From Flexibility to Paid Family Leave: 5 Reasons Women Love Working For This French Company

People tend to be drawn to careers at Thales Group for the same reasons clients are drawn to doing business with the company: Thales is dedicated to keeping people safe and making life better.

What “better” looks like, of course, is specific to the individuals involved. But at least a few commonalities can be pinpointed. For clients, Thales makes life better by designing and building advanced electrical systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets. (Fun fact: The French multinational company, as of 2017, was listed as the eighth largest defense contractor in the world, with 55% of its total sales stemming from the military.) 

Thales Is Hiring! Browse Opportunities. 

For those who work at Thales, this promise of “better” comes partly from the satisfaction of doing meaningful work enhancing global security in innovative ways. But it also comes from the culture Thales promotes, as well as its impressive slate of employee benefits. Working for a French company, as it turns out, comes with some specific cultural perks that aren’t exactly standardized in much of the U.S. yet. 

Below, here are five reasons women say they love working at Thales. (Beyond the fact that a trip to company headquarters means a visit to Paris, which we wouldn’t exactly call a con.) 

1. Thales believes in flexibility. 

As part of its commitment to attracting the best talent, Thales understands that its talent deserves freedom. People should have the tools and resources to excel in all areas of their lives, both personal and professional, after all, and flexibility is crucial to that end. That’s why Thales offers generous PTO and a flexible working schedule. 

“The benefits are among some of the best around,” one woman wrote in her employee review on FGB, adding that there’s a “minimum of four weeks of vacation for new hires.” 

2. The company supports employees’ career goals with robust professional development.

Over 30 years ago, Thales established its in-house Thales University — today known as the Thales Learning Hub — to support employees’ growth at every stage of their career. Updated each year to reflect current company goals and market trends, the program works alongside Thales Digital Academy’s digital upskilling efforts to provide learning in four key areas: leadership and change management; business performance; operational excellence; and the transformation of support functions.

3. It supports workers in their personal goals, too. 

For workers who have a goal of growing a family, for instance, they can do so at Thales with a level of support that many U.S. organizations fail to offer. Regardless of gender, new parents at the company can take up to eight weeks of paid time off after birth, adoption or the welcoming of a foster child.

4. Working at Thales means providing the world with necessary tech and services, not simply products for products’ sake.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Thales, chances are, you’ve benefited from its technology. Have you bought a bus or train ticket lately? Many of these systems rely on Thales’ tech, particularly for passengers who want to be able to access real-time scheduling and service info on their smartphones. Have you ever watched a movie on a flight? Checked your bank balance on your phone? In-flight connectivity and banking cybersecurity are two major tech exports from Thales, too. And that isn’t to mention any of the incredibly important — though, to many civilians, less tangible — work Thales is doing in space and in the global defense and security realm.

5. By joining Thales, you’re joining a company that believes in gender diversity. 

As a global purveyor of defense and security services, Thales recognizes the strength that comes from diversity. That’s why, with a 22% female workforce around the world currently, the company is working to increase its ratio of female hires. Early efforts have helped make positive headway; last year, for instance, women made up 27.5% of new hires. But Thales knows that isn’t enough to call the job done. In addition to internal D&I efforts — including a commitment to upholding total pay equality — the company is also investing in the next generation of women in tech by working with organizations, from the Women’s Forum to the Elles Bougent Association, that help girls go after STEM degrees.

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