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CHAPTER 11
Maintaining senior employment: some lessons from best practices in France 215

The population in question is distinctive for its extensive seniority in a
relatively stable job up to that point, a professional identity structured over
time and in line with the jobʼs values, and a ratio between potential benefits
and efforts required that can be less appealing to older workers. Thus the
change process that must be triggered is complex and requires that
employees must be ready to gain new skills, and the company provides
support. It may be during the period just prior to embarking on a change
process that more time should have been taken. However, the projectʼs
timeframe did not make this possible.

11.4.2.2. The pharmaceutical company example: guidance to develop
job mobility plans
The company and the programme
This 2 200-employee division of a major pharmaceutical company, operating
in a sector undergoing radical changes, has learned the lessons of a previous
redundancy plan: particular issues arose in redeploying employees, most of
whom were high-seniority and had often been in the same position for years.
The division decided to implement a more strong-willed employability
development policy. Deploying it through a GPEC agreement, the human
resources department designed the Escale programme open to all employees,
though priority was given to employees above age 45.
The first step for programme participants was to embark on a career review,
carried out through alternating periods of personal and individual work, using
materials provided by the company, and taking part in a series of interviews
with the human resources manager in charge of support (three interviews
minimum). During this time, employees were able to take stock officially of
their skills, analyse their career paths and prospects, and adopt a position on
current and future job activity. At each stage, employees were given the option
to continue or exit the programme.
In some cases, the review gave rise to a new career plan. When the plan
turned out complex or removed from the employeeʼs job activities, the
employee was taken into the second stage of the plan, during which more
specific guidance was provided, alongside closer assessment of the
prospective change to determine feasibility. During the process, human
resources managers were able to mobilise an entire range of specific tools
that made it possible to take the review further. There were extensive
resources available: personality tests or image feedback (Quick Insight, 360°),
external individual tracking by a specialist consultant, coaching, job exploration
initiatives and referrals to internal or external professionals.