Pôle emploi uses the simulation method to recruit bus drivers

2023-10-18 16:39:30

The sound of an engine, sliding doors, passengers boarding… The scene seems innocuous; Marc (1) nevertheless pays all his attention to it. It is the subject of a soundtrack where, for twenty-five minutes, he must slip into the shoes of a bus driver and respond on a questionnaire to situations that the latter is faced with: informing of a destination, give change, report an incident on the track…

“It’s a bit like we’re already behind the wheel”testifies the forty-year-old – except that none of them has the D license, necessary to drive a transport vehicle for more than eight people.

This exercise is part of the simulation recruitment method (MRS), organized by the Pôle emploi agency in Chessy (Seine-et-Marne). It aims to evaluate around forty candidates and identify potential employees for the company Transdev, which wishes to recruit sixteen bus drivers for two of its depots in the department.

Recruit without a CV

The MRS concept, proposed by Pôle emploi since 2007 for recruitment in certain sectors of activity, is simple: hire without taking into account the CV or experience, but based on the necessary basic skills. Here: punctuality, working under pressure, managing unforeseen events, customer relations.

Submission of applications is offered to all registered job seekers ready for retraining. For a month, they will attend various presentations and workshops before taking skills tests.

A sector in tension

“In public transport, a sector under pressure where the need for drivers continues to grow and where spontaneous candidates are rare, companies must resolve to broaden their panel of candidates”, advances Christelle Andrieu, director of the Chessy agency. “The MRS makes it possible to identify different profiles and offer employment opportunities to unqualified people. »

At the Chessy employment center, an MRS is organized approximately every three months in the public transport sector. “Each time, we bring together five times more candidates than a simple job advertisement”consider Olivier Querat, conseiller.

Select motivated candidates

At the end of the process, Pôle emploi selects the profiles most interested and compatible with Transdev’s expectations. “Few young unemployed arrive and tell their advisor: “I want to become a bus driver.” The simulation method allows you to discover the profession, the company, which consolidates the applications”continues the advisor. “For the recruiter, the process secures reliable candidates, who know what they are getting into”adds the general director.

The twenty candidates selected this fall will ultimately have a job interview with Transdev. 80 to 90% of them will be hired, the agency estimates. In addition to a permanent contract (CDI), they will benefit from D license training fully covered by the employer.