Workforce planning and skills development: the French framework
Workforce planning has its own legal framework in France: the GEPP (Gestion des Emplois et des Parcours Professionnels, literally job and career path management). It is the French take on what is usually called workforce planning, with a stronger focus on skills development and employability. The GEPP replaced the earlier GPEC under the 2017 Macron labour ordinances and is codified in articles L2242-20 and following of the French Labour Code. It is mandatory for companies with at least 300 employees (or 150 for a French establishment of an EU-scale group), which must negotiate it with employee representatives every 3 years unless a company agreement is already in place. Unlike the GPEC, which focused on static headcount planning, the GEPP puts each employee's career path and employability at the heart of HR decisions.
1. Does the GPEC still exist, or has the GEPP replaced it?
The acronym GPEC is still widely used, but the legal framework was renamed in 2017. The GEPP is more than a rebranding: it shifts the focus from headcount planning alone to supporting each employee's career path.
Many companies still say "GPEC" out of habit, even though their legal obligation now relates to the GEPP.
2. The legal framework behind the GEPP, and who must comply
Introduced by the 2017 Macron ordinances (articles L2242-20 and following of the French Labour Code), the GEPP is mandatory for companies with at least 300 employees, and for EU-scale groups with an establishment of 150 employees or more in France. Where no agreement exists, the employer negotiates every 3 years with the social partners; an agreement can run for up to 4 years. The works council (CSE) must also be informed and consulted on strategic orientations and their impact on employment.
Article L6321-1 of the Labour Code adds a further building block: employers must adapt employees' jobs to changes in roles and technology, which is the legal basis of employability.
The framework keeps evolving: the Full Employment Act (18 December 2023) and the transformation of Pôle emploi into France Travail simplified Transitions Collectives (Transco) for SMEs, which can replace a formal GEPP agreement with an information and consultation process with the works council (CSE).
3. What really sets the GEPP apart from the GPEC
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The GPEC relied on a macro, static view: forecasting future skills needs in order to adjust HR strategy.
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The GEPP is more dynamic and co-built with the employee, who is an active player in their own path rather than the recipient of a top-down plan. It makes greater use of career development interviews, internal mobility, VAE (validation of acquired experience), CPF (personal training account) and continuing training as ongoing development levers, in line with the company's strategic goals.
4. What does a GEPP plan actually rely on?
A GEPP plan generally relies on a map of the resources available in the company (jobs, qualifications, key skills), on skills frameworks, and on coordinated HR actions: training, VAE, CPF, external hiring, internal mobility, annual reviews and career development interviews.
5. How to start a GEPP approach that does not stay on paper
Many companies open negotiations because the law requires it, without the approach ever reaching the shop floor. In practice, it comes down to 3 steps.
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Inventory and mapping: take stock of available resources using up-to-date skills frameworks. This is the step that many under-equipped plans neglect.
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Gap and future needs analysis: compare this map with strategic, technological and economic challenges and the ecological transition, to spot jobs and skills at risk.
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Action plan and follow-up: activate the HR levers above to support employees, then track concrete indicators.
We detail these 3 steps in a dedicated article: where to start, which indicators to track first, and how to keep the approach from being limited to an agreement signed once every 3 or 4 years.
6. The indicators that really drive a GEPP
A signed agreement does not guarantee effective steering on its own. We have listed the indicators that HR directors track, and those that are often missing, to turn that agreement into a tool that is actually used.
7. The practical limits of a poorly equipped GEPP approach
A poorly equipped GEPP approach usually runs into the same obstacles: a skills map that is never updated, career development interviews that lead to nothing concrete, and internal mobility that stays theoretical.
8. The benefits of the GEPP
FOR THE COMPANY
Anticipate market changes, secure scarce skills in-house, and reduce turnover through training paths that are visible from day one.
FOR THE EMPLOYEE
Career progression and stronger employability, which supports retention and employer brand.
9. GEPP tools
Skills mapping, job framework, up-to-date job descriptions, assessment grids, and more and more often an HRIS to centralize this workforce data.
These tools are only as good as the skills map is kept current and the skills evidence remains usable.
WHAT DAYLINDO BRINGS
Daylindo structures the field skills frameworks that feed your GEPP: an up-to-date skills map, time-stamped skills evidence, and data your HR tools or HRIS can use.
Rather than an agreement that stays on paper, the platform makes day-to-day steering possible, with reliable field data instead of approximate declarations.
Key takeaways
The GEPP replaced the GPEC to refocus HR on each employee's career path and employability, without easing the legal obligation for companies with at least 300 employees.
Signing a GEPP agreement is one thing; keeping it alive day to day with a truly up-to-date skills map is another. That is usually where the gap lies, between companies that merely comply and those that turn the obligation into a real HR steering lever.
FAQ
What is the GEPP in HR?
An HR approach that aims to anticipate the company's skills needs while supporting each employee's career path.
Does the GPEC still exist?
The legal term was replaced by GEPP in 2017, even though "GPEC" is still common in HR language.
Which companies must have a GEPP?
Companies with at least 300 employees, as well as EU-scale companies with an establishment of at least 150 employees in France.
How often must the GEPP be negotiated?
Every 3 years unless a company agreement is already in place, and such an agreement can run for up to 4 years.
What is the difference between GEPP and GPEC?
The GPEC was built on static, macro-level headcount planning. The GEPP is more dynamic and is built together with each employee around their career path and employability.
How do you start a GEPP in practice?
By building on an up-to-date skills map, job profiles, and coordinated actions (training, the CPF personal training account, internal mobility, career reviews).
What are the GEPP tools?
Skills mapping, job reference framework, job descriptions, evaluation grids, and often an HRIS to centralize this data.
What are the benefits of the GEPP?
For the company: anticipation, lower turnover, competitiveness. For the employee: career visibility and stronger employability.