DNFP_2018_English

2018 DECLARATION OF NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THE DESCOURS & CABAUD GROUP 18 Development and management of our employees Effective management and well-trained people give our organisation a competitive advantage, helping the company rise to every challenge, adapt to its environment and to remain forward thinking. A company's performance first and foremost depends directly on that of its employees, their skills and their motivation. The primary mission of the Human Resources department is to ensure consistency between DESCOURS & CABAUD's strategy and the skills in place. In a changing context, we need to manage careers and skills over the long term while retaining a degree of agility to cope with rapid changes in the market. Bringing out or discovering new talents, intensifying engagement, developing corporate culture and preparing for the future are the main challenges relating to human resources. In matters of human resources management, the main risks include: 1) Not keeping up with current business best practices 2) High employee turnover 3) Ineffective succession planning for key managers 4) Remaining a relevant player in the marketplace THE RISK FACTORS, CONSEQUENCES AND MEANS OF CONTROL: A. Not keeping up with current business best practices One of the successes of DESCOURS & CABAUD resides to a large extent in the technical knowledge of its staff (products and services) and in their knowledge of the market and of customers. The distribution sector is above all a human question, one where the processes are less sensitive than relational and technical know-how. Some types of know-how are specific to DESCOURS & CABAUD's sectors and are rarely found elsewhere in the market. It is therefore crucial to manage this transfer of knowledge internally. Ensuring that this body of knowledge is “captured” somewhere is thus crucial to avoid losing market share. We risk losing market share if we are not diligent in succession planning with respect to our technical offerings. This is all the more important when employees are close to retirement and when it becomes essential to ensure proper transfer of knowledge between generations. The challenge in this respect is not just to maintain a high level of knowledge but also to ensure that this knowledge keeps pace with and anticipates market changes. > The means of control: Introducing a training programme that can ensure the transfer of knowledge and keep pace with the group's transformation is an essential solution. 40 years ago the Group created tech’up, its professional university, which offers operational training tailored to its sectors. In 1975, DESCOURS & CABAUD set up its own sales school, an uncommon initiative at the time. Dubbed “Campus”, it provides support for new staff and aims to pass on its corporate culture to them. Training activities predominantly focus on our sector (sales techniques, business) and on health and safety, in line with our commitments.