strategic outplacement supports large-scale workforce transitions for Michelin.
client
Michelin, a global leader in tire manufacturing, based in Francechallenge
In November 2024, Michelin announced the closure of two industrial sites in western France, impacting more than 1,200 employees across Vannes and Cholet. This decision, one of the largest factory closures in France in decades, created a highly sensitive social context. Michelin needed to manage large-scale workforce exits across two different regions and labor markets, while ensuring an empathetic, consistent experience for all affected employees.solution
Michelin partnered with Randstad RiseSmart, a part of Randstad Enterprise, to deliver large-scale outplacement and career transition services, activated immediately following the announcement. The solution combined individual career coaching, retirement preparation, and external mobility support, alongside strong HR and administrative assistance. More than 40 consultants were mobilized across both sites to provide rapid, personalized and locally adapted support, including workshops, employer engagement and internal mobility guidance.key results
- More than 1,200 employees supported across Vannes and Cholet
- 30%+ of employees reclassified during first redundancy waves
- 47–50% reclassification rate after six months
- 99% participation rate among retirement-eligible employees
- Around 10% internal mobility, above typical industry benchmarks
human-centered support for a major industrial transformation
Facing profound changes in its industrial footprint, Michelin needed to manage the closure of two production sites in Vannes and Cholet, while ensuring responsible, human-centered support for its workforce. Beyond operational complexity, the challenge was deeply social: supporting a large employee population through one of the most significant industrial announcements in France in recent decades, while maintaining fair and consistent treatment for all.
The goal was clear: to secure meaningful, sustainable career transitions for more than 1,200 impacted employees, while upholding the company’s long-standing social commitments and employer reputation.
delivering tailored outplacement services at scale
Building on an existing relationship of trust, Michelin partnered with Randstad RiseSmart, a part of Randstad Enterprise, to design and deploy a robust, scalable outplacement program across the Vannes and Cholet sites.
Preparation began upstream, with joint work on social engineering and program design, enabling the teams to anticipate scenarios, align stakeholders and tailor solutions to local nuances.
Immediately following the workforce announcement, Randstad RiseSmart mobilized more than 40 consultants to support employees at both sites.
The program combines:
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- Individual career coaching, available at employees’ discretion
- Specialized employment workshops covering CV development, job search strategies, entrepreneurship, training, end-of-career planning, change management and skills validation
- Employer engagement activities — including company presentations, site visits and job forums and involving dozens of local employers — to accelerate re-employment
- Internal mobility support, including guidance for relocations to other Michelin sites
By combining individual career support with direct employer engagement, the program delivers solutions adapted to the distinct labor market dynamics of Vannes and Cholet.
measurable outcomes and sustained workforce impact
As a result of the outplacement and career transition support provided, more than 30% of employees who were affected by the closures secured a new role during the first redundancy waves, an outcome described internally as “unexpected,” given the scale of the project.
Six months and two redundancy waves later, 47–50% of affected employees had secured a new role externally, while 99% of retirement-eligible employees enrolled in the dedicated retirement program. Internal mobility reached approximately 10%, exceeding benchmarks typically observed in similar closure contexts.
With a target of 90% of affected employees being placed within 12 months, the program is achieving its objectives ahead of schedule. More than 30% had already found new jobs during the wave of redundancies, and six months after two waves, those reclassification rates reached around 50%.
Beyond measurable outcomes, the partnership enables Michelin to meet its commitments to employees, labor unions and public authorities, while demonstrating that complex industrial decisions can be managed with humanity, transparency and operational excellence.
“The success of the program is built on a relationship of trust, open dialogue and the ability to continuously adjust the solutions. Labor market expertise and a human-centred approach are key elements of the support provided,” says Chloé Moreau, employee relations expert at Michelin.