In a competitive job market, attracting the best talent requires far more than an attractive salary. Flexibility, well-being at work and recognition of individual experience are becoming key drivers. Discover how these attractiveness levers can transform your company into an employer of choice.

In a competitive market, base salary alone is not always your strongest asset. Employee expectations are shifting increasingly towards a recognition of personal life, individual identity, autonomy and well-being. Attracting top talent therefore requires adaptability and creativity in appealing to prospective employees.

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The pillars of employer attractiveness

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A company can no longer rely solely on its reputation or success to attract talent. The prevailing trend is one of balance. Candidates seek a career path tailored to their profile, personal life and level of experience. Meeting these expectations necessarily involves addressing working time and hours, demonstrating a genuine commitment to work-life balance, and recognising employees' contribution to the company's success.

Three key pillars can be identified to strengthen a company's attractiveness to candidates: working time and hours, well-being at work, and employee recognition.

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1. Working time and hours

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The organisation and duration of working time have become increasingly important to candidates, particularly among managerial-level employees. They seek both a better work-life balance and a degree of freedom — a corollary of the autonomy and trust extended to them by their employer.

From a legal standpoint, several tools exist to introduce greater flexibility in working time arrangements or to optimise them in support of a healthier work-life balance:

Individualised working hours: These consist of fixed and flexible time slots. Within the flexible periods, each employee may choose their own start and finish times. However, employees must complete a set number of hours per day. Fixed periods with mandatory attendance for all staff are also established throughout the day.

Day-based working arrangements (forfait en jours): Applicable only to certain categories of employees (in particular, managers with a sufficient degree of autonomy), this arrangement measures working time in days rather than hours. During the working day, the employee organises their time freely, provided they meet the company's operational requirements. Enhanced monitoring of days worked and rest periods taken is essential to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This arrangement is strictly regulated and requires a precise assessment of the employee's profile and status before it can be offered.

The four-day week: Increasingly popular, the four-day week must be properly structured from a legal perspective. It may be implemented either by reducing the total weekly working hours or by redistributing the statutory working hours across four days. Feedback on this arrangement has been very positive, provided it has been carefully anticipated and tailored to the company's operational organisation.

Remote working: Remote working expanded dramatically in the wake of successive lockdowns and the Covid-19 crisis. It has quickly become a benefit that a large number of employees are no longer willing to forgo. Remote working undoubtedly supports a healthy work-life balance and reinforces the sense of trust an employer places in its employees. However, its implementation, conditions and frequency must be carefully planned to remain compatible with the company's operations. This working arrangement is also strictly regulated, both in terms of its introduction and its day-to-day application.

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2. Well-being at work

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Well-being at work has become inseparable from working time arrangements, as it is frequently associated with a healthy work-life balance. However, well-being at work extends beyond working hours and encompasses measures designed to protect employees from certain management practices and to prevent various forms of discrimination.

From a legal perspective, promoting well-being at work involves collective bargaining and the implementation of internal policies aimed at protecting employees and fostering a supportive working environment. The following are examples of topics to address (not all are mandatory, but they may nonetheless form part of good company practice and strengthen employer attractiveness):

• Agreement or policy on career development pathways and professional training
• Agreement or policy on annual leave and rest periods
• Charter on the right to disconnect
• Implementation of regular appraisal interviews
• Agreement or policy to promote diversity and inclusion
• Agreement and policy to prevent and address harassment and discrimination, including a whistleblowing mechanism
• Agreement or policy to support employees taking maternity, paternity or parental leave
• Agreement or policy on professional equality and gender equality

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3. Profit-sharing and employee participationin the Results

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Involving employees in the company's success can make all the difference:

• Variable remuneration: Introduce performance-related bonuses based on achievable shared objectives to motivate the team.
• Free share allocations and BSPCEs: Offer equity to strengthen employee engagement and alignment with the company's success.

Assessing costs and risks

For each attractiveness lever you are considering, ask yourself the following questions:

• What costs, risks and constraints does this lever represent for my company? Does it justify implementation?
• What sources govern the implementation of this lever: the Labour Code, collective agreement, employment contract, or unilateral undertaking?
• What conditions of validity apply to ensure the legal compliance of the attractiveness lever?
• What conditions govern monitoring, amendment or removal in the event that my attractiveness strategy evolves?

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Conclusion

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Attracting the best talent for your tech or innovative company is a strategic exercise. By focusing on attractiveness levers such as flexibility, well-being at work and active profit-sharing, you can create a compelling environment for top candidates. Take into account the specific characteristics of your sector and the needs of your future employees to build a dynamic team ready to meet tomorrow's challenges.

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