Air France, Accor, Altran, Arkéma, Renault, Rexel and Sopra Steria, seven companies were pinned Thursday for "presumption of discrimination in hiring", in favor of a testing campaign commissioned by the government. Invited Friday from Europe 1, Julien Denormandie, Minister to the Minister of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Communities, came to defend the government's method. The "name and shame", he assured, "is necessary and can be useful".
Regarding the issue of discrimination in hiring, "it is imperative that this awareness is disseminated throughout society", said the member of the government, at the microphone of Aurélie Herbemont, defending "the largest testing ever organized" in France on this issue. "Discrimination continues to persist in our country in access to a job and to housing", regrets Julien Denormandie, and have "no place in our republic".
"Supporting companies in their recruitment process"
When there are presumptions of discrimination on the side of businesses, nuances the Minister however, "this discrimination is never voluntary, never organized", but results from "habits or observations which, at the end of the ends, lead to this discrimination. " Julien Denormandie therefore invites to "support all companies, many of which work with great goodwill, in their recruitment process".
The fact remains that the results of the study scandalized the companies concerned, which declared themselves "outraged" by the "manifest weaknesses of the methodology used which leads to erroneous conclusions". "Each time, you have a methodology that can raise questions," assumes Julien Denormandie, claiming to have wanted to "be transparent" regarding the methodology used and "where there could be limits".
Affirmative action? "I don't believe it," says the minister.
"This testing makes it possible to say: 'be careful, there must be this awareness of fighting discrimination, every day'", says Julien Denormandie again, however refusing to overwhelm businesses alone. "We highlight companies, but on the state side, it's the same thing," he explains.
Asked about the usefulness of a possible implementation of positive discrimination, the minister was more reserved. "I don't believe it," he says. "Everyone must be recognized by their talent", and positive discrimination could "wipe out the talent of the people we hire".