From technical expert to manager-leader: emlyon business school as a springboard for SOCOTEC's Management Campus
Depuis 2018, SOCOTEC, leader mondial du testing, de l’inspection et de la certification 100 % dédié au bâtiments et infrastructures, accompagne ses experts métiers et ingénieurs vers un management performant grâce à un programme sur-mesure développé avec emlyon business school. Avec plus de 850 collaborateurs déjà formés dans le cadre du Campus du Management SOCOTEC, cette initiative renforce la capacité managériale du groupe et in fine sa performance. Gilles Delteil, directeur du Développement RH de SOCOTEC, nous éclaire sur cette collaboration fructueuse.
From observation to action: demystifying management
SOCOTEC manages risks associated with buildings and infrastructure throughout their entire life cycle. Its engineers and technicians work on varied projects including verifying critical infrastructure, optimizing industrial equipment, and securing innovative construction projects. This technical excellence is the group's hallmark – but it also creates a leadership challenge: Accustomed to precision and rigor in their day-to-day work, these experts often view management as disconnected from their core expertise.
"Since the arrival of our new president, Hervé Montjotin, in September 2016, we have noticed a concerning trend: a general disinterest in management roles among the teams," Gilles explains. “Although our technical experts were excellent in their field, they were genuinely apprehensive about taking on increasingly complex managerial responsibilities as they had not been prepared for them. As is often the case in technical professions, the best experts are promoted to management without any prior training.”
Two-thirds of SOCOTEC managers are promoted from within the company. While these engineers and technicians have an in-depth knowledge of the business and its local markets, they lack formal management training. "Our future managers face a complex equation,” Gilles adds. “How can they transition from individual technical excellence to leading teams, managing P&L efficiently, and handling client relationships – all without losing their expert credibility?"
A systematic, ambitious approach
In response to this observation, SOCOTEC created a company-wide management training program designed to bring about cultural change within 18 months by reaching three levels of leadership simultaneously.
" Our belief was that successful managerial transformation could not be conceived in a fragmented or sequential manner”, explains Gilles Delteil. "That’s why we made the bold decision to train all three levels at once: to build a shared managerial culture and ensure consistent adoption of new practices. We consulted with several higher education institutions, and emlyon business school stood out for its ability to blend academic excellence with practical application."
The resulting Management Campus program is structured into three tracks, each geared to a different level of responsibility:
- Focus: For field managers with strong operational backgrounds
- Perspective: For mid-level managers, offering a broader view of organizational challenges
- Grand Angle: For experienced managers, integrating strategic decision-making
Personalized, certified learning
The certification program, aligned with emlyon business school’s Executive Master General Management, runs for a full year. It is primarily conducted in-person and supplemented by an online platform and e-learning modules. Each cohort is assembled after SOCOTEC's career management team conducts a detailed profile analysis. "Our selection process is based on multiple criteria," Gilles emphasizes. "We look for profiles that demonstrate expertise, potential and a desire to grow, and the ability to embody the group's values."
The curriculum integrates hard and soft skills, starting with a distinctive entry point: the DISC behavioral assessment. This tool identifies four profile types—Dominant, Influential, Stable, and Compliant—enabling participants to understand their own communication and decision-making styles. "We see self-awareness as a prerequisite for managing others," Gilles explains. "It helps people recognize both their own blind spots and complementary strengths within their cohort. Cognitive diversity, when properly understood, then becomes a driver of collective performance."
Participants also take part in Managerial Excellence Projects (PEM) – four- to five-month innovation labs tackling strategic issues identified by SOCOTEC's French leadership team. The members of the Management Committee personally participate in the final presentations alongside the Academic Director of emlyon business school. These projects often lead to concrete initiatives in areas such as business development, HR policy, innovation strategy, and mentoring – reinforcing engagement and collaboration.
Tangible results
The Management Campus program has outperformed expectations, welcoming a first cohort of 450 managers in 2018 and subsequent annual cohorts of 80-90 managers. The group has demonstrated consistent organic growth and improved employee satisfaction, as measured by the independent Great Place to Work® survey. It now ranks among the top 10 workplaces in France for organizations with more than 2,500 employees.
"The numbers speak for themselves. We have maintained satisfaction levels above 95% each year," Gilles says. "Most importantly, we have resolved our managerial recruitment challenge. Today, our employees view moving into management as a valuable career opportunity."
International HR metrics show similar results: “French employees now report the highest management satisfaction scores within SOCOTEC,” Gilles explains. “Of our 14,500 employees globally, 6,500 in France are benefiting from this dynamic, which translates into excellent proximity and trust in leadership, and a remarkable level of engagement."
A shift in culture
Beyond metrics, a true cultural transformation is underway. The program has changed how managers view their role by demonstrating their importance to the organization.
"Our philosophy is based on a virtuous circle," Gilles explains. "By strengthening managers’ confidence and skills, we help them become more inspiring leaders. This creates a ripple effect on performance, development, and retention that benefits the entire organization."
This transformation also relies on a cross-disciplinary approach that fosters innovation. "By breaking down silos between our various business lines—construction, real estate, equipment inspection, infrastructure, monitoring, environment, certification, and support functions—we are giving our managers a 360-degree view of the group and its value proposition," he adds. This broader perspective fuels innovation and team cohesion.
Looking ahead – and lessons learned
Building on six years of experience, SOCOTEC now plans to extend this initiative internationally and strengthen post-training support. "We are considering creating an alumni network to help former participants continue learning, collaborating, and exchanging ideas," Gilles says. For companies looking to adopt a similar program, he highlights key success factors: "Co-construction with a leading academic partner is essential, but must be backed by visible, ongoing commitment from senior leadership."
SOCOTEC's Management Campus demonstrates how a technically driven company can successfully transform its leadership culture through an ambitious talent development strategy and a high-quality academic partnership – an inspiring model for organizations navigating similar transition challenges.