The Future Of Work Is Today

Recent years have seen a revolution in the company led by a specific department. Talking about “HR” is today an obsolete term and whoever knows me knows that I banish it. Most companies have changed their name: the “Talent” or “People” area is much more appropriate. New positions have been incorporated: the “Chief Happiness Officer” was one of the last pre-pandemic bets, which later did not bear as much fruit as might be expected. And above all new claims: who has not heard the statement “always people first”?

Within the Sustainable Development Goals presented by the UN with a deadline of 2030, SDG 3 addresses the promotion of healthy living and well-being for all people of all ages. “Human ecology goes beyond environmental ecology. If we don’t have virtuous people who know how to lead their own lives, it will be difficult for them to lead others,” Nuria Chinchilla, professor at IESE and founder and director of IESE Women in Leadership, recently commented in an interview.

Work is being carried out on the analysis of occupational well-being in the hands of consultants and we have become aware of how talent management helps drive business. At Publicis Groupe in particular, efficiency and well-being have become pillars of the new project “The Future of Work”, because we deeply believe that investing in people has a direct and positive impact on business. This TFOW project is proving to be very enriching because it is alive, it grows seasoned throughout all areas and levels of the company and arises from dialogue and active listening.

The WHO defines health as: “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being of a person and not merely the absence of disease”. And so we understand it too. On June 12, Global Wellness Day is celebrated again, but wellness cannot be a one-day thing. We understand well-being as a fundamental pillar for all the people who work at Publicis Groupe and for years we have reinforced levers that we consider key for us:

Work flexibility: we are pioneers in the advertising sector: since 2018 we have teleworked one day a week! And that figure has been increased in the last year so that you can choose up to three days a week to work from home. Three summer months with an intensive day. Flexible entry and exit times throughout the year. And the birthday gift! But we don’t stop at that. Since January 2022 we have a new possibility: “Work your World”, an initiative through which employees can work for a period of time of up to six weeks a year in any of the more than one hundred countries where we have a presence. And from this month of June, 100% flexibility in holiday periods -Christmas, Easter, July and August- to be able to work from any geographical point in Spain,

We have social benefits that include possibilities such as English classes or restaurant tickets, medical insurance through the Flexible Remuneration system, vacations with additional days to the agreement or Life Insurance. In addition, specifically in 2021, 3 additional days off were offered to each employee as thanks for the extra effort made in a completely atypical and unexpected 2020. And in 2022, the good results obtained by the Group have led to an extra economic benefit for the team members who have contributed with their work.

Specific training and promotion of Well-being, through a worldwide alliance with Thrive Global, Yoga classes, anti-stress workshops,…

The Power of Fan is a platform run by the people for the people who are part of Publicis Groupe: discounts, sports competitions or eGamers, Company Races… and our great Rock Band. Humor and a good atmosphere favor the cohesion of the teams that work with greater satisfaction.

The important thing is that these are not specific actions, nor are they born as part of a trend or a communication strategy. They are born from listening and concern for people. During the pandemic, for example, sensitive to the economic and family reconciliation of the people of Publicis Groupe, we promoted monetary aid for teleworking, organized a painting contest to entertain the children, calls were made to the staff just to chat and find out how they were and we offered Yoga classes, as well as a tool for guided meditation sessions and mindfulness training. On the other hand, we created specific training through webinars to learn how to manage the new scenarios that we were experiencing.

Well-being, being well, is the result of multiple variables that change over time. Active listening continues to be the first key that will make a difference in being able to respond from the corresponding areas. They are called “People”, “Talent”, “HR” or whatever.