SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER

PRESENTATION

While in small organisations, human resources studies and payroll monitoring are handled by the payroll manager and the finance department respectively, in larger companies, such as hotel groups, these two tasks are now entrusted to a new professional: the social management controller.

WHAT IS A SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER? 

The job of social management controller has existed since the 1970s, but recruitment has peaked since 2000, and even more so since the economic crisis. With the economic crisis, the notion of profitability and human capital management has taken on new importance for hotel complexes. With the pressure of costs becoming ever greater within establishments, companies have been calling on the services of a social management controller for the last ten years or so.

This enables hotels to better manage their payroll costs. To do this, they analyse, collate and control the financial management of their establishments. Based on the hotel’s data, such as the number of recruitments, management of personal working time, remuneration policy, headcount and absenteeism, the controller develops solutions to help the establishment control its expenditure as effectively as possible.

Management controllers are in constant contact with the members of their company’s financial and HR divisions. They are responsible for informing the latter when they see an opportunity to improve the hotel’s personnel management from a budgetary point of view.

WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER‘S TASKS? 

As the Social Management Controller is constantly seeking to optimise the hotel’s payroll and its workforce, he or she is required to participate in the company’s budget forecasts. He or she must also be constantly aware of changes in the number of new hires in the hotel. To estimate the establishment’s costs, they set up, scrutinise and update indicators (management charts, reporting) in line with the financial issues at stake. After analysing these indicators, the Social Management Controller must submit ideas for improvement to the Human Resources Department.

Other elements that the social management controller is responsible for implementing are:

• the economic and social database (BDES)
• compulsory annual negotiations (NAO)
• legal obligations (social balance sheet, gender equality index, health, safety and working conditions committee report, compulsory annual declaration of employment of disabled workers), etc.

WHAT QUALITIES AND SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO BECOME A SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER? 

The social management controller must logically have knowledge in the fields of human resources, forward planning and finance.

Since quantitative information is an important part of the job of social management controller, it is preferable for the latter to have a taste for figures. As they are often the only person in a large company to hold this position, they need to be rigorous and autonomous.

Setting up relevant and comprehensive tables for each employee requires the social management controller to have a good ability to summarise and analyse. Organising these indicators requires a good command of statistical studies and IT tools.

As they are regularly subject to questions from a wide range of contacts, social management controllers must be adaptable. As they are responsible for passing on the information they have collected to human resources managers, good interpersonal skills will be a plus.

Finally, you will also need a good knowledge of English if you work in a hotel with international operations.

WHAT ARE THE SALARY AND PROSPECTS FOR A SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER? 

The annual salary of an entry-level social management controller is estimated at €33,700. After two years’ experience, this salary can rise to between €35,000 and €45,000 gross per year. After five years’ professional experience, a social management controller can expect to be paid between €48,000 and €64,000 a year.

Note, however, that the salary of a social management controller may vary depending on the structure of the establishment.

The job of social management controller offers a number of career opportunities. After several years’ experience in this position, social management controllers may consider applying for the following positions:

• Human resources director (HRD)
• Compensation and benefits manager
• Training manager
• Industrial relations
• Manager Remuneration
• Manager Human resources administrative management manager

We can also see that in recent years, the areas of focus for social management controllers have multiplied. More and more establishments are looking for indicators on sustainable development and diversity.

HOW DO YOU BECOME A SOCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER? 

To work as a social management controller, you need a 5-year higher education qualification. This may have been obtained at university in fields such as:

• social management control
• econometrics or statistics
• human resources management (HRM)
• finance-accounting with training in social database processing

Studies at an IEP specialising in human resources or at an engineering school specialising in statistics are also possible.

Schools specialising in this field, such as the CMH Academy, offer a number of courses leading up to bac+5 level, in particular:

• the 5-year Grande École programme, which is open to all holders of the baccalauréat
• the 2-year Master’s & MBA programme, which you can join if you already have a bac+3 (bachelor’s degree or professional licence)

Be aware that the job of social management controller is not easily accessible to young graduates. Companies that recruit require you to have between two and five years’ professional experience as a human resources researcher, accountant or payroll or remuneration controller.

WHERE ARE THEYTODAY?