Saur, the French company specialising in water and waste treatment, was handed an annual prize for human resources innovation on 23 September, after it abolished probation periods for new hires. The measure comes at a time of notable growth at the company, which has significant needs on the recruitment front. Six months on from the move, Saur is positive on the almost 700 hires it has made, to take its workforce in France to over 12,000, and says that the number of departures during what would have ordinarily been a trial period has dropped by two thirds.
The move by Saur, in March 2021, to abolish probation periods from the contracts of new recruits sought to make the company a more attractive prospect, and thereby help it hire more people. Since the move, three times fewer recruits exit during what would have been a probation period. Xavier Savigny, the group’s HR director, said on receipt of the innovation award: “With the media impact of this award, we hope that the company will become even better known among the best talent, which we want to attract.
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