Aude Grant is Deputy Managing Director of Asset Management and Investment at SFL. Since the creation of Paris Workplace barometer in 2014With clients such as Blablacar and Facebook, it is a privileged witness to their new uses. With clients such as Blablacar and Facebook, it is a privileged witness to their new uses. On the occasion of the publication of Paris Workplace 2017, she looks back at the challenges facing offices in the French Tech region.
Why have you dedicated this edition to the offices of French Tech?
Firstly, because it is these companies that are setting the standards for the future. By examining the French Tech companies and their offices, we are able to draw general conclusions that apply to all companies. Secondly, there is a lot of fantasy surrounding the world of Tech. We wanted to measure the 'real' level of satisfaction in these companies and look at how and why they manage to generate a greater sense of well-being than elsewhere. The supposedly cool atmosphere and effervescence of a growing company are not enough to explain everything. There are also strong biases when it comes to the working environment. You'll notice, by the way, that we're not talking about 'start-ups'... All the companies we interviewed were founded before 2012 and have reached a size that has forced them to think hard about their property strategy.
Isn't there a paradox in seeing employees who are happy at work but who can't imagine staying with their company for more than five years?
This demonstrates the colossal stakes involved in retaining talent for tech companies. Employees are the competitive advantage and the barrier to entry for companies that, for the most part, have no industrial facilities. Similarly, skills are both the fuel and the scarce resource for Tech companies. We're talking about a vital issue, in the truest sense of the word, i.e. one that affects the future of the company.
"This demonstrates the colossal stakes involved in retaining talent. The response must be commensurate: Tech companies have virtually no choice but to invest in hyper-attractive offices.
The response must therefore be commensurate: French Tech companies have virtually no choice but to invest in hyper-attractive offices, as they have to deal with a population that has become more demanding over the years: generally speaking, Tech employees are more attached than others to having short commuting times, working in central districts, enjoying offices that have a soul and that are designed to work quickly and well, if possible as part of a team.
How do these Tech companies foreshadow the future of commercial property?
We've entered an extraordinarily interesting period for commercial property, with a paradigm shift: now it's usage and user expectations that drive the business. It's not surprising to see that digital companies, which place the user experience at the heart of their model, are applying the same thinking to their own offices and to their users, i.e. their teams. The criterion for appreciating a workplace is not price, it's not compliance with this or that certification, it's user satisfaction. This must be tracked, measured and monitored.
