Recruitment difficulties are not the prerogative of large groups.
In a survey based on 1,036 responses from members of the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CPME), 64% of managers are looking for profiles in a profession deemed to be in tension.
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Of these, more than three-quarters (76%) see an increase in the salary expectations of candidates, and almost half (49%) have already given in.
Business leaders also fear the departure of their employees to the competition (58%).
To retain their workforce, 67% have taken the lead.
More than half (51%) say they have improved working conditions in their company, through teleworking or more flexible hours.
They are also 31% to have increased the salaries of employees likely to leave them, and 23% have set up collective mechanisms (participation, employee savings ...), to improve the purchasing power of their staff.
"
VSEs and SMEs have therefore started the increases in remuneration from the fourth quarter of 2021
», Emphasizes François Asselin.
Decrease margins
Things should not stop there, since a third of those polled predict widespread increases on January 1, when the same share of leaders is still undecided.
In detail, 15% expect increases of more than 2% for all their staff.
"
Beware of the risks of disillusionment, because if increases of 10% are possible in the hotel and catering industry, this is far from being the case for many companies
", warns the president of the CPME.
In fact, 61% of companies plan to reduce their margins and 40% to pass these salary increases on to their selling prices.
"
And if they increase, inflation will continue,
" warns François Asselin.