Why do some executives leave the public sector for the private sector?

Each year, nearly 500,000 agents leave the civil service for multiple reasons: the end of their fixed-term contract, retirement, etc. But what about departures to the private sector?

Departures from the Civil Service to the private sector are infrequent even if, according to the Association for Executive Employment (Apec), they have tended to increase in recent years.

To get an idea, 2% of executives working in the Civil Civil Service make a professional transition to the private sector, on average, each year. These mobilities occur mainly at the start of their careers and mainly concern contract agents, that is to say those who do not have the status of civil servants.

To understand their motivations, Apec interviewed 34 category A executives, civil servants and contract workers. To join the private sector, some resigned, others were laid off.

These 34 executives point to a deterioration in their working conditions. Those who have worked for a long time in the Civil Service denounce the budget cuts and the increase in management and profitability logic.

They feel that they no longer have the means to carry out their work or carry out their public service missions in good conditions, resulting in an overload of work, a lack of resources and hierarchical conflicts. Among the main disillusionments, they cite administrative burden, with long, complex decision-making, which involves numerous intermediaries.

The feeling of a lack of recognition is also a significant source of frustration, with lower prospects for advancement and remuneration than in the private sector. Those who had already worked in the private sector before joining the public service also speak of resistance to change.

According to the study, the move to the private sector generally meets their expectations. Former contract workers, who were on fixed-term contracts, believe that access to a permanent contract improves their stability. Others appreciate being in a more challenging environment, which rewards effort, with more attractive salaries.

For the vast majority of executives interviewed, certain irritants encountered in the Civil Service disappear or weaken. Even if adapting to the codes of the private sector – where financial profitability is more sought after – can sometimes generate stress and anxiety.

Some do not exclude, moreover, returning to the Civil Service, in particular the youngest or those who already felt an overload of work.