The challenge: Taking over and restructuring payroll and HR processes several months after establishment
• Industry: Insurance
• Headcount: 16 employees (France)
• Client HQ: UK
• French Entity: Established in 2022
• Mission Duration: Since 2022 (ongoing)
An international insurance group established a French subsidiary to expand its operations in Europe.
Several months after market entry, the company entrusted HReact with the restructuring of payroll and HR operations.
The objective: correct legacy payroll errors, ensure compliance with French labor law, and implement robust HR processes to support long-term growth.
After a delayed handover, the client faced several payroll and HR issues:
-Incorrect social security declarations (DSN)
-Duplicate contribution demands from agencies
-Gaps in HR processes and tools
-Lack of clarity between French and UK finance systems
HReact was brought in to secure the situation, correct errors, and provide compliant and strategic HR support.
Compliant
HR recovery after delayed handover
Payroll Error Correction & Social Declaration Recovery
-Resolved DSN submission errors that caused duplicate social contribution calls
-Set up a monthly contributions tracking dashboard
-Liaised with pension and social security bodies to correct situations and resolve overdues
-Fixed employee classification errors in the mutual insurance setup (e.g., non-executive vs executive status)
-Added missing family contribution declarations
Profit-Sharing Plan Management
-Followed up through the broker’s platform
-Integrated profit-sharing bonuses into monthly payroll cycles
Operational HR Support & Tools Implementation
-Advised on multiple recruitments and terminations
-Structured HR processes:
•Absence and leave management tool
•Objective-setting and performance tracking tool
•Formalized probation period reviews
•Documented “forfait jours” (daily-rate contract) tracking
Payroll Software Migration
-Led the migration to a new payroll software
-Trained internal teams and ensured uninterrupted payroll delivery
Coordination with UK Finance Department
-Matched accounts between French HR data and UK financial reporting
-Translated and adapted payroll information to meet international accounting standards
Cost Optimization Through Hiring Subsidies
-Simulated recruitment scenarios integrating public subsidies
-Activated financial aid for apprentice hiring, reducing onboarding costs
Recruitment Support
-Managed recruitment of key positions including Finance & Admin Manager and apprentices
-Used direct sourcing to target top talent, pre-qualified candidates based on hard and soft skills, and delivered a focused shortlist to streamline the client’s decision-making
-Advised on cost optimization through mobilized subsidies, particularly for apprenticeship contracts
Correction
of payroll and declaration errors - cancellation of penalties
Successful payroll migration
and absence management tool setup
Several factors proved critical in the successful HR and payroll transformation for the insurance group:
-In-depth audit of inherited errors and immediate corrective action
-Implementation of custom tracking dashboards for compliance and visibility
- Personalized HR support for secure onboarding and offboarding
-Expertise in payroll software migration, ensuring process continuity
- Strategic use of French employment subsidies to optimize hiring budgets
-Proactive and structured recruitment process, saving the client time and ensuring quality hires
Seamless collaboration with international finance teams and French HQ