Cécile Frery [TBS Education 2020]

After a year's work experience at Airbus, Cécile joined Inserm as a Human Resources Assistant in the HR Prospective and Development Department. After a few months, she became the coordinator for the Occitanie Pyrenees Regional Delegation... Her mission involves recruitment, skills development and support for staff. She advises the directors of research structures on the recruitment and monitoring of contract staff, and organizes all collective HR management processes. Cécile is also the Disability Officer and coordinator of the Parité et Égalité professionnelle network for her district. Last but not least, she oversees the monitoring of training and social action budgets, the structuring of the training plan, files relating to working conditions, and so on.

As of 2018, you've invested in HR, while continuing to train.

The internships I took during my studies were decisive in my career path. I was able to identify the strengths I could capitalize on, as well as areas for improvement and aspects of human resources that interested me. I was attracted to coaching and skills development because they are so meaningful. As I'm on the front line of our employees' professional lives, I feel useful, and even more so when I'm involved in individual coaching, which combines their career path with more personal aspects.

"As a civil servant at Inserm, I work in the public interest".

After four years at Inserm, what changes have you noticed in management methods?

The world of academic research is particularly demanding. Our teams dedicate their lives to their projects. This requirement also applies to management. For some years now, new arrivals have been expressing a desire for a better work/life balance, despite their passion for science. This is sometimes misunderstood by managers, and we train them in intergenerational management to better understand these new aspirations.

How do you balance personal and professional life?

Work is an important part of my life. We spend more time at work than at home! It's vital that it stimulates and fulfills me. I'm so involved that it can encroach on my private life.

So I work on my balance by devoting time to those around me and to my hobbies. After the Covid pandemic, there was a real awareness of the importance of physical and mental health. What's more, certain so-called "essential" activities implied that others were not. Work became futile! This put things into perspective, and the place of work behind that of personal life.

Is it easy to recruit or retain employees at INSERM today?

For a long time, the civil service has struggled to attract people. The rise of the search for value has led to renewed interest. It is still difficult to attract people to certain professions, and remuneration in the public sector is often less attractive than in the private sector. Nevertheless, working conditions offer a better work/life balance, and this is a strong lever of attractiveness. There are many opportunities for mobility within the same administration, or between different ministries... The field of possibilities is almost infinite!

"After the Covid pandemic, there was a real awareness of the importance of physical and mental health."

Civil servants benefit from a highly protective status, and can take a leave of absence to work in the private sector or carry out a personal project, then return if they wish. Career prospects are varied and encouraged. This is a real asset in terms of attractiveness and loyalty, both at Inserm and in the civil service!

To conclude, any special message for TBS Education students?

Today, you can experiment, make mistakes, do different things. Being aligned with yourself and your values is what counts when it comes to defending your career path in an interview. Make the most of your internships. It's the ideal time to forge a network, talk to professionals whose experience will open up perspectives you hadn't considered. And - why not - find out about the jobs available in the civil service, if you want to put your skills to good use!

Interview by Elvire Prochilo (TBS Education 2013)