President of ANDRH and HR Director at Canal+, Audrey Richard has observed a profound transformation in expectations at work.
How do you recognise an employee's commitment today?
It's a question of desire. The desire to contribute, to excel, to be part of a collective. For me, what we often call «commitment» starts with a desire, which we need to understand and nurture. It's clear that the most important factor in attracting and retaining staff is not meaning, diversity or ecology. It's the package: the salary, the bonuses, the benefits, the fundamentals that should never be neglected. Once you've secured that, other building blocks come into play: the company's mission, its commitments, the way it treats people. But we must not reverse the priorities. Today, for an employee to want to stay and give their best, the material conditions must first be in place.
Is this desire more individual or collective?
It is necessarily both: there is no such thing as the individual on one side and the collective on the other. The link is permanent. And this link has evolved. Before COVID, HR policies were very much geared towards the collective. During the crisis, we turned our attention to the individual. We started to look at everything: diet, sleep, sport, mental health and domestic violence. And this is not a diversion: it's a new reality. The cursor is there now, and there's no going back. It's no longer possible to say «we're thinking collectively» without taking account of the individual in all its dimensions.
What levers are you using in your role to nurture this dynamic?
For a time, we all relied on perks, the perks of the job. But today I'm convinced that social dialogue is the key to efficiency. Working with the social partners gives us access to feedback that HR doesn't always have. And it means that we can sign concrete agreements: on quality of life at work, senior careers, disability and the transformation of professions. These agreements are powerful because they are shared, adapted to the field, and built with those who experience work on a daily basis.
Have you personally experienced any situations that have affected your relationship with work?
Yes, I've already experienced a complete misalignment with a company. Faced with unethical practices, I chose to leave. As an HR Director, to stay is to condone it. On the other hand, what reinforces my motivation is setting an example. Ethical, humane managers who have a sense of business and values: that engages everyone, naturally. And that's what today's employees expect too.
If you had to identify the ingredients of an effective HR policy today, what would they be?
There is no universal recipe, but there is a method: co-construction. HR, managers, employees, social partners - everyone has a role to play. Expectations are no longer top-down, they are cross-cutting. The manager is no longer above, but alongside. And the more we move forward together, the more we can build appropriate policies. It's more demanding, but that's what works today. Offering places where teams can meet, share and learn together is valuable. Young people, in particular, want to be on the premises to absorb the corporate culture. And this culture cannot be transmitted through Teams. Informality is just as important as anything else.
