FT-Orange bucks trend with plan to hire 4,000 staff by 2015

France Telecom-Orange (FT-Orange) has revealed it is looking to take on an additional 4,000 full time employees by 2015, bucking the current trend for telcos to cut down on staffing levels. In a statement, FT-Orange said the commitment was being made despite the difficult local economic climate and the launch of a new market entrant – Iliad’s Free Mobile – which had further depressed the operating environment and put a squeeze on profit margins. Further, on top of the new staff it is hiring, FT-Orange is considering plans to develop its work-study placement programme for school leavers, with the aim of placing up to 5,000 people a year on work experience. In return though, the carrier is looking to French unions to agree to a more flexible way of working, it said.