Ubisoft 2004 Annual Report Download - page 36

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34
UBISOFT > 2005 FINANCIAL REPORT
Distribution of Ubisoft personnel by country as of March
31, 2005:
In France, Ubisofthas 656 employees (69% men and 31%
women).
Eighty-four percent of all employment contracts are on a
permanent basis.
The average number of staff during the fiscal year was
635 persons.
Sixty-nine percent of employees hold professional
positions.
The average employee age is 31.5 and average seniority is
4.7 years.
Breakdown of employees by sector of activity:
l58% in production studios;
l42% in distribution (marketing and sales) and support
functions.
In an effort to promote the training and integration of
young people into the workforce, Ubisoft offered positions
to a number of student trainees and apprentices during the
fiscal year.
Turnover is primarily attributable to the completion of
occasional projects.
Recruiting
The majority of group employees have permanent work
contracts.
In order to meet certain needs imposed by the nature of its
business, Ubisoft has at times had to resort to fixed-term
or temporary work contracts.
1.3.2
Country Workforce Workforce
as of March 31, 2005 as of March 31, 2004
Australia 13 15
Austria 6 9
Belgium 8 10
Brazil - -
Canada 1,110 719
China 329 209
France 656 630
Germany 66 66
Hong-Kong 5 5
Italy 49 58
Japan 17 17
Morocco 42 52
Netherlands 10 10
Romania 218 114
Scandinavia 22 21
South Korea 2 3
Spain 48 51
Switzerland 6 8
UK 44 48
United States 321 307
Total 2,972 2,352
At the international level, Ubisoft’s objective was to hire
450 production personnel during 2004/2005. The group
surpassed this goal, hiring approximately 600 new
employees in its studios. The acceleration in business
activity and the policy of expanding the group’s production
studios were the main factors driving this trend.
The quick pace of recruiting is attributable to various
resources that were mobilized to meet this objective and
that are explained below.
Three subsidiaries recruited a particularly high number of
new employees: Canada, which went from 719 to
1,110 employees (+391); China, which increased its
workforce from 209 to 329 (+120); and Romania, which
grew from 114 to 218 employees (+104).
The group received approximately 50,000 CVs between
April 2004 and March 2005.
Topromote the hiring of young talent, the group
canvassed schools and conducted practical exercises with
students. More than 60 such programs were conducted in
2004/2005 – an average of five per month for the group as
awhole. These school-based activities provide capable
students with information about professional opportunities
in the world of video games and help the group identify
future employees.
The goal for the 2005/2006 fiscal year is to enhance
in-housecreative expertise by hiring 600 new employees
by March 31, 2006.
Ubisoft recruits both experienced experts in game creation
and junior staff who have benefited from the very best
training. The junior staffers learn and make progress
alongside senior personnel. Every employee plays an
activerole in the company’s development, at his or her
own level. Shared corporate values encourage employees
to maintain a senseof curiosity, an open mind, a
commitment to the free exchange of views, a sense of
initiative, and a warm, friendly working environment.
Special emphasis is placed on enhancing and pooling
knowledge, a goal facilitated by the group’s multicultural
diversity. Ubisoft offers a wealth of opportunities
for mobility and career development thanks to its
international presence and wide range of in-house
operations. The company is committed to fostering
individual initiative and enables all its employees to pursue
professional projects in a stimulating environment.
Work-time organization
Ubisoft complies with local regulations governing
limitations on working hours.
In France, work time for full-time employees is 35 hours
weekly. Work schedules vary depending on each division’s
requirements and employees’ preference for a five-day
working week or for accumulating time off.
3.08% of employees work part time.
Overtime hours were worked in accordance with current
legal and union provisions.
Absenteeism accounts for 3.1% of total days worked:
l53.76% of these absences were related to illness and
workplace accidents;
l38.78% were for maternity or paternity leave;
l7.46% were for exceptional leave.
1.3.3