French Tech and its offices are the focus of much attention. But do people really work better there than elsewhere? The 2017 edition of the Paris Workplace SFL-Ifop barometer sought, for the first time, to objectivise the question by measuring the actual level of satisfaction, expectations and practices of Tech employees with regard to their workplace.
1. Well-being in the office: French Tech sets the record straight
Tech employees rate their well-being at work at an average of 7.97/10, compared with 6.50/10 for the general population. This is the highest score for any category of employee since the Paris Workplace barometer was created in 2014. They also say they are less prone to stress, with only 25 % feeling "often stressed", compared with 38 % for other employees. The workplace makes a major contribution to this sense of well-being. 88 % of French Tech employees say they are satisfied with their offices, compared with 72 % of the general population. The 'very satisfied' are also the happiest at work, with a well-being score of 8.8 out of 10.
Times are changing. Pay, position and prospects are no longer the only criteria when choosing a job. A majority of French Tech employees say that the office space was "an important factor in their decision to join their company". (56 %, almost twice as many as in the general population where the result is 30 %). They are also much more likely to feel that their offices have a positive impact on the company's reputation and its ability to recruit new talent (84 % compared with 58 %).
86 % feel that their offices are a "source of pride" (compared with 54 % for the general population), a sign that the workplace is a strong source of personal self-esteem.
These tech employees, most of whom are young (average age 31), want to work close to home. An essential ingredient in well-being at work, commuting time averages 37 minutes in Techcompared with 48 minutes for the general population of employees.
This represents a substantial saving of 22 minutes a day, which not only contributes to their sense of well-being, but also to the company's performance. This is because some of the time saved commuting is reinvested in the workplace: Tech employees with a commute of less than 40 minutes spend 15 minutes more in the office each day than their colleagues. Over a year, that's the equivalent of an extra working week.
2. In Tech, offices are not designed to work... but to work together
French Tech has killed off closed offices. Only 1 % of employees occupy an enclosed individual office86 % working in open space. And managers set the example, with two-thirds of them working in open space (compared with only 14 % of managers in the general population). No one is complaining, since the level of well-being of Tech employees in open spaces (8/10) is higher than that of their colleagues in closed offices (7.6/10). The opposite phenomenon can be observed in the general population: employees say they are happier in closed offices (well-being of 6.9 /10) than in open offices (6.4 /10).
This preference for shared offices does not protect Tech employees from the inconveniences associated with this type of space: more than 80 % of them complain of being disturbed by noise. But French Tech has - in part - found a solution, offering spaces where employees can isolate themselves and concentrate without being disturbed ("Zen" spaces, quiet rooms, telephone bubbles, etc.).
French Tech employees have a new relationship with space. If they were "forced to choose", at 61 % they would prefer to have more communal areas and less space for their personal workstations. In the general population, the opposite is true: when asked to choose, 67% of employees (%) would opt for more personal space.
If Tech employees are more willing to sacrifice their personal space, it's because they often work in teams - 68 % do so 'very often' (39 % in the general population). Teamwork is even considered to be "the main reason for going to the office".
A majority of them claim to work in two or more places on a typical day (compared with only 34 % in the general population). Outdoor spaces are a perfect illustration of these new uses. Of the 10 companies on the panel, 8 have terraces and/or courtyards open to all employees, designed for taking a break and meeting up, but which also offer the opportunity to work informally. Similarly, catering areas (cafeterias and kitchens) are equipped so that employees can work there at any time, and are sometimes located in the heart of the offices.
The interests of French Tech are aligned with those of its employees: collaborative working, promoted by the company to stimulate operational efficiency and innovation, also has a measurable impact on employee well-being. There is a strict correlation between the frequency of teamwork and the level of well-being. Those who work "very often" as part of a team score 8.11/10 in terms of well-being, compared with 6.1/10 for those who work "rarely" as part of a team..
3. French Tech offices: a place for social interaction and a melting pot for corporate culture
The ultra-fast growth of technology companies means that teams need to be united around a common identity and project. The office is the instrument: it becomes a "village square", a place for social interaction and for building a collective identity.
Tech employees are almost unanimous in their view that their company has a strong corporate culture. (88%, compared