Hiring employees in France
Are you in the process of expanding your business to France? A vital part of establishing any business is to find the right staff, so you’ll need to source and recruit suitable workers for your French operation. France has particularly strong labor protections, so you will need to get to know the laws and customs around France recruitment.
At Horizons, our global expansion consultants will guide you through the recruitment process and provide outsourcing solutions to manage your hiring in France so you don’t have to. With our help, you can find, recruit, and onboard employees in France and achieve full compliance with the nation’s complex laws, even if you don’t have a registered entity in the country.
France hiring guide
Explore some of the key information about France recruitment and how to hire the best talent to help with your France expansion.
How to find and recruit staff in France
Along with most countries, the landscape of modern France recruitment is dominated by the internet and various job sites, with some of the most popular examples being Indeed and Jooble, among others.
Some of the main challenges with France recruitment arise when trying to stay compliant with the complex regulations. France has especially strong employment laws, many mandatory employee benefits, and trade unions, and employees are not afraid to take industrial action. This means you will generally need to ensure you pay a fair rate and comply with all the terms of relevant collective bargaining agreements.
To stay protected from legal action, you should always have robust, detailed, and professionally written employment contracts for all your employees.
Discrimination and harassment laws in France
France has extensive laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment in both the workplace and during the hiring process. The laws prohibit basic things such as discrimination based on gender, age, ethnicity, disabilities, trade union support, appearance, and religion, but also more specific things such as marital status, language (other than French), and more.
Due to the complexity of these laws, you should avoid asking probing questions that may stray into these areas when interviewing potential candidates in France. We advise only talking about the job and things that are directly relevant.
Additionally, unlike many countries, French employers cannot ask about a candidate’s criminal record if it is not directly relevant to the position.
Onboarding staff in France
As an employer, you will essentially have the freedom to onboard and train employees in France however you see fit. For example, some companies choose to provide on-the-job training, while others may recruit in groups and train new employees together.
We recommend that you always go through an employee’s contract early in the process, along with company policies and your commitment to upholding French labor law. You may need a representative for this part of your France recruitment, and enlisting the help of a global PEO such as Horizons can save you time and money at this stage.
Speak to an expert today.
How can Horizons help with your France recruitment?
At Horizons, our global expansion team is experienced in recruiting worldwide, including in France. We provide tailored consultancy and outsourcing solutions to make sure your business is in full compliance with France’s complicated employment laws.
In addition, we can find, hire, and onboard your workforce in France, take care of payroll setup and running, and much more, even if your company does not have a registered subsidiary in France.
