translate English to French: I seriously doubt that it was so; certainly the French version and even the English version, I venture to add, suggest a narrower meaning, namely that essentially hiring and promotion were considered.
J'en doute sérieusement. Chose certaine, la version française et, irais-je même jusqu'à dire, la version anglaise suggèrent un sens plus restreint, à savoir que seuls l'engagement et les promotions étaient visés.