Recherche

The company's ability to understand and anticipate the needs of its customers has earned it the number-one spot in communications-based train control (CBTC) and integrated ticketing solutions. Thales also occupies a leadership position in ETCS - the European Train Control System - and in the provision of integrated communication and supervision systems. But it couldn't do any of this without the right people.

Customer focus
Thales' customer offering is underpinned by a global commitment to recruiting, retaining and developing the very best talent. That's because systems integration is as much about people as it is about technology: Thales not only offers the very best technological solutions, but also the best people to implement them. It also offers unprecedented stability and an exceptionally high level of staff loyalty. And that can be a critical consideration for customers, because staffing continuity can make or break a project.

"Retention is not a problem for Thales in most areas" says Marion Enderlein, Thales' Global Recruitment and Employer Branding Manager. "Whenever I talk to people, what comes through is that they love working with their colleagues at Thales. It's a virtuous cycle of people enjoying their teams, the professionalism of their colleagues and the working environment."

A global team builder
Thales' retention rates are remarkable by any standards. In France, for example, staff turnover is just 5% annually. And in Spain, only one employee in 50 will leave the company each year. But that doesn't mean the workforce is static. In fact, the opposite it true: internal mobility is actively encouraged. It means Thales is able to draw on a global talent pool to build teams that are tailored to the needs of each customer.

"We have a responsibility to use as many channels as possible" explains Niall McCracken, VP Human Resources, Thales' Security Solutions & Services Division. "Because we employ around 68,000 people worldwide, we clearly have a large number of internal options. We encourage mobility within the family and mobility across borders as well."

Staying one step ahead
With a campus in France and sites in the UK and the Netherlands, Thales Université plays a key role in delivering the training that ensures employees are always able to meet the technology and management needs of customers' projects. Additional sites in Germany, Italy and the United States have recently been opened.

"Thales Université has a worldwide offer that's available to all employees, and it's the first port of call for all our training" says Mr. McCracken. "And if the university is not able to provide training, we use them as a supplier and they source the training for us."

Targeted training
Education and training programmes are also developed to support specific markets. In the UK, for example, recruitment into Rail Signalling is especially challenging. "It's a tough sector" admits John Prince, Human Resources Director, Thales' Security Solutions and Services Division UK.

In order to provide top-level support for customers, which include Tube Lines and Network Rail, Thales is creating a dedicated training facility. "We're developing a Signalling School of Excellence" explains Mr. Prince. "We provide training on the technology we're using, with trainers from the UK and from our offices in Toronto."

The project is still in its infancy, but it's already proving its worth: Thales UK signalling operation is achieving its graduate recruitment targets and the workforce has more than doubled in the last eighteen months.

Tomorrow's people
In-house education and training are key components in ensuring a perfect alignment between staff skills and customer needs. But what about building the workforce - and solutions - of tomorrow? Thales' involvement in the wider world of education supports the long-term recruitment process by raising awareness about what the company does. And identifying and encouraging young talent is a number-one priority.

In an interview with Grandes Ecoles magazine last year, Thales' Chairman and CEO Denis Ranque said: "Given its leadership position in many areas of high technology, Thales has a duty to contribute to the development of the scientific spirit amongst young people and to nurture talent at the highest possible level in order to create the high technology products of tomorrow."

Global talent quest
Thales engages with universities worldwide in the search for the next generation of innovators. Universities also provide training for graduate and post-graduate students. "We have very good relationships with two key universities that have signalling faculties" says Mr. McCracken. "They are the Bucharest Polytechnic University in Romania and Dresden University in Germany. Both have specific signalling faculties with which we have excellent relationships and we have developed some training together."

Many of tomorrow's great markets for transport technology - and the talent that will drive them - are outside Europe. Backed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thales Academia is a partnership between Thales Group and leading French engineering and business schools. The scheme provides support for highly-qualified graduate students from India, China, Russia and Brazil.

"The objective is that they will go back to their home countries and work with Thales in a given field" says Mr. McCracken. "Expansion in China and India in railways is key. It would be both arrogant and unrealistic for us to expect to staff big programmes in China, for example, with expatriates. And clearly, there is great potential in terms of university graduates in those countries."

Building on success
Thales ground transportation business serves 100 customers worldwide and in the battle to enlist the best talent, the company's ability to provide potential recruits with interesting and challenging work is a big advantage. Securing high-profile contracts also assists the recruiting process by alerting potential candidates to job opportunities.

"Thales is well known in the market place, it's seen to be winning jobs and projects - so yes, it would be an organisation people would like to work at" says personnel expert Jackie Hendry of Rail Personnel, a specialist recruitment business serving the railway industry. "Candidates know which companies are winning work. If Thales wins a contract in Beijing and the candidates want to work there, they'll apply to Thales."

Recruiting innovation
Thales is an increasingly popular choice for talented graduates. Recent approaches to recruitment aim to build on that, with a renewed emphasis on Thales' attractiveness as an employer and the launch of a dedicated careers website this summer.

Attracting the right people is a serious business. But could engaging interest in the company benefit from a lighter touch? Thales has plans to launch a new online game that showcases the company's technologies. "It's mainly targeted at a younger audience, particularly graduates and young professionals" reveals Ms. Enderlein. "We're trying to make people understand what Thales does in a fun way."

-------------------------------------------------------------