Introducing…. These are the nominees for the first HR Technology Awards: A.S. Watson/Neurolytics
This week, the HR Technology Awards were presented for the first time. Three nominees were eligible for the category of Best HR Transformation through Technology. In this article, Rik Philippen and Joshua van Veen will tell you all about the optimization journey of the candidate experience at A.S. Watson, where advanced Neurolytics technology was utilized.
Can you start by briefly introducing yourself to us?
“I am Rik Philippen. I work as HR Manager Sales Operations at A.S. Watson. In this role, I am responsible for the HR portfolio of our Trekpleister stores. On the other hand, I am also heavily involved in HR Analytics and HR innovation. I have been working at A.S. Watson for five years now. Prior to this, I worked in various HR roles at organizations including CZ and CEVA Logistics.” “And I am Joshua van Veen, Commercial Lead at Neurolytics. My main role here is to ensure that the process for candidates and our A.S. Watson clients goes as smoothly as possible from A to Z. We primarily focus on providing unique behavioral insights of candidates to our clients. I have been working here for a year now, and before that, I worked at Indeed and in various roles in the hiring industry.”
Could you tell us more about the companies you work for?
“A.S. Watson Benelux is part of the A.S. Watson Group, the world’s largest international health & beauty retailer. With over 16,000 stores and 12 retail brands, we operate in 28 markets. Through our online and offline network, we serve millions of customers daily. A.S. Watson Benelux is the company behind Kruidvat, Trekpleister, ICI PARIS XL, Pour Vous, and Prijsmepper. A.S. Watson Benelux has more than 31,000 employees, with 27,000 in the Netherlands.” “Neurolytics is an AI SaaS company that supports businesses in selecting the right candidates, increasing retention, and reducing employee turnover. Using scientifically proven methods based on video scans and cognitive tests, we measure how well a candidate fits within an organization. We assess candidates using AI for engagement, cultural fit, work preferences, and stress resilience to ensure an optimal match with the company and the job. We collaborate with the University of Utrecht and have received grants from the European Union and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). We have been in existence for 5.5 years.”
Why did you decide to participate in the HR Technology Awards?
“A.S. Watson believes it’s important not only to provide the best experience to our candidates but also to show other organizations and companies the possibilities to improve and enhance the candidate journey through technology. We are happy to share our knowledge and experience in this regard with others. Additionally, we believe that Neurolytics’ work deserves recognition. Their tool helps us make the candidate journey for job seekers more enjoyable and effective. We think that deserves recognition.” “Neurolytics was naturally very pleased with A.S. Watson’s initiative. We also enjoy showcasing how the market can create a positive connection with candidates, making people genuinely happy in their new positions.”
Could you tell us more about the product you entered into the HR Technology Awards?
Joshua: “Our product is called the Cultural Fit Scan. It’s a video scan analysis that allows us, with the help of AI, to provide unique behavioral insights about candidates. We measure how engaged these candidates are with the company, its vision, and mission, as well as their intrinsic motivation. We also assess their stress resilience and how they fit in with or can contribute to a team. This way, we can objectively find the right match between candidates and organizations.” Rik, could you explain why you chose Neurolytics and what your needs were? “Last year, we were thinking about the kind of candidate journey we wanted to offer and how we wanted to structure the search for new talent. What you often see is that such a search is designed around the needs and requirements of organizations, which can be quite old-fashioned and act as a barrier for candidates. We started looking for innovative solutions. Quite quickly, we came across Neurolytics, which had already won several awards for their tools, both in terms of innovation and reliability. With the Cultural Fit Scan, we can not only make the application process more enjoyable for candidates but also improve the quality of hire. We deliberately started small. Last year, we launched a pilot program in one department where we knew candidates found the application process challenging. That department was e-commerce. The pilot was successful, and we have since expanded the trial to the supply chain organization for team leader positions.”
What makes your HR technology journey unique? Rik: “With the help of the tool, we can quickly determine whether there is a cultural fit and measure the candidate’s engagement. This reduces the time to hire and limits the risk of dropout. Across the board, we’ve been able to eliminate an extra step for employees where we used to use an extensive assessment. Often, we can now do without extensive cognitive tests and lengthy personality questionnaires that used to take candidates up to two hours to complete. Moreover, these tests require a lot of preparation, and candidates in the 2023 job market are not interested in that anymore. We can now better align with the candidate’s wishes and needs, which can give us an advantage in the job market. We can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff and delve deeper during a second interview.”
Why do you think you were nominated?
Rik: “I believe it’s a significant development in the market that can help organizations recruit more effectively. With the tool, we aim to reduce employee turnover and increase retention. At the same time, the solution also benefits people seeking jobs. Job hunting can often be quite daunting. You usually have to complete various tests to get through the process. This process has now become much easier and more enjoyable. So, it’s a win-win for both sides.”
What are your plans for the future with this tool?
Rik: “We may consider rolling out the Cultural Fit Scan in Belgium. Additionally, we want to further optimize the journey for every candidate and employee. We are currently identifying all target groups to subsequently design the optimal process for ourselves and the candidates. Furthermore, we are exploring which other positions we can use Neurolytics’ tools for.” Joshua: “It’s great to see that our technology ensures that people are motivated and happy at work, and employers are satisfied with the newly recruited candidates. With our technology, we can compare a candidate’s engagement and work preferences based on behavioral data with those of the current team or a specific branch. In some cases, you’re looking for similarities, and in others, you’re looking for diversity. It’s important to mention that our behavioral insights are independent of age, gender, or ethnicity to reduce bias and give everyone an equal and fair chance at their dream job. This way, we promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.”
Rik Philippen
HR Manager Sales Operations at A.S. Watson
Joshua van Veen
Commercial Lead at Neurolytics
About the HR Technology Awards
As no independent awards have yet been presented for HR technology in the Netherlands, Bas Eggelaar, founder of SuccessDay, decided it was high time to make it happen. Several partners soon joined the event.
The jury of the HR Technology Awards consisted of chairman Anne Jaakke (HR Changemaker) Louis Luijten (Diverse Board positions & Alumni CIO ASML) Rolf Jorna (Alumni Head of Group HR Action), Derk Jan Koole (Business Leader Career at Mercer), Helen Richardson (CHRO at Renewi), Erwin Hoogeveen (CHRO Fugro) and Pascale Peters (Professor of Strategic Human Resource Management at Nyenrode Business University).
The Award show took place on September 19th at De Kazerne in Brainport, the heart of European innovation. THE networking event in the field of HR Technology was attended by approximately 100 CHROs, CIOs, and HR and IT Directors. In addition to the previously mentioned categories, awards were also presented in the categories of Best HR Technology Product Innovation of the Year and Best NextGen HR Technology.
