Translations

SEVELNORD develops women’s industrial jobs

2. Human Rights

Diversity, equal opportunity, and fighting discrimination

Sector Industry

Year 2007

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Facing the loss of interest of young people, particularly girls, for careers in science, technology and industry, SevelNord, a car industry player, decided to tackle the issue by implementing an active recruitment and training policy

Objectives

This is why the organisation wants to encourage girls to pursue careers in the car industry. This initiative is all the more important as SevelNord is to face fiercer and fiercer competition and is forced to work in fits and starts (seasonal effects, life cycles for car products). So, it aims at increasing the number of women employees, in particular with a partnership signed with the ANPE (job agency), temporary work agencies, associations and social organisations.

APPROACH

In order to attain objectives which were set, SevelNord holds collective information sessions attended by 80 job seekers, including 50% women. Then, people take memorisation, logic and dexterity tests, and finally, they are subject to interviews. The organisation has also implemented other actions, including:

Set-up of a committee on equality between men and women by the works council.
Staff members are made better aware of this issue via articles in the internal newsletter.
Partnership with the French state education system, associations, public or trade organisations to train and qualify women in the technical jobs of the car industry.

In terms of recruitment, put vacant job titles in the feminine and specify each time that positions are open both to men and women.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Women are more industrious, attentive and meticulous. With experience, they are more efficient.

Benefits

With these initiatives, SevelNord was able to increase the number of women in the group. Today, women account for 9% of staff under unfixed term contracts, 45% employees under fixed term contracts and 27% people under temporary work agreements.