Friends in high places

THE OLD saying that it is not what you know, but who you know, still rings true for the majority of French people seeking work, a survey has found.

Almost 90 per cent of people believe France is still a country where family and friends will help you get a foot in the door more than talent – and only 40 per cent of people considered this to be unfair.

More than half of respondents said they had already tapped up people they knew for help finding work and pulling the necessary strings, and 86.5 per cent said they would do it in the future, if the need arose.

The majority of people questioned said family and friends had become more important in finding a job today than 10 years ago, because the market is more competitive.

The creative and arts sector was considered the industry where nepotism was the most rife. Almost half of respondents believed that the management in France’s top CAC 40-listed companies had got there through family links.

The study of 4,156 people was carried out by Sky Prods, a talent agency that aims to help young people find jobs in the creative industries.