HRM in France
HRM-system is designed in order to manage the personnel, but its functionality is wider than the automated system of operations. Products in this class allow you to work not only with quantitative, but also qualitative indicators of staff. Its main task - to attract and retain valuable specialists for the company.
Each country has its own HRM-system, which has its own special features. So, I would like to examine exactly French HRM issues in more details.
French people skillfully mastered the art of doing the job invisibly. While in other countries people roughly demonstrate how in the sweat of those faces they reached certain success in the development of industry or construction, the French are trying not to show their efforts in this area. Like the necessity to work is not combined, in the view of the French, with the prevailing opinion about them, that they have long ago discovered the secret of the ability to live well.
In fact, the French are very serious about their work, and this ratio affects their behavior - their whole working life is literally riddled with lots of necessary regulations and formalities. But "behind the scenes" (when jacket is finally lifted, tie is loosened) the French may be very friendly and free to communicate with.
However, on the service, even if the staff for more than ten years called each other by name, the French, according to etiquette, certainly will appeal to colleagues "Monsieur X", "Madame Y". In this appeal, "Monsieur," they use something like "Sir" as the British used fifty years ago: "Do you know, sir, that " - a perfectly normal phrase in a conversation between long-standing friends on the service.
And colleagues will certainly shake hands every morning. Before you do business, you must correctly and strictly comply with all formalities and rules according to the standards.
Since the work of the French institutions shall be as if invisible to the eye, there exist very far from stupid, in some measure, practice: a report on whether expressed well-behaved one or another member of staff was, is written not only by his immediate superior or superiors, but also by his employees of lower rank, who may be a bit different, though, and understandable reasons.
However, some French methods for evaluating the contender for a particular workplace is quite strange. An important role, for example, is played by graphology. If the French do not like your handwriting, it can easily revoke the appointment of a business meeting with you or refuse to take you to work. The French believe, that graphology is an independent science, which gives quite a clear idea of the character (or of the complete absence thereof) of a particular candidate. Frankly, those who want to go to work, would have probably bless the invention of a computer, equipped with a printer.
Deliberation
Despite the fact that protocol rules are followed religiously, French manners are impeccable and respect for privacy is in their blood, they are almost always late - for work, business meetings, for an interview, etc. They have their own idea of what it means to "come in time." In their view, the "plus or minus fifteen minutes" is perfectly normal. That is why they believe that they are never late!
Making decisions
Seat few English managers for solving any problems. They certainly will take an honest attempt to solve it, and even after some time they will give you a decision, does not matter right it or not. Faced with a similar problem, the French managers will begin to discuss the issue, immediately cleverly deviating from the preset themes and touching it only tangentially, and as a result will offer you (also for discussion) a completely different problem and will be completely satisfied.
How it's done
Business Colleagues in France rarely invite each other to visit them - for dinner or just for a drink. It is considered to be not quite appropriate. Most often they do not even have an idea about how to invite someone from the staff to drink a glass of wine and chat at home in cozy and sloppy clothes. In fact, the French do not even have the analogue of the word - "sloppy." The closest in meaning French word - is "sansgene", which means "cheeky, off-hand," which, it seems, should describe an extremely short-tempered man, who doesn’t limit himself at all.
Usually business suits, which look like a uniform of the French are worn not just for work. They are always dressed with the same panache and ingenuity, which are typical for all they do, no matter what it is. Jackets and pants are of bright and unusual shapes and colors (even considering the bank staff) - this is perfectly normal, and clothing in the French business community is by no means an indicator of occupied position. That does not mean that the French do not care how they dressed and look like: on the contrary! They attentively examine, who dressed more beautiful and more stylish. Perhaps, equality govern in France.
Nowadays, the French women constitute about 45 percent of the workforce in the country, but only very, very few of them reach key positions in industry and big business. But nevertheless, in politics French women from time to time manifest themselves clearly enough.
Small business
There is a fallacious, but rather romantic view that the French - is a nation of small entrepreneurs, owners of small forges, medium-sized notary offices. Somehow everyone always believed that if you have broken down your car even in the most remote village of the France, the local blacksmith is quite able to fix it, even if he had to make an entirely new carburetor with the help of a hammer and anvil.
