It was to be expected. Recruitment of young graduates in the audit consultant should decrease in 2012. However, nothing to do with the situation of 2009, the year of drastic reduction in hiring plans. Overall, the activity of firms is maintained but the turnover of employees, which can reach 20% in good times, tends to slow. With the financial crisis, young consultants do not receive many job offers from their customers. This is less of starters to replace. "Earlier this year, our recruitment should be more selective, confirms Baculard Hervé, President of Syntec management consulting. But we can not exclude surprises for the second half, with a wave of more opportunities for young graduates. "
Pending a hypothetical thinning, caution is called for. As with Deloitte, which provides 750 to 800 hires graduates, two-thirds of tray 5 and a third tray for two or three trades of public accounting. Same trend at Mazars, announcing 350 new hires for beginners, the same as in 2011. Sylvie Bernard-Curie, HR Advisory, KPMG Audit, estimates that it will hire "as much or slightly less than last year. Our goal is 720 graduates in CDI. " For its part, PwC expects a small decline: 470 recruits out of school against 520 last year. Less CDI also to sign with Accenture, which provides all the same 350 to 400 reinforcements of graduates (excluding trainees).
Open to university profiles
Side outlets, this is a return to fundamentals. The financial audit is to remain the preferred gateway for juniors. "This area is much more resistant than other more sensitive to economic conditions, such as transactions and mergers and acquisitions," says Isabelle encumber, director of recruitment at PwC. Beginners are also popular in the Outsourcing and Accounting and consulting in strategy and management. For these trades, "the needs are very important from our customers in areas affected by new regulations such as bancassurance, or the energy sector," says Jean-Marc Mickeler, Brand Manager of Deloitte employer .
In an uncertain economic times, employers do not they go play it safe by focusing on candidates in business schools at the expense of academics? The firms insist they will continue to open in the same proportions in the Masters 2 (bac +5). "Beware of clichés. The courses are less uniform than a decade ago. Now, there are Masters who have interned, completed a double degree or completed a stay abroad, ensures Sylvie Bernard-Curie. This makes them interesting and graduate school of management. "
According to the firms, recruitment of academics could be more if some schools were more open to the world of business. "We must do a great job of selection to identify the best Masters in terms of skills and language among the thousands that exist, says Caroline Haquet, Recruitment Manager at Mazars (25% of academics). However, to communicate with campus, we have not always clearly identified as an interlocutor. There is an entry barrier higher than in larger schools. "
Demanding recruitment processes
Personality test, business cases, interviews … processes differ from one firm to another.
Deloitte. Successful applicants are entitled to an initial interview with a collaborator. Meanwhile, they pass a personality test and English. The best after a second interview with a partner. The objective: to verify the intellectual agility, openness and adaptability of the candidate.
KPMG. After an initial selection of CV, the candidate is received for a "discovery interview" accompanied by an English test and a personality test by questionnaire. If it passes these tests, he participated in a morning with the program: a presentation of activities, a second interview with a manager or a partner in the area of their choice and a lunch with a young executive in the firm who will advise on the new recruit.
PwC. Candidates whose CVs have been identified individually meet with an HR manager in a key English test computer. Second step for the survivors: the realization of a business case directly with an operational manager. Finally, the "cream of the cream" is entitled to a final validation interview with a partner. The purpose of this very selective process, "validate the candidate's interpersonal skills, ability to listen and understand customer needs."
Accenture. First step, an interview of "motivation", conducted partly in English with a manager. The same day, the candidates must address collectively, in groups of about 10, the resolution of a business case. Then, the floor is, this time individually on solving another case business. The best are selected to meet a partner.
Mazars. No personality test, or resolution of business cases. Each session (in January and June) begins with an oral presentation of the firm to selected candidates. Then place two successive interviews with the firm's business. Each interview covers a portion of the CV. If the candidate is selected, it has a third interview a few days later with a more senior manager or partner.
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