"I spent 15 years in management, including 9 years at the head of a small business with about a hundred employees, the Kangourou agencies specializing in early childhood,” recounts Sylvana Baratiny. “That’s where I really became aware that we could take concrete action to change things, even on the scale of a small business.” There, for example, she implemented essential goods baskets for employees, a grocery bag available at the agency to be picked up at the end of the month, which really makes a difference for some in the face of inflation.
She also wants to make changes in recruitment. When we think of a nanny, we think of a woman, usually young. So the goal has been to gradually break down stereotypes related to gender and age. She recruits men and seniors, develops dedicated communication highlighting the richness of these profiles, encourages them to join her agencies, and participates in dedicated fairs. Finally, she establishes several partnerships to welcome people distanced from employment or in career transition.
These commitments require pedagogy, especially towards clients. “But that’s also what inclusion is about, it’s about changing mindsets gently,” explains Sylvana Baratiny. “It’s really about planting seeds in the end. And then we realize over time that employees feel more involved, more recognized, prouder of their work since we are giving meaning back to what we do every day. And the company will gain stability but also creativity. Plus, it allows for sustainable performance with a strong impact. A diverse team is a team that thinks better, adapts faster, and innovates more.”
With this observation, Sylvana Baratiny spreads her ideas around her, in her associative life in professional federations, in other agencies of the group, with franchisees or friends who are managers or leaders of small businesses. Eventually, the idea emerges to launch her own consulting firm, Sylvae Management et Consulting, to offer tailored support to these leaders and managers.
“This is where I come in to train, equip, and support managers so they can create a fairer and more balanced work environment themselves,” specifies Sylvana Baratiny. “That’s why I wanted to make this shift and open this firm, because for me, inclusion is not just a box to check, a line in a CSR report, a nice argument to put on LinkedIn. It’s a deep conviction that needs to be acquired, so we are here to raise awareness on these topics. And it’s not decreed; it’s built day by day, it’s about planting small seeds in decisions, recruitments, and in the way we simply listen to our collaborators.”
"What really moves the lines is to raise awareness among all companies, even the smallest ones, that they can play a role in this managerial transformation, this societal transformation even. Because we often think it’s reserved for the bigger ones and that we, with our small budgets, can’t do much. So I’m here to show them otherwise.”
