Although the French oil group is very well-known, it remains unknown for a number of its business lines. For this reason, it set up an annual questionnaire to better work with target schools and universities worldwide.

With 8,000 employees to hire each year, including 2,000 in France alone, "Total cannot afford to take an on and off approach to recruiting," explains it Campus Relations Director, Adrien Béchonnet. The particularity of the Group's sites was well identified: they are in foreign countries, and sometimes difficult to access. However, the study we commissioned from Quatre Vents clearly pointed out that "students visiting our sites mainly see us as refiners and industrialists, without necessarily knowing our specific business lines", states Adrien Béchonnet. "Our key business lines are poorly understood. While we are known for our service stations and refineries, we are not known for our exploration and drilling activities. Our brand and product are well known, but there is still much work to do to get our name known as an employer", states Adrien Béchonnet. He cites one interesting example: "No one believes that women can be drilling engineers". Total therefore want to develop its meetings with students and improve its talent scouting. "We operate in 130 countries, and work every day to include diversity in our hiring practices. If we didn't, our host countries could never forgive us", he says.

Meeting students where they are

With the questionnaire prepared by Quatre Vents, 3,000 students were surveyed at the elite schools and universities targeted by Total. 75% of students surveyed have no or only slight knowledge of its business lines. That percentage plummets, however, for those students that already took part in one of the oil company's publicity actions. "That's why we are going to intensify our meetings and discussions with students worldwide, as early as their first year of post-secondary studies, and sometimes even in high schools," says Adrian Béchonnet.

Total is not spared modern concerns and faces the quest for meaning that weighs on students' minds. Some of the most effective forms of communication are the mini-courses on the Energy business lines, delivered by Group employees at elite schools. "We organised a presentation on the Energy business lines in our amphitheatre, and it was packed. 360 students attended, and almost 200 others were turned away because there was no more room," remembers Adrien Béchonnet.


Setting up and deploying a network of campus ambassadors and managers

Armed with the survey findings, Adrian Béchonnet set out to pursue a tailored employer communication policy. Campus Ambassadors – alumni of elite schools – represent the company to students, and as such, play a key role in honing the company's employer image. So do the Campus Managers, who participated in the pilot project this year and will soon be deployed in about ten countries.