The 2017 Fastest Growing Firms: HRpepper Management Consultants

Meifert: The reason why HRpepper is growing fast is that we follow a different consulting approach. It is based on a philosophy that we call "Pepper-Style". The elements of enjoying innovation, quality of cooperation, orientation towards experiences, and an evidence-based consulting approach are the pillars. Another pillar is our consultants, who feel comfortable and enjoy lots of freedom in their work. They think and act as entrepreneurs. Most of them hold company shares. We do not have a normal hierarchy system, people are organized based on the topics, they are responsible for. We deeply believe that exceptional client experiences are based on employee experiences. And that these also derive from inspiring clients' experiences. Moreover, we recognized early what the market and more specifically our clients need, because we have a desire for future challenges and testing new approaches. We have offered concepts such as Employee Experience, Self-organized work, the implementation of Design Thinking in HR or agile strategy development earlier than other consultancies.

Consulting: How is this year shaping up for your firm? 

Meifert: We will end 2017 with a sales and earnings record. We have already reached our sales target in July—3.2 million euros. By the end of this year, sales are expected to reach 5.6 million euros—compared to 3.0 million euros in 2016. Our workforce has grown significantly in 2017 also: starting with 24 employees this year, we now have 30 employees.

Consulting: How would you describe your firm's outlook for 2018? Where do you see the most opportunities? 

Meifert: As a consultancy we want to and will continue growing. We believe there is a great opportunity for transformation consulting that knows and understands digital developments as well as its potential but highlights people and collaboration as success indicators. People Analytics, Social Collaboration always have a technical and social dimension that have to be united.

Consulting: What would you say are your firm's biggest challenges in 2018? 

Meifert: Due to growth, the biggest challenge is, on the one hand the lack of qualified consultants that bring along the right mindset and, on the other hand are capable of getting into a topic quickly.

Consulting: What does being named one of Consulting's Fastest Growing Firms mean to your firm, your employees and your clients? 

Meifert: The award makes us proud and is also a recognition of HRpepper's work, its consultants and office team. All of our 30 employees are delighted and we will celebrate it appropriately. Simultaneously, it is an incentive to keep on going and look for opportunities but to remain true to ourselves.