The European labour market contains some unexpected hurdles as national differences between the countries of Europe manifest themselves, not only through linguistic diversity but also through different recruitment practices. Nannette Ripmeester on what motivates candidates in France.

In France it is important to understand the significance of hierarchy. In French organisations positions and the corresponding power are clearly defined. Most communication lies underneath the surface and is a complex network of personal ties and alliances that helps people to accomplish matters.

French communication expert Yvon Laret also stresses the importance of personal networks, "For the French knowing and comprehending each other's background is essential. Doing business without knowing the person opposite you is out of the question."

Likewise a French candidate will be surprised by the directness of some of the questions, whereas some of the information they consider essential is not being asked. Particularly certain questions in a UK-based application form will not ring a bell, nor will he or she grasp the underlying motive of some questions each British recruiter is deemed to ask in an interview situation. If you want to hire the right person for the job, it is essential to find some common ground.

For instance the number one mistake to make is deleting all hand-written application letters from your candidate records. Almost 75 to 80 percent of French employers still request a hand-written application letter. Graphology is one of the selection tools still used in the application process in France. Most commonly it is used to confirm other psychological testing. So be prepared for a handwritten application letter of about 15 to 20 lines, which focuses on the applicant's most recent activities and demonstrates, with examples, why he or she is consider themselves the right person for the job.

A French application

The standard French CV is either in a reversed chronological order or functionally clustered. The CV, often with a photo attached, is brief; two pages at maximum. The personal details include; the candidate’s name, their address and telephone number, their nationality, civil status, age and place of birth. 

Usually only the highest education is mentioned, leaving out all the other qualifications obtained. Job-experience and responsibilities are described in detail along with language skills.

Hobbies and extra-curricular activities get less attention. Often a French CV contains below the personal details a 'projet professionel''; in a maximum of five lines the candidate describes his/her educational background and how they see envisage their career development in five to ten years time through making use of their strongest skills. References and copies of diplomas are not included, however candidates bring these to the application interview.

If you want to find out more about recruiting in France, Expertise in Labour Mobility has published a guide called "Looking for work in France" (ISBN 90-5896-0064) to answer all your initial questions about cultural habits during the recruitment process as well as cultural differences in management culture.

Nannette Ripmeester is managing director and founder of Expertise in Labour Mobility (www.labourmobility.com), a knowledge broker on issues related to mobility on the international labour market. ELM has published guides on recruitment habits and cultural management issues in over 40 countries. Through the service HR Abroad® (www.hrabroad.com) ELM assists businesses to grasp the major HR issues in countries abroad.

This article was first published by the British Association of Graduate Recruiters in their magazine Graduate Recruiter.