The best companies to work for in France in 2020
What are France’s best companies to work for? New analysis among employee reviews reveals which companies rank as France’s top employers, with the list topped by software giant Salesforce, Hermès, Murex and SAP, followed by iconic French brands Thales and L'Oréal.
In its yearly analysis, researchers from recruitment and review site Glassdoor analysed thousands of employee reviews for hundreds of companies in France, and using an overall rating, they compiled a list of the country’s top employers. Employee reviews span a host of workplace factors, including the attractiveness of the job, corporate culture, the quality of leadership, working conditions, compensation & benefits, work-life balance and career opportunities.
The 25 best companies to work for in France:
1. Salesforce
Sector: IT and Software
Founded: 1999
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.4
2. Hermès
Sector: Consumer Products
Founded: 1837
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.4
3. Murex
Sector: Software Solutions
Founded: 1986
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.3
4. SAP
Sector: Computer Hardware and Software
Founded: 1972
Head office: Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
Average employee score: 4.3
5. Thales
Sector: Aerospace and Defence
Founded: 2000
Head office: Nanterre
Main rivals: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman
Average employee score: 4.3
6. L'Oreal
Sector: Consumer Products
Founded: 1909
Head office: Clichy
Main rivals: LVMH, Amazon, Chanel
Average employee score: 4.3
7. Saffron
Sector: Transport equipment manufacturing
Founded: 2005
Head office: Paris
Main rivals: Honeywell, Boeing, Rolls-Royce
Average employee score: 4.2
8. Onepoint
Sector: Consulting
Founded: 2002
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.2
9. Sanofi
Sector: Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical
Founded: 1973
Head office: Paris
Main rivals: Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline
Average employee score: 4.2
10. Natixis
Sector: Banking and Asset Management
Founded: 2006
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.2
11. Amazon
Sector: Internet
Founded: 1994
Head office: Seattle (United States)
Average employee score: 4.2
12. Extia
Sector: Consulting
Founded: 2007
Head office: Sèvres
Average employee score: 4.2
13. Microsoft
Sector: Computer Hardware and Software
Founded: 1975
Head office: Redmond, (United States)
Main rivals: Google, Amazon, Apple
Average employee score: 4.2
14. Michelin
Sector: Industrial Manufacturing
Founded: 1889
Head office: Clermont-Ferrand
Average employee score: 4.2
15. Orange
Sector: Telecommunications Services
Founded: 1988
Head office: Paris
Main rivals: Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica
Average employee score: 4.2
16. Air France
Sector: Airlines
Founded: 1933
Head office: Roissy
Main rivals: American Airlines, Lufthansa
Average employee score: 4.2
17. CEA
Sector: Federal organisations
Founded: 1945
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.2
18. Schneider Electric
Sector: Energy
Founded: 1836
Head office: Rueil-Malmaison
Average employee score: 4.2
19. Sia Partners
Sector: Consulting
Founded: 1999
Head office: Paris
Average employee score: 4.2
20. Ubisoft
Sector: Video games
Founded: 1986
Head office: Montreuil, Île-de-France
Main rivals: Electronic Arts, Activision, Konami
Average employee score: 4.2
21. Airbus
Sector: Aerospace and Defence
Founded: 1970
Head office: Toulouse
Main rivals: Boeing, Embraer
Average employee score: 4.2
22. Total
Sector: Energy
Founded: 1924
Head office: Courbevoie
Main rivals: ExxonMobil, Shell, BP
Average employee score: 4.2
23. Leroy Merlin
Sector: General merchandise stores
Founded: 1923
Head office: Lille
Average employee score: 4.2
24. Decathlon
Sector: Sports retail
Founded: 1976
Head office: Villeneuve-d'Ascq
Main rivals: Sports Direct, Carrefour, Go Sport
Average employee score: 4.2
25. Saint Gobain
Sector: Industrial Manufacturing
Founded: 1665
Head office: Courbevoie
Main rivals: AGC, Lafarge
Average employee score: 4.1
According to Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor and main author of the study, “People care deeply about where they work and a growing body of research shows companies with outstanding cultures not only have a clear competitive advantage to attract talent, but they also often lead their peers in terms of financial performance. Employee culture is one of the smartest long-term investments companies can make.”
This year, Glassdoor conducted its Best Places to Work in 2020 study in nine countries: the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Singapore.