Brigitte Sabotier has spent her entire career with Orange. She is currently Director of Human Resources at Orange France, where she is responsible for almost 65,000 people. In particular, she is responsible for digital transformation and the development of digital skills
Brigitte Sabotier
If you had to name one thing that strikes you about the younger generation, what would it be?
The new generation's expectations of work are changing. The criteria for choosing a company are not limited to its activity. They include other parameters such as working conditions in the broadest sense (possibility of teleworking, ergonomics of workspaces, etc.) as well as the company's commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. The possibility of balancing professional and private life is also an important factor.
Technological developments and digitalization are leading to a renewal of forms of work for the benefit of employees, as many activities can now be carried out remotely. In this context, the challenge for companies wishing to develop their attractiveness as an employer is to offer a global working environment that embraces all these dimensions. Another trend among millennials is to plan their career paths in a variety of environments, working in different companies to enrich their experience.
What choices were made for "Bridge", your future head office in Issy-Les-Moulineaux? And how are Orange's offices designed in general?
Bridge will embody the workspaces of the future: open, collaborative, capable of accommodating both sedentary and nomadic workforces. It's an emblematic project, but it's just one of many. In addition to Bridge, there are other sites that we have redeveloped to adapt to new working practices.
In the Île-De-France region, we can mention Orange GardensThe campus at Châtillon is dedicated to innovation, and was designed from the outset to encourage cooperation, with modular workspaces set amidst the greenery. In the regions, we have other campuses with the same objectives. We design our programmes as collaborative workspaces where residents and visitors alike can come and work.
Workspace design helps to support business transformation.
How does a change management project like this work?
At the start of each project, we go through a phase of listening and gathering the expectations of our employees and their uses. This stage is key to fully understanding the needs of users and proposing space layouts based on an analysis of the activities of future occupants. In addition, as with any project, we put in place risk prevention procedures by carrying out impact studies and proposing support measures.
The workspace is an essential part of the employee experience. It is an important point of reference for employees. It should not be underestimated. Adapting to a new workspace can sometimes prove difficult for some people. Listening and providing support are therefore essential. Whenever possible, we try to create "test" areas to enable our teams to see themselves in their new working environment. Throughout the project, we organise ongoing dialogue with all our stakeholders, including employees and social partners.
Brigitte Sabotier, HR Director France, Orange
"We started offering teleworking in 2009. It's an option that has gradually developed. Today, our employees really appreciate it. Teleworking is often seen as a way of achieving a better work-life balance, in particular by reducing commuting times. From a manager's point of view, this practice requires greater attention to the organisation of work groups, in order to maintain proximity with all employees, even when they are not all co-located. At Orange France, we attach particular importance to these issues and have set up a support programme dedicated to remote management.
