Agile Teams With Smarter HR Infrastructure: Sesame HR

Q: What factors have enabled your team to improve the employee-employer relationship, particularly around flexibility and work-life balance?

A: Work-life balance is increasingly shaped by both regulatory shifts and technological enablement. Recent standards such as NOM-035 and NOM-037 have made employee well-being a formal priority. In response, we combine real-time feedback mechanisms, including climate surveys and 360° evaluations, with people analytics to support more informed, strategic HR decision-making. A flexible time management module enables hybrid work models, centered around outcomes rather than location. Additionally, a built-in internal communication tool fosters cohesion and reinforces a sense of shared purpose across teams.

Q: How is data being used to support personalized career development and address individual employee differences?

A: Through ongoing analysis of behavioral patterns, preferences, and competencies, it is possible to design more tailored career pathways. Growth is no longer viewed exclusively through the lens of vertical promotion. Lateral moves based on cross-functional strengths, such as transitioning from finance to communications, can offer equal value. This data-driven approach supports a more inclusive and responsive workforce strategy, aligned with both organizational needs and individual potential.

Q: What does an end-to-end approach to the employee lifecycle look like in practice?

A: A cohesive system should support every stage, from hiring to offboarding, within a single, configurable interface. Onboarding begins with AI-assisted recruitment, integrated with external platforms and designed to streamline candidate evaluation and communication. Core administrative functions, such as time tracking, leave management, and document processing, are fully digitized, which makes the processes far more efficient and less costly for the company. Post-onboarding, workflows include one-on-one evaluations, feedback loops, and performance tracking. Upcoming integrations, such as full payroll processing, will further consolidate operational processes, reducing fragmentation and increasing data accuracy.

Q: Why is time management functionality particularly relevant for sectors such as logistics or hospitality?

A: Industries with rotating shifts and high turnover require tools that can handle real-time, location-aware tracking. Customizable scheduling, geolocation check-ins, and visibility into team status, whether remote or on-site, are critical for operational continuity. These functions are especially useful where staffing needs fluctuate daily, and where compliance with labor standards must be maintained without administrative overhead. In order to face high turnover, the company will need to understand the root causes of the leaves and set a long-term strategic plan based on talent management, employee engagement and efficiency in the hiring process.

Q: How does design and usability influence adoption and efficiency?

A: Many HR tools underperform not due to lack of functionality, but due to poor user experience. A streamlined, intuitive interface allows for quick adoption, even among users unfamiliar with digital systems. Consolidating time tracking, communication, onboarding, and analytics into a single platform reduces the need for third-party tools and ensures a more cohesive user journey. The result is fewer errors, faster onboarding, and stronger internal engagement with digital processes.

Q: What measurable efficiencies are organizations seeing in administrative functions?

A: Feedback indicates a 30–40% reduction in time spent on repetitive administrative tasks, including document handling and payroll preparation, but the figure could go up to 70% depending on how the company is adopting the new technology and human processes. These gains typically translate to operational savings of one to two weeks, allowing HR teams to focus more on strategic priorities such as workforce planning and employee development.

Q: Beyond time savings, how is internal communication being improved?

A: Traditional communication tools often lack immediacy and traceability. A dedicated internal feed addresses this by delivering real-time, actionable notifications. This not only improves responsiveness but also ensures that key updates do not get lost in emails or external messaging apps. Automation further enhances efficiency by prompting users to update incomplete records or missing documentation without requiring manual intervention by HR staff.

Q: What strategies are proving effective for building authentic connections with talent?

A: Understanding individual work rhythms and motivations is essential. Continuous feedback, customized surveys, and KPI tracking help uncover how team members operate best, enabling managers to adjust expectations accordingly. A social communication layer supports peer interaction and community building, reinforcing a more personalized and human-centered management approach.

Q: How are internal mobility and non-linear career paths supported?

A: Career development begins with clearly defined roles and metrics. From there, regular evaluations, both quantitative and qualitative, identify areas for growth and potential lateral moves. For example, transitions from marketing to sales can be facilitated by identifying transferable skills and outlining necessary upskilling steps. This enables talent deployment that is both flexible and aligned with evolving organizational priorities.

Q: How is compliance with NOM-035 and NOM-037 integrated into everyday HR workflows?

A: The solution facilitates alignment with current regulations through practical tools, such as time tracking for remote work or customizable climate surveys. While it does not replace the role of licensed professionals required by NOM-035, it enables HR departments to act preemptively through dashboards, alerts, and templates. The objective is to support legal compliance in a functional, scalable manner without assuming regulatory certification responsibilities.

Q: How are regulatory frameworks balanced with the operational realities of different sectors?

A: There is often a disconnect between what regulations require and the day-to-day issues organizations face, particularly around time management, shift planning, and documentation. Rather than providing rigid compliance mechanisms, the platform supports flexibility while ensuring that HR teams retain oversight and control. This helps organizations remain legally aligned without sacrificing responsiveness to actual workplace dynamics.

Q: Which sectors in Mexico are most actively adopting these types of HR technologies?

A: Adoption is particularly strong in industries with operational complexity, such as construction, mining, retail, logistics, and hospitality, where shift scheduling and high turnover are common challenges. Large-scale rollouts, such as those in companies with over 1,000 employees, require extensive planning and cross-functional coordination. Conversely, smaller firms can be onboarded more quickly. Regardless of size, successful implementation depends on internal education and buy-in at all levels.

Q: How do you address digital and generational gaps in implementation?

A: Two primary barriers emerge: generational comfort with digital tools and sector-specific constraints. Older workers may be accustomed to manual processes, while younger employees expect mobile, intuitive solutions. In environments like construction where personal devices may not be feasible, shared tablets with facial recognition are often recommended. Adoption is staged, starting with basic modules like time tracking, to ensure familiarity before expanding to more advanced features.

Q: How might the proposed 40-hour workweek and NOM-037 affect companies, especially in operational sectors?

A: For sectors reliant on fixed coverage, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality, the shift to shorter workweeks introduces both scheduling and cultural challenges. Digital tools can support fairer shift distribution and monitor workload balance, but compliance ultimately depends on clear role definitions and effective planning. Technology can provide visibility and control, but strategic workforce design remains essential.

Q: What are the expansion priorities for the Mexican market in the near term?

A: The immediate goal is to double both the local client base and team size over the next 12 months. Focus regions include Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and the Bajio, where digital maturity and infrastructure readiness are high. Growth efforts will be supported by continued product development and investment in client education to drive adoption and value realization. Our main focus as an HR lover organization is always ensure that the companies that decide to work with us meet their goals once they are deciding to change for an HR digital transformation, so education and training is key.

Q: What is the broader international strategy beyond Mexico?

A: After establishing a strong presence in Spain, and following two rounds of funding, the most recent for approximately €23 million, expansion has extended to Portugal, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico. Consolidating these core markets is the current priority. Future plans include entering additional Latin American countries such as Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile, with potential expansion into Western Europe. The long-term vision is to build a flexible and human-centered global HR infrastructure, responsive to local market dynamics and regulatory environments.

Sesame HR is an all-in-one platform that streamlines HR management, saving time and costs. It centralizes time tracking, shift scheduling, performance reviews, and employee surveys.