Jean-Yves Gras: “When it comes to gender parity, conviction alone isn’t enough”

What is the basis for your beliefs about gender equality?

When it comes to gender parity, conviction alone is not enough. It is essential to take a clear-eyed look at reality and assess the facts objectively. At Colissimo, women made up 30% of our workforce, 40% of Group A management, and 24% of Levels B and C. And when I arrived in January 2021, there were no female regional directors and no female PFC directors.

The immediate temptation is to think, “Well, these are mostly men’s jobs…” But of course, this essentialist explanation doesn’t hold up for long—if only you look at the industry’s statistics: 52% of the workforce in the mail sector as a whole are women, 51% of mail carriers are women, and 27% of establishment directors are women. The question I must ask myself, as a leader, is: What can I do to achieve a better gender balance at every level of the organization? What can I do to attract talented women who can serve as role models for other women?

What are you doing to attract female talent?

We have a strong pool of female talent, but women make up the majority of staff in HR, finance, and communications. The majority of Colissimo’s workforce is elsewhere, so we need women in every role where career advancement is possible. This means taking action at the organizational level and with the decision-makers, while also working directly with individuals—that is, with the women themselves—whose boldness we must encourage and support.

We have incorporated gender parity into our Colissimo 2025 action plan and have taken steps on two levels: at the organizational level and at the individual level. At the organizational level, we are training the entire Executive Committee and then the entire management team (both at headquarters and in the regions) on gender equality issues, the prevention of sexist behavior, the impact of stereotypes, and reducing the risk of bias. As for individual initiatives, we are providing specific support to women we have identified for leadership roles, which also helps create a “women’s talent” community, with the aim of removing any barriers they may face and empowering them to take bold action. Since we launched this action plan, we have already appointed two women to DOT roles and three women to lead platforms. They were, of course, chosen for their skills, but these decisions demonstrate that by addressing gender equality issues, we can find solutions.

What are these obstacles?

We need to help women—if they experience it—cope with the imposter syndrome. We also need to ensure that what they describe as “obstacles” are properly understood as leverage for negotiating terms. Yes, it’s true that a woman who is offered a position is more likely to voice concerns about work-life balance, for example, whereas a man is more likely to prioritize compensation at the top of his agenda. This is where the manager has a role to play: when I have, on the one hand, a woman who is hesitant to take a position for family reasons, I must work with her to determine what she would need to be able to seize the opportunity under favorable conditions; at the same time, when I have a man who is considering taking a position, I need to check with him to ensure that it is appropriate and sustainable given his personal life and family commitments.

I’m looking for women and men who will be able to give their best—and do so over the long term. Competence is, of course, the primary factor to consider in achieving this goal. However, it is not the only one: the person (whether a woman or a man) must also find their place and balance in the role; they must not burn out within a few months; and it must be the right time in their career and in their life.

How do you deal with the “frustrations” that the goal of gender parity may cause among those who view it as affirmative action?

To both men and women, I say that it’s okay to let an opportunity pass you by when it’s not the right time to seize it. What’s important is that when the time is right, both women and men dare to put themselves forward and negotiate—with a clear understanding of everything the position entails—so that the conditions for their success in the role can be established.

And to all of us, I say: let’s be wary of “benevolent sexism.” Every time we overprotect a woman—when we try to spare her from pressure or difficult situations—we deprive her of opportunities to break through her own barriers and we undermine the goal of gender parity. We must achieve gender parity with the same method, rigor, and effort as any strategic project. Because it is a strategic issue. Tomorrow, when I appoint a woman to a leadership position, it should no longer be possible to say to me, “That’s great”; it should simply be normal and appropriate, given everything we know about the links between gender diversity and performance.