Fighting discrimination
Promoting the professional insertion of youth
Promoting gender equality in the workplace
Favouring employment and the insertion of the disabled
Favouring the employment of seniors
Cultivating cultural diversity
Upholding solidarity

Fighting discrimination

In order to fight discrimination and ensure that all job applications have the same chance of success, our recruitment processes have been designed to comply with transparency and traceability rules.
In France, the Start Rec management process for applications was audited by the “Observatoire des Discriminations” and was accredited in 2007 by the Halde (the French High Authority for the Fight Against Discrimination and the Promotion of Equality).

Promoting the professional insertion of youth

In order to favour the professional insertion of youth, Société Générale has initiated a number of concrete actions.

“Coup de Pouce pour l’Insertion”: This programme aims at the successful long-term professional integration of young people living in the “sensitive" suburbs of Lyon. The objective is to better promote equal opportunity on the job market for young people without diplomas regardless of their place of residence.
Launched in 2009, this programme was renewed in Lyon in 2010 and has been extended to the Paris region.
Finally, in December 2009, Société Générale was awarded the “Entreprise et Diversité" award for its actions in this area by Nora Communication and Claude Suquet Consulting.

“Nos Quartiers ont des Talents”: The partnership signed in 2008 with the “Nos Quartiers ont des Talents” by Société Générale and “Talents et Partage” was renewed in 2010. This project, whose objective is to sponsor young graduates who live in “sensitive” urban areas in finding their first job, met with great success. Since the partnership was set up three years ago, Société Générale sponsors have helped more than 500 young graduates, half of whom obtained a job with a permanent contract which is in line with their studies and meets their expectations.

“Opération Phénix”: For the third consecutive year, Société Générale participated in this operation that aims at hiring young graduates from Master 2 research programmes in letters and the humanities seeking to re-orient their career plans towards the business world.
In 2009, nine businesses and eight universities joined together to participate in the project.  More than 6,000 students were able to apply.

Work and study programme. A first step towards employment, work and study programmes provide us with a wide variety of profiles as this system allows for students to finance their courses while accessing professional training …
One way of promoting career development and using the social ladder at the earliest stages of one’s career.

• Work and study section
• Work and study Facebook page

Promoting gender equality in the workplace

The Société Générale Group is committed to allowing women to achieve harmony in their career and personal life. We have therefore taken a number of initiatives to increase the presence of women at all levels, in particular in positions of responsibility.

In 2008, the signature of a labour agreement on gender equality allowed for many changes, such as the reduction in salary discrepancies, the increase in the percentage of women in Group management positions, etc., which put Société Générale in the Top Three of the Capitalcom 2010 ranking on gender equality.

• Find out our videos "Women in finance"

Favouring employment and the insertion of the disabled

We pay close attention to the recruitment, job planning and career management of the disabled to ensure they can fully play their role within the Group.

In 2007, Société Générale put Mission Handicap in place in France, the objective of which is to promote the employment and insertion of disabled individuals.

• For more information on Société Générale’s Mission Handicap
• Discover the Mission Handicap blog (in french)
  
• Follow up on us on the Mission Handicap Twitter (in french)
  
• Discover Mission Handicap channel’s videos

Favouring the employment of seniors

At the end of 2009, Société Générale signed a three-year agreement related to the employment of seniors. It was one of the very first agreements of this type in our business sector.
This agreement provides for the implementation of measures, along with target figures, to support senior employees and plan their professional future. In particular, it calls for regular “career update” meetings and easier access to professional training of all kinds.

Cultivating cultural diversity

In line with the Group’s strong international growth, we are working on identifying and supporting managers who would like to spend part of their career in an entity outside of their country of origin.
In 2007, we created an international “vivier” pool of these employees in France. Its objective is to support those of our employees who choose expatriation. We encourage them to seek an international experience and learn to manage multicultural teams.

International recruitment. The diversification of our recruitment also means greater opportunities for applicants of different cultural backgrounds. This is why the Société Générale Group regularly invests in projects to promote its company with international student institutions and associations and participates in many recruitment forums throughout the world.

Upholding solidarity

Société Générale’s Foundation for Solidarity is an additional facet of the Group’s actions to favour professional insertion and equal opportunity for all.
In 2010, the Foundation’s budget totals €2 million for the patronage and sponsorship of social missions.

For more information on Société Générale’s Foundation for Solidarity
http://www.societegenerale.com/fondation-solidarite

Based on our corporate foundation and the associations we support, we contribute to reducing “broken rungs” in the social ladder and upholding greater solidarity in the regions in which we have sites.