vary from one company to another.” Navigating the Most Common Recruitment Pitfalls: Key Takeaways from Industry Experts During a recent panel discussion with Alexis Fogel (CEO of Stonly), Antoine Freysz (CEO and Co-founder of Kerala Ventures), and the co-founders of Sonnar, we explored the most common recruitment errors and how to build a robust hiring process to avoid them. Our panel explored: - Common pitfalls in recruitment - How to overcome hiring biases - Why 'cultural fit' is more than a buzzword - And how to avoid costly hiring mistakes! Curious about how to build a bulletproof hiring process? 👉 Read the full blog post to uncover 10 key insights and actionable advice on mastering recruitment to drive growth and success. (Link in the comments)

⏳ Something exciting is coming! Next week, we’re revealing the second episode of our new video series, CEOs Confidences - The Challenging Art of Building Great Teams, where we dive deep into the minds of some of the most inspiring startup founders. In Episode #2, we sit down with Jean de Rauglaudre, Cofounder & CEO of Collective.work. This conversation is packed with valuable insights, so we really couldn’t cut much of it! Jean opens up about everything—from scaling a sales team, pivoting the business, and conserving your energy as a co-founder, the art of "hiring" your co-founder and even navigating tough times and doubts. With full transparency and zero taboo, this episode is a must-watch! Stay tuned.

We recently hosted our latest dinner, diving into hiring mistakes with a cofounders crowd! This event is part of an exclusive series where C-level executives and investors come together for inspiring conversations (and fun times). In this edition, we were honored to feature a panel of industry leaders, including Alexis Fogel, CEO & Co-founder of Stonly, and Antoine Freysz, entrepreneur & Co-founder of Kerala Ventures. Recruitment mistakes can be costly—not just in terms of time and resources, but also for the impact they have on the team and company culture. Here are a few takeaways: 1. The importance of clearly defining the need: this is often an area people tend to overlook, yet it's essential to have a clear understanding of your organization’s needs, prepare a detailed scorecard, and define precisely what you should be hunting for. 2. Avoid complacency in recruitment processes: building on the long experience of recruiting 200 executives and managers for startups and SMEs at Kerala, being lazy or rushing through critical steps like reference checks or technical evaluations because of time pressure, most often lead to poor hiring decisions. 3. Overcome biases: preferences for candidates with shiny backgrounds or a lack of rigor when assessing senior profiles are common biases. Structured evaluations focusing on value addition are essential, for all candidates regardless of background or years of experience. 4. Manage emotional investment: investing time in a recruitment process can create emotional biaises and cloud the judgment. 5. Identify red flags early: avoid candidates who can’t share their values nor personality traits or who speak predominantly in terms of individual achievements rather than team success. 6. Use the probation period effectively: it’s an extended evaluation phase. Leverage the probation period to objectively evaluate their performance against objectives. 7. Balance “cultural fit” and diversity: don’t let cultural fit become a barrier to diverse hires. Embrace varied backgrounds while ensuring alignment with non-negotiable values like respect and equality. 8. Communicate expectations transparently: be 100% upfront about performance metrics, engagement levels like working hours, and remote policy during the hiring process. Recruitment success is not just about finding the best resume—it's about identifying those who align with your company's culture and values, and who can make a meaningful impact from day one. A big thank you to our outstanding speakers and all the passionate attendees who made it a night of valuable insights and dynamic exchanges. Stay tuned for more exciting events!

🎉 Exciting News! We are thrilled to announce that Marc Sajot has joined Sonnar! Marc brings a wealth of experience in identifying top-tier talent across various industries, with past successes in tech, finance, luxury, renewable energy, and social work. Before joining us, Marc specialized in sourcing high-level profiles for tech startups at GetPro in Paris. Before that, Marc operated as an independent consultant in London, handling international recruitments for development and IT roles. He led recruitment projects for prestigious companies such as Coca-Cola European Partners, Hermès, and McKinsey & Company. In parallel, he served as a Software and Technology Consultant at Software Club, where he identified promising tech companies for investment funds and interviewed industry experts. Marc is a certified career coach from Animas School for Coaching in London. We’re beyond excited to have Marc on board and look forward to the expertise he will bring to our clients and team! Please join us in welcoming Marc to the Sonnar family!

