Paris Baguette America

Michelle Jagroop

Michelle Jagroop is a seasoned HR executive with over 25 years of extensive experience in the retail industry. Currently serving as the Chief People Officer at Paris Baguette North America, she excels in various initiatives, including talent acquisition, executive coaching, leadership development and employee relations.  

In an interview with Manage HR, Michelle Jagroop sheds light on the transformative trends reshaping the HR landscape through the lens of technology-driven innovations.

How would you describe your role and experience as Chief People Officer at Paris Baguette North America? 

My journey began at Paris Baguette as an HR Director in late 2018, overseeing the company’s HR functions and reporting directly to the CEO. Over time, I was promoted first to Vice President in early 2020 and then to Chief People Officer this past year. Despite the title changes, my core day-to-day responsibilities have remained consistent, though continued to elevate as we grow as a Franchise organization. I continue to lead HR initiatives, support our leadership  team, and play an integral part of shaping the company’s culture.  

What challenges do you see emerging in the current HR market when interacting with clients and leading companies?

Talent acquisition and retention remain primary concerns for most companies and HR leaders. The overarching challenge lies in attracting and retaining top talent that aligns with the business and its culture. We prioritize a robust interview process to ensure candidates possess the necessary skills and fit culturally within the organization. 

“Our focus remains on utilizing technology to drive engagement by enhancing communication, growth and development, creating and sustaining an engaged workforce.

As our company experiences rapid growth and change, the competencies required for success evolve. Prospective employees must possess adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and a flexible mindset. Recruiting individuals with these attributes has become crucial to our success.

On the retention side, hiring the right people contributes to natural retention and engagement. However, we implement additional strategies to foster engagement within our culture. For instance, we facilitate cross-functional understanding by having corporate employees spend time working in our cafes. This exposure helps employees appreciate the roles and responsibilities of their colleagues across the organization.

We also emphasize open communication through initiatives such as quarterly town halls and skip-level meetings with our CEO, known as Baguette Talks. These platforms allow employees to ask questions, receive updates on company strategies and provide feedback directly to leadership.

We enhance internal communication through monthly magazines and newsletters, covering topics ranging from company milestones to product innovations. We aim to create and maintain an engaged workforce, valuing recognition, communication, growth and development opportunities.

Can you share insights into a project where you have implemented best practices to address incoming talent expectations?

We organize training programs for bakers and cake makers in our cafes. Our business model relies on skilled individuals to produce our products on-site, which requires comprehensive training. However, we noticed high turnover rates among newly trained team members, particularly during new cafe openings. Despite franchise owners investing heavily in training, many employees were leaving within 90 days.

To address this, we collaborated with franchise owners to understand the root causes of turnover and identify solutions. We realized the importance of recruiting the right candidates who understand the demands of these roles and appreciate the investment made in their training. Ultimately, we worked on providing them with solutions to support them with improving recruitment practices and providing clearer job expectations to their potential hires.

Given the complexity of these positions and the support provided by franchise owners and our company, we aimed to create a more engaged workforce that feels connected to our brand, even when employed by a franchise owner. This approach aimed to minimize turnover and ensure the success of our training investments.

As an expert in the food industry, what emerging trends should HR professionals pay attention to in the next 12 to 18 months? 

The central focus for HR in the food industry is improving engagement and retention strategies. This entails finding effective ways to communicate with field teams, drive recognition, offer rewards and facilitate learning initiatives.

One notable trend we are exploring involves leveraging technology to improve communication and reinforce company values among employees. For instance, we are piloting a program with a vendor called Pryze, which rewards employees for demonstrating behaviors aligned with our brand values during guest interactions. Through this program, employees earn points, which can be exchanged for prizes, incentivizing positive engagement.

We are also examining various technological solutions, such as LMS platforms, to streamline communication and training processes. While our current HRIS system serves as a central communication hub, we are exploring ways to encourage greater employee adoption and usage.

What advice would you offer your peers and aspiring HR professionals to stay abreast of industry trends?

My advice centers on understanding the business you support. It is essential to comprehend the organization’s goals, whether fostering culture, enhancing guest experiences, or driving sales. HR professionals must align their efforts with these objectives to add value effectively. At times, HR leaders may become overly focused on their specific responsibilities, leading to siloed approaches. However, HR should always be integrated with and supportive of the broader business goals, ensuring alignment and value creation.