Interview with Guillaume Richard (EDHEC Masters 1996), CEO and founder of Oui Care

At the head of international firm Oui Care – revenue of 500 million euros –, which now includes 17 personal service brands, from housework and ironing to childcare and assistance for the elderly and disabled, as well as English and music lessons in the home, the vision of its founder Guillaume Richard (EDHEC Master 1996) is big, far-reaching and strong. This mega entrepreneur officially made the business a “mission-based enterprise” last June. The emphasis is on rational growth, the human dimension and technological opportunities: here he tells us about his long-term, civic-minded vision rooted in the needs of all members of society to grow, live and age better, as set out in the raison d’être of Oui Care.

How would you summarise your current position and responsibilities?

My job essentially involves setting out the vision and strategy of the firm and its 750 agencies across Europe (250 branches, 500 franchises). I was particularly involved in creating the mission-based enterprise because it covers all of the statutory objectives, and ensuring there is meaning in our work is essential for our 23,000-strong staff. In 2005, we generated revenue of €250,000, compared to 3.5 billion dollars for the global market leader. We set the objective of becoming number one in France within 10 years (a position we now occupy comfortably), number one in Europe within 20, and number one worldwide within 30. The aim is to do everything to get our staff teams on board and try to create as many synergies as possible so that together our brands will be more than the sum of their parts. Externally, this means representing the firm. The head of a company is its foremost sales rep. And so I represent Oui Care in the media and in dealing with professional bodies and our various stakeholders.

Growing, living and ageing better is an integral part of Oui Care’s raison d'être. But isn’t contemporary society – said to have limitless capability – the guarantor of the “better” part?

I think we don't take enough time to think about how to live better. One of the major dramas in society is that we can't imagine our children living better lives than our own, even though the world is changing for the better, at least from a material point of view. A service provider like ours operates in a relational and emotional sphere, i.e. an immaterial one. Childcare enables the parents to live better; and the time spent in childcare allows the child to grow better provided it contributes to their stimulation. DIY and cooking, for example, are good for fine motor skills and cognitive development. More fulfilled children reinforce their talents and nurture intergenerational relationships. The process is similar for the elderly, who must be reminded of their “utility” in society. Out of love, we often tend to do things for them, but it is important to encourage them to actively participate in their own daily activities as long as they can.

The personal service industry often suffers from a lack of recognition. Is the confidence you refer to part of a societal project to valorize this industry?

Absolutely, and that's why it's essential to demonstrate that our services make a major contribution to improved life quality. We mustn’t confuse “caring” with “caregiving”; one can make mistakes despite best intentions. To provide care, know-how, professional techniques, skills and theoretic knowledge are needed, depending on the developmental stage of the recipient. These professions have become devalued because they are no longer seen as requiring skills, because we ourselves are not sufficiently skilled but think we’re able to do them simply out of love. But nobody is trained to become a parent or look after their elderly parents. One of my major battles is to demonstrate the difference between someone with good intentions and someone who has been professionally trained. And that means making sure this profession grows and that it’s recognised for its true value. If you love your parents and your children, entrust professionals with the technical side of things and concentrate on the affective side. One of our recent studies shows that personal services are perceived as an essential pillar of social cohesion because they combat isolation (according to 85% of French people) and favour the inclusion of vulnerable people (according to 77%).

Can society and the personal services industry rise to the challenge of our ageing population? 

The demographic transition is inevitable and is one of the major challenges of our time. The baby boom is becoming the grampy boom, and society is far from ready. First of all in terms of how it approaches support. This generation isn't willing to sit back passively; they want to continue to play an active role. And so those who are fragile must be included as much as possible (and for as long as possible), and we must look after those who are dependent with humanity and dignity if we want to continue to enable them to live and age well. This is not so much about extra years to live but rather living better in the years left. That's why we're developing programmes around our brand Autonomia (which enables elderly people to stay at home rather than go to a retirement facility) and its Lab, which compiles all of the research studies done on diet, social activities, and adaptations in the home for an old age of fulfilment with optimal health.

What are the levers that will prepare for this?

To meet the increasing needs for healthcare personnel and guarantee a high quality of support for the elderly or disabled, Denmark for example has already planned to resort massively to immigration. But there are also challenges related to training to provide this support, as well as adapting society to ageing populations. APEF, Oui Care’s second biggest brand, advocates for this shift in perspective, just like France Présence, Les Bienveillants and others. Our Silver Alliance includes around 40 businesses (non-competitors) from the silver economy, all representing a small piece of the puzzle, with the aim of allowing people to grow old in their own home thanks to technological advances, remote assistance, preparing meals and telemedicine. We work together, calling on each other to act and validating one another.

What role do innovation and entrepreneurship play?

They’re fundamental. Innovations in our information systems enable better performance and can be used to manage relations with more than 130,000 clients and 23,000 staff members. Our employees can directly access their schedule, the itinerary to the client's home, the tasks to be completed, and their pay via their mobile phone. Technological tools allow people to remain at home for longer. Since our arrival on the market, innovation has involved taking a step back to gain perspective on these professions and offer a different method that serves our societal objectives.

Looking after employees was also our cornerstone from the outset. There is a 99.9% chance that a satisfied employee will make for a satisfied client, which explains the different business models used by the firm’s brands: full-time permanent positions in one sector (La Compagnie des Lavandières), adapting to part-time requests (O2), or allowing employees to choose and confirm clients (Les Bienveillants). These various contractual frameworks are combined with a policy of professional advancement. We have set up an internal training institute, supporting staff to increase their value.

So each new Oui Care brand extends both the activities and skillsets of employees …

For our company development, either we extend geographic coverage, offer a new vision of the existing brand, or merge the brand with another. And it is often our employees, more than our clients, who come up with projects. There are many other aspects, including meetings, shared vision, values and ambition, as well as the focus on the human dimension. It's not so much the job you do that changes lives, but rather the way you do it. You don't always choose your profession, but you always choose how you practice it.

Has the label “mission-based enterprise” changed the firm's operations and the daily lives of staff?

I chose to adopt this status to have a greater impact on the world. I've always been a megalomaniac! Whatever happens to me going forward, the firm will continue to have that as its DNA, now enshrined in its articles of association and measured and monitored by an independent third party organisation. Beyond the healthy need to earn money – more resources to do more things –, the company aims to do good, to have as much impact as possible. All of our actions must be guided by these two objectives. Something that is pure business has no meaning, something that is pure meaning (but economically aberrant) doesn't make sense either. This is the beacon that must guide us forward, it's a key factor in our attractiveness for the firm, staff and clients. 

The commitments made by Oui Care include combating violence against women. Does a firm with outreach capability have more legitimacy in this regard?

If Oui Care operated in the nuclear energy or weapons industries, this fight wouldn’t be any less valid. I used to wrongly think that these societal issues above all affected less privileged population segments. But that is not the case. Nine women in senior positions – 6% of the payroll – turned to the services offered by our solidarity fund – set up specifically to combat domestic violence – during the first year it was made available. It's absolutely frightening and it really upset me. This concerns us all. Someone who is unwell in their personal life is rarely happy in their professional life, and vice versa, which is also why we strive to ensure the professional fulfilment of our staff. And even though the company mustn't interfere in the private sphere, we have a responsibility not to overlook people in suffering.

More info on Oui Care’s status as a “mission-based enterprise”