“I’m not very comfortable expressing myself in public but when I was asked to come before you, I said yes straight away.” Alice, a 30-year-old young dark-haired woman with a long bob, wearing a denim-colored dress, speaks in front of an audience of around twenty people, in a small reception room overlooking the atrium of the headquarters of Paris 2024, in Saint-Denis, Tuesday, October 4. Without glancing at her carefully prepared note sheet, Alice, in post since last February in project management and coordination on competition sites, recounts with ease her personal experience within the Paris 2024 company.
In front of her, her listeners listen to her very religiously. Among them, about fifteen were selected for “a hiring job dating” reserved for people with disabilities, whether heavy or light, motor or invisible. The ultimate goal is to be able to integrate the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee (Cojo).
The issue is therefore to “to let them know that we exist, that we are in the race, and give them the opportunity to come to us”, explains Chantal Lasnier, Talents and Diversity Manager at Paris 2024. “Often, in the other companies for which I have worked, managers are not trained in disability. Here, it is not a subject”, says Alice, whose disability is invisible.
“Here, they don’t look at me strangely, and they don’t ask me a lot of questions either. The work environment adapts to me and not the other way around.”
Alice, 30, who works in project management and coordination at the Paris 2024 competition sitesat franceinfo: sport
Alice’s testimony, which followed the more formal presentation of the Organizing Committee, serves as an example: her handicap does not allow her to type all day on the computer. Voice dictation assistance was therefore made available. “I also benefit from VTC access for my work-home round trips three days a week, the metro being poorly adapted to my disability, and I work from home two days a week”, says Alice.
Arrangements made possible thanks to the agreement signed between Paris 2024 and Agefiph (association managing the fund for the professional integration of people with disabilities), which provides aid for companies and employees. “Everything is not perfect, we can still improve things of course. Paris 2024 is a young company, so we create things live, Alice smiled. But it is a 100% disabled-friendly business.” This first job dating for the Paris 2024 company calls for others: the ambition is to repeat this type of meeting every quarter.
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Among the positions to be filled, jobs common to each company: sales, technology and information systems, planning and coordination, financial administration, human resources. But also positions more specific to the Games such as ticketing, delivery of the Games (transport, catering, security, international relations, venues and infrastructure) and the “impacts and commitments” service, which includes the brand of the event, communication , inheritance…
For these job offers, Paris 2024 comes up against certain obstacles: “Already it is an audience that is not that numerous. Moreover, on the qualification levels on which we recruit (bac +3, +4), it is very little present. All French companies in the Cac 40 and others are snapping up these candidates”, notes Chantal Lasnier.
In addition to these reasons, “that of the duration of the positions offered, which will go up to 2025 at most, can also slow them down in their approach”, outbids Alexandre Dion, disability referent at Paris 2024. No percentage of hiring people with disabilities has been established by the Cojo. “Each hiring is one more victory. We have not set a limit”, supports Chantal Lasnier. “This is a population that requires additional quality of care in the interview process and that we take a little more time than usual to study their background, their skills and adapt to their situation. any necessary adjustments”continues Chantal Lasnier.
“Often in these profiles, we have CVs that are not very readable following an accident in life, sometimes with gaps of several years, because the person needed rehabilitation for example.”
Chantal Lasnier, Head of Talents and Diversity at Paris 2024at franceinfo: sport
For the first edition, fourteen candidates were pre-selected during a preliminary telephone interview, from the database of the interim and human resources company Randstad, partner of Paris 2024. “The selection was very targeted. I prefer to have 10 people whose profile could be compatible rather than seeing 500 people to whom I have nothing to offer”, she justifies.
Once the presentation has been made, in a second room, on the side of the Paris 2024 atrium, the candidates take their places around small tables, surrounded by green armchairs, and for some separated by screens. Face to face, a candidate and a recruiter. “As far as possible, we try to make them pass the interview with their potential future manager”, says Chantal Lasnier.
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After 45 minutes of interview, Florence, 52 years old and specialized in marketing, is accompanied by her interlocutor. “I found this meeting very natural. We were very well received. It was more intimate like that. I was told that my profile was interesting and that several positions were possible”, she rejoices, rather confident. “In small companies, disability is still taboo. I’ve never spoken about it before. Here, their benevolent speech convinced me. In addition to a nice line on the CV, working for the Games would be magical.”
Camille, a 24-year-old engineer, was also seduced: “Just touching the idea that I could work for the Paris Games is crazy. The interview went very well, and I didn’t feel any pressure. On disability, they are on the page. We recognize ourselves in what is done, and I project myself well”, she testifies. “I’m finishing my current CCD in two months. I still have a junior profile, so a short contract suits me well to gain experience before a permanent position”, emphasizes the candidate. A return will be made to him in the coming weeks, we are assured on the side of Paris 2024. On the recruiting side too, the day was very positive. “I had a very good contact with my candidate, who had a strong appetite for sport, says Clémentine Ducrocq, human resources manager. Its versatile profile is what we need. I have two positions in mind for her.”
By December, 1,000 positions will have already been filled within Paris 2024 and nearly 3,000 still have to be filled by 2024. “Thanks to the Games, we can change society’s view of disability”, slip Alice. A challenge worthy of the event that only asks to be achieved.