Recruiting a doctoral student

You can recruit a PhD student as part of your research and development project. This represents an asset in terms of skills and financial interest.

Note, however, that the doctoral student must have a CIFRE agreement (Industrial Agreement for Training through Research).

Thus, as long as your doctoral student is preparing their thesis, their salary expenses are eligible for the Research Tax Credit, just like for your other engineers, without any increase.

Once the thesis is finished (end of the CIFRE), if the young doctor stays in your company on a permanent contract, you automatically benefit from the advantages linked to his/her employment for 24 months.

Benefit from a partnership that will breathe new life into your company’s knowledge and practices.

Collaborating with a young researcher at the cutting edge of the subjects of interest to your company can prove invaluable in innovation, creativity and the development of tailor-made tools for your specific objectives.

The PhD student’s immersion in professional and academic contexts provides access to cutting-edge knowledge, but also to local and international networks of research institutions. Your links with the best schools and universities also allow you to keep an eye on the new generation of potential recruits, and to understand their expectations and skills.

By benefiting from the tools specially developed by Romain MENIER (pictured here), the company he works for is also reaping the benefits of these three years of research. ”The aim for us is to really use what he does,” says Grégory Vicens.

“Next year, it’s time to shine new light on thesis students. If the experience is repeated with other doctoral candidates, it could even constitute “a pool of recruits”.

It is a win-win collaboration, a guarantee of employment for the students and the assurance of a trained and competent employee for the company.

“It’s an excellent way of working”, says the manager.

“It allows us to work with young people who are at the cutting edge of our subjects, and for the manager, it is also a kind of challenge. Because you also have to carefully guide the student between his or her work and research, while at the same time meeting their personal objectives.

Even if these three years of research and work are intense for the doctoral student, Romain Menier has lost none of his motivation. One of his objectives has already been achieved: that of a collaboration that is ‘beneficial to all.’

Between 86 and 95% of doctoral students find a job within six months of their thesis. As master’s degrees are becoming more and more common, companies are opening up to doctoral students. “At the beginning of their career, the salary is average but doctoral students are quickly offered executive positions with attractive salaries.”

Contact Rennes SB for more information

Find out more about PhD programmes