Viewpoint of Hervé Le Joliff, President of Colas Rail
Joining Colas Rail means choosing a dynamic and inclusive company that offers strong career opportunities. Above all, it means embracing strong values that reflect a mindset rooted in openness, respect, and leading by example..
Can our industry still attract talent? The answer is not straightforward, but in my view, part of it lies in the values we share within the Bouygues group: respect, commitment, pioneering and sharing.
Each of us embodies these values on a daily basis. In practice, this means adopting behaviors and principles grounded in recognizing the value of every individual, encouraging engagement, fostering a pioneering mindset, and sharing knowledge, experience, and success. This way of working enables us to move forward, address the challenges we face, and cultivate a shared mindset that promotes cohesion and cross-functional collaboration.
When we recruit, we seek candidates whose personal values align with this cultural foundation. We believe that leading by example and strong alignment are essential for thriving at Colas.
A Growing Sector Addressing Tomorrow’s Challenges
We are fortunate to operate in a growing sector whose achievements directly contribute to addressing the major challenges of tomorrow—whether decarbonization, rapid urbanization, or improving quality of life. On all these issues, we are on the front lines.
To successfully deliver the rail development projects entrusted to us—through which we fulfill our broader societal role—we need both young engineers and experienced experts capable of working on complex worksites. In 2025, we recruited nearly 500 people worldwide. We are operating in a tight labor market, particularly for the specialized profiles we seek, especially in certain countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
This is why we believe our corporate purpose—and more broadly, our convictions—help us stand out and attract the talent we need.
Diverse and Evolving Career Paths
Choosing one of Colas’ entities means having the opportunity to build a career within the Bouygues group. Everyone can grow, thrive, and find meaningful assignments across the diversity of our businesses and geographies—combining technical challenges, innovation initiatives, and collective intelligence.
The projects we deliver increasingly incorporate advanced technical expertise and digitalization—two dimensions that expand possibilities and create new career perspectives.
We offer numerous internal mobility pathways, enabling employees to evolve quickly and seize opportunities across the various entities that make up the Bouygues group, both in France and internationally.
Inclusion at the Core of Our Commitment
Joining Colas also means becoming part of an inclusive company. At Colas Rail, we are committed to combating all forms of discrimination and promoting a workplace that is accessible to everyone.
We are particularly engaged in supporting the integration of individuals with disabilities or autism spectrum disorders. In October 2025, as part of the “New Colleagues” initiative, we inaugurated the first inclusive shared-missions center—a nonprofit employers’ consortium founded by Colas, LVMH, and Siemens, with the support of Agefiph. Its mission is to foster the professional inclusion of individuals living with psychological disabilities.
Management Focused on Development and Support
Finally, we support our new hires in the fullest sense of the word. We help them overcome challenges, develop their skills, and gradually take on greater responsibility. Our management approach is rooted in care, proximity, attentive listening, and mutual support.
We recognize that recent graduates need time to understand the specificities of our businesses and projects. The only limits to their trajectory are their ambition and commitment. While not everything happens overnight—and patience is sometimes required—this patience is rewarded in due course.
Our high engagement rate—87% for Colas Rail in the 2025 internal survey—confirms that our corporate culture resonates strongly and that the cultural alignment we seek is truly in place.