🎉 Celebrating Marius' new role as Senior Associate at Alven! Our consulting team had an incredible time working with Alven (cc Bartosz Jakubowski & Stella WALTER) on this exciting search. Here's what Alven team has to say about this search achieved by Sonnar: "It's great to work with someone who speaks the same VC language as we do. The structured methodology and consistent discipline have built trust." Previously, Marius worked as Chief of Staff at Appinio, a market-research SaaS, and has been an investor at Heartcore Capital and redalpine. We’re thrilled to see the impact Marius will have in supporting ambitious founders as part of Alven’s mission. Here’s to much success and exciting growth ahead! At Sonnar, our mission is to deliver outstanding leadership talent for top fund-backed companies.

Why Unicorns Have a Head Start from Day One? Success stories aren’t born by chance. In case you missed it, here are some fascinating insights from Atomico's "State of European Tech 2023" report: 1. Unicorns start with a STAR (Startup Talent Attraction Rating) score 2x higher than other startups The STAR score measures a startup’s ability to recruit top talent from its early days. Unicorns begin their journey with a score twice as high as other startups, demonstrating their capacity to build strong teams from the get-go. 2. They build increasingly stronger teams year after year Unlike regular startups, where team quality often remains stable (or stagnant), Unicorns consistently elevate their team quality. They typically start with a score of 3/10 (vs. <2 for other startups) and end up around 8/10. This is due to the “domino effect”: A-players attract other A-players, lifting the overall talent bar for the entire company. What the data shows: Only 2-3% of startups manage to build truly exceptional teams five years post-founding. These companies end up capturing the majority of the capital, enabling them to further strengthen their teams and solidify their outlier status. Key takeaway: The quality of the first hires determines the company’s trajectory throughout its lifecycle. The success of Unicorns isn’t just due to exceptional founders but their unique ability to attract and retain the best talent. It confirms a simple truth: great teams build great companies. Looking to build an exceptional team? Aim for A-Players from day one!

Introducing: CEO Confidences by Sonnar | Episode #1 Featuring Paul Berloty, Cofounder & CEO of Modjo 🎬 We’re excited to launch our exclusive new video series, "CEO Confidences" where we take you behind the scenes of recruitment with very inspiring startup founders. This series is all about real talk—where vulnerability meets insight. Get an inside look at the real stories behind leadership and team-building from successful entrepreneurs. Episode #1: Paul Berloty, Cofounder & CEO of Modjo kicks off the series by sharing his journey, reflecting on the challenges and victories of building great teams, with great transparency. From the highs of finding the perfect hire to the lessons learned from missteps, Paul reveals what it truly takes to create a winning team. Huge thanks Paul for taking the leap and for having participated with brilliance in this difficult exercise! We are also very proud to showcase the meaningful conversations that drive the daily lives of Sonnar’s consultants and the deep trust they build with clients who openly share their challenges. Our clients know best the value of Sonnar's support. Stay tuned for more insights that could transform how you approach team building and leadership. 🔥

💡 Plus de 50 millions de personnes en France utilisent Doctolib aujourd'hui Une incroyable réussite de la French Tech, née d’une vision simple : redonner du temps et du lien aux soignants et aux patients. Interrogé par Matthieu Stefani dans Génération Do It Yourself, Stanislas Niox-Chateau revient sur l’aventure Doctolib, qu’il a fondée en 2013 avec moins de 60 000 euros de capital : « Pour parler entrepreneuriat, pour moi la clef du succès, c’est vraiment la qualité de l’équipe - la qualité des co-équipiers et co-équipières, de l’organisation et l’excellence opérationnelle." Un épisode inspirant qui montre que les plus grandes réussites commence par la qualité de l’équipe qui en est à l’origine ! cc Antoine Freysz cité par Stanislas à plusieurs reprises et son livre La méthode pour recruter les meilleurs.

Client feedback 📢 Partnering with Amaury Sepulchre and Hexa in their search for a Head of People as well as a CTO for one of their startups has been an incredible experience. A huge thank you to Amaury for trusting us with such key hires! 🚀 Hexa, a leading venture builder, empowers visionary founders by providing the strategic, operational, and financial backing they need to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses. Founded in 2011 as eFounders, it has launched over 40 companies with a combined valuation of over $4.5bn, including Aircall, Spendesk, Front, Swan, Yousign, and Upflow. We’re proud to contribute to their mission by finding top talents to help drive growth across their portfolio. 🌟

⏳ Something Exciting is Coming Next week, we’re unveiling something special, a new video series that takes you inside the minds of some very inspiring startup founders. Episode #1 features a conversation with a CEO leading one of the most promising startups around, Paul Berloty from Modjo. He shares candid insights about building a winning team. Stay tuned for a deep dive into the challenges, victories, and unexpected truths of hiring and leading a team. Trust us—you won’t want to miss this!