« We Pitch, You Choose » : a new way to recruit

Throughout VivaTech, BNP Paribas experts will “pitch” to potential candidates. 

What is the idea behind this system? We want to take advantage of our presence at VivaTech to invite candidates to three "We Pitch You Choose" sessions—Cybersecurity, Development and Data.

The idea is simple: managers have a few minutes to convince participants to join their teams. There is only one rule—deliver concrete information about their projects, team and technologies. 

If the candidate is convinced, they can choose a manager for further talks during a speed meeting. At the same time, employees are there to answer all the candidates’ questions. That means they have all the cards in hand to choose their dream team! 

What objectives is BNP Paribas pursuing with this operation?

Currently, BNP Paribas offers more than 800 jobs in fields tied to the digital transformation. Many of these opportunities concern IT, including openings for IT project managers, developers, infrastructure managers, IT architects, DevOps specialists, cybersecurity and AI experts. 

We are also featuring data jobs with openings for data scientists, data miners, big data engineers, etc. 

BNP Paribas is recruiting young professionals with engineering degrees and two to seven years of experience (including internships and work-study). In addition to the usual professional knowledge and skills (rigor, analytical skills, ability to adapt, etc.), we are looking for candidates with a strong focus on collaborative work methods and continuous learning. We see this as a crucial attitude for success within a dynamic of transformation.

Why do companies need to recruit differently today?

In a context in which numerous companies are looking for the same expert candidates (data, dev, cybersecurity, etc.), the "We Pitch You Choose" format was designed to provide an original recruiting experience with high added value. 

In fact, beyond the traditional job description, candidates expressed a strong desire to imagine themselves in the role—assignments, work environment, team dynamic, recruiting context, etc. That’s what we aim to provide by focusing on a 100% concrete interaction. Candidates choose us just as much as we choose them.  

Has BNP Paribas implemented any other innovative systems?

Another innovative operation came in late 2017, when we launched the Java challenge across France to create a hotbed for developers, a position in high demand at the Group.

Companies now have to work on their appeal to attract top candidates. How are BNP Paribas employees involved in the recruiting process tackling this new approach that changes the relationship between candidate and recruiter? 

With "We Pitch You Choose", managers have started to work on their pitch. We propose a structure, but they prepare their pitch independently, with a single objective: to convince participants to join our teams. In addition to managers, this process also calls on ambassadors and team members, who are invited to talk with candidates about their work environment, technologies, projects and methods.

In an effort to become even more authentic, employees also take part in creating content, like portraits.

Can you think of an innovation at BNP Paribas that has changed your interactions with candidates?

Our Polish subsidiary BGŻ BNP Paribas started using a robot that allows students to tour our offices and interact with our managers, all without ever leaving their campus! It’s an innovative way to provide an immersive look at the daily life of our teams and discover the nuts and bolts of our jobs through employee testimonials.

Crédit photos ©Jean-Claude Guilloux