But more and more frequent the small business in France is the exception rather than the rule. The French even like the expression itself "large company", because only a large company can allow their employees to exercise inexhaustible inventiveness and encourage their love of experimentation. In addition, the company belongs to a great prestige; This gives confidence and strength. The working French in general are usually proud of their work, fully aware what kind of the benefits they bring to society and the country.
Workers unite!
The possibilities of the trade unions the French, in general, do not believe. Only 8-9 per cent of the workers are members of trade unions (for comparison, in the UK 51 per cent of workers are unionized), and this number decreases with each passing year.
This lack of interest is due, firstly, to the chronic reluctance of the French whatsoever to join, and secondly, with the fact that trade unions are in perpetual disputes with each other (the problem, rather, "we and we", not "we and they").
According to Nordisk (2008) “French industry is run by ingenious and inventive people (sometimes among them there are also one or two women), and because of this, worktime seems to be the most pleasant time of the day between morning coffee and evening aperitif” (p.290). French suit in offices and factories special rest rooms, set staggered working hours, which allow them at any time to arrange smoke breaks for a few minutes, and even allowed to finish the work week on Thursday, if a particular employee has performed his weekly plan. From the point of view of trade unions, it is simply unfair play, and they are downright sour, unable to withstand such a reasonably constructed offensive.
The French model of work motivation is characterized by a wide variety of economic instruments, including strategic planning, the promotion of competition and the flexible system of taxation. A distinctive feature of it is including of strategic planning in the market mechanism. The basis of market relations in the French model is the competition, which has a direct impact on the quality of products, satisfaction of people's needs in goods and services, a reduction in production costs. In politics, there can be observed two trends in payment: the indexation of wages, depending on the cost of living and the individualization of wages. Consumer price indices are recorded in earnings in almost all large enterprises, which is reflected in the collective agreements with trade unions. The principle of individualization of wages in France is carried out by taking into account the level of professional qualifications, the quality of the work performed, the number of innovations introduced, the level of employee mobility.
Three main approaches are applied for the implementation of the principle of individualization of pay: For each workplace, measured on the basis of collective agreement, the minimum wage and the "fork" of salaries are determined. Evaluation of each worker's labor is carried out with respect to his own work performed, not in comparison with the work performed by other workers on other positions. The criteria for the labor contribution by the worker are the amount and the quality of his work, as well as participation in public life of the enterprise; The salary is divided into two parts: a constant, independent from the office or workplace, and variable, reflecting the efficiency of work of employees. In addition, premiums are paid for the quality of work, conscientious attitude to work, etc. The staff is actively involved in the discussion of pay issues in the framework of special commissions; The enterprises are carried out such forms of wage individualization, as participation in the profits, the sale of shares to employees of the enterprise, the payment of premiums. In the French model the method of job evaluation (which usually has a multifactorial nature) and the criteria used are quite interesting. The content of this technique is the following. The enterprises use numerical score of efficiency of work of the employee (from 0 to 120 points) according to six factors: professional knowledge, productivity, quality of work, compliance with safety regulations, production ethics, initiative. At the same time the personnel of the company are divided into 5 categories. For higher – first category - contribute workers who have been scored between 100 and 120 points; second - scored 76 to 99 points, etc. At the same time there is a number of restrictions: the first category can be attributed at least 5 and not more than 10% of workers from one division and one profession, the second - from 30 to 40%, the third - from 35 to 45%. In case of absence on the work from 3 to 5 days per month the allowance is reduced by 25%, from 10 or more days it is reduced by 100%. The advantage of the French model of work motivation is the fact that it has a strong stimulating effect on the efficiency and quality of labor. Moreover, it is a factor of self-regulation of the wage fund size. In case of temporary difficulties, the wage fund is automatically reduced, resulting in the company safely respond to tactical changes. The model provides a broad awareness of employees about the economic situation of the company.
French business culture is characterized by high avoidance of uncertainties, which is manifested in the existence of numerous rules and regulations governing the rights and obligations of employees. France - is an example of the widespread use of formal procedures, written rules, schemes and structures. French culture is much less can be characterized by the desire to take risks, like, for example English or Swedish. The bureaucratization of its rules, regulations and complex communication system is a powerful tool that allows to do complex effects in a predictable and trustworthy way. Therefore, the French HRM system are very effective and is adapted to control the risk.
References
Nordisk, N. (2008) Business Ethics and Vision and Strategy: Quasi Experimental Evidence, Journal of Labor Economics, 27, 281-314.
