International recycling leader Geminor was approaching its 20th anniversary with a critical problem: Despite employing 140 professionals across nine European countries, HR responsibilities were distributed locally among managers, and there was no centralized HR team. Employee data was managed in different ways across the countries, and manual processes made it difficult to maintain a full overview or ensure consistent compliance. Partnering with HR consultancy TheVIT and implementing HiBob’s platform enabled a more unified and transparent approach to people operations, improving efficiency and insight across countries - something that surprises many employees.. “HiBob stood out because of the focus on culture and its smart processes,” says Jesper Rye Berg, HR Advisory Manager at TheVIT.
Supporting their company’s rapid growth without an HR team
Geminor’s success had outpaced its organizational foundation. With operations spanning Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Germany, Poland, France, and Italy, the company faced a handful of critical HR challenges:
- Fragmented processes that varied significantly between locations
- Employee data scattered across disconnected local systems
- Unstandardized onboarding, offboarding, and salary reviews leading to inconsistencies
- Manual processes (like Excel spreadsheets for salary calculations) increasing the risk of errors
- Potential compliance issues across different regulatory environments
- No internal HR expertise to develop and implement effective strategies
- Desire to spread the strong company culture beyond HQ as the organization scaled rapidly across countries
These challenges reflected the growing pains of a rapidly expanding organization—characterized by siloed operations, inconsistent processes, and limited cross-country learning—rather than performance issues. Manual and fragmented HR routines also increased the risk of oversight, particularly in areas like compliance and onboarding.
Partnering with TheVIT to identify key challenges plus a right-fit solution in Bob
Geminor took decisive action by partnering with HR consultancy TheVIT to address their challenges. This partnership led to three critical developments:
- Expert Assessment: TheVIT conducted collaborative workshops to identify Geminor’s key HR challenges and requirements.
- System Selection: After evaluating multiple options (Sympa, CatalystOne, Simployer, Unit4, Huma, and many more), TheVIT recommended HiBob as the ideal solution.
- Leadership Investment: Geminor hired their first Director of HR, Janne Hetland, who was relieved to find “they made the right choice with HiBob.”
TheVIT swooped in to orchestrate a flawless HiBob rollout, covering everything from tailoring processes for machinery operators to calming data security fears among skeptical teams. They didn’t just build a system; they crafted a fully customized HR experience with training, change management, and an excitement-building internal marketing campaign. Their secret weapon? A strategic approach that won over managers first before conquering the entire company with high-quality processes designed to genuinely make employees’ work lives better.
By partnering with TheVIT and implementing HiBob, Geminor was able to:
- Centralize employee data across all international offices
- Standardize HR processes while accommodating different regional regulations
- Create customized content for diverse employee groups (office workers and machinery operators)
- Develop comprehensive training programs for all users
- Execute a strategic change management plan to ensure adoption
- Phase the rollout to maximize success, starting with managers and then expanding company-wide
Transforming HR operations and company culture with TheVIT and HiBob
The implementation delivered immediate insights and ongoing benefits that extended far beyond administration. Both new hires and managers were delighted by the HiBob experience, and Geminor could finally move their processes into the modern age: No more spreadsheet roulette—just simplified, streamlined, scalable HR.
Streamlined operations
- Consolidated employee data into a single source of truth
- Reduced compensation review time by two months
- Standardized processes across all locations
- Eliminated scattered local systems
Enhanced employee experience
- Discovered that 43 percent of their people had joined within the past year
- Created an onboarding process that new hires rated 4.9/5
- Simplified manager workflows for hiring and development
- Delivered consistent employee experiences across all locations
From operational tool to cultural connector
What began as a practical solution for managing HR processes evolved into a way to strengthen culture and connection across the company. “It’s really great to see how the system is building the culture across our company, and in different offices. I’m very pleased, and I think a lot of managers were surprised that an HR system could even do something like this.” Janne Hetland, Director of HR, Geminor
HiBob’s social features, including the social feed and kudos system, created a virtual watercooler that connected people across different locations, strengthening relationships and engagement throughout the organization.
A bright future with HiBob
Geminor continues to expand their use of HiBob, with plans to implement additional features including the Hiring Module, Time & Attendance, Job Catalog, Payroll Hub, and, when HiBob rolls it out, benefits reporting. They’re also focusing on deepening their cultural initiatives by prominently featuring their company values within the system and creating engaging content like podcasts to reinforce those values in everyday work experiences.
The partnership with TheVIT and HiBob has not only solved Geminor’s immediate HR challenges but has also positioned them for sustainable growth and cultural excellence for their third decade of business… and beyond.
Main Takeaways
- What began as a solution to operational problems evolved into a cultural catalyst across diverse teams.
- Went from no HR team to a centralized system that standardized processes across nine European countries.
- New hires now rate Geminor’s onboarding process 4.9/5—a radical change for the growing company
