France Telecom pledges recruitment drive

In a move that goes against the grain of firms in the industry shrinking their headcounts, France Telecom has said it will recruit 4,000 employees for permanent positions over the next three years. The operator group also plans to integrate 5,000 young people each year in France on work-study placements in order to meet their training and work experience needs.

Furthermore, the firm has pledged to hold negotiations with employee representatives in an effort to provide job stability and support for senior employees as they approach the end of their careers. This includes measures to allow flexible working times, which it already offers to over 7,000 employees.

France Telecom said that the moves are being made to secure employment stability for its employees in France and will enable it to face the challenges that lie ahead.

“This commitment has been made despite the difficult economic context, in particular following the launch of a fourth operator in France, which has led to a depressed operational environment and decreased margins across the Group,” the operator said in a statement.

The difficult economic conditions have led to a number of other firms announcing job cuts in recent months, such as T-Mobile USA, LightSquared, NSN, Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent and Motorola Mobility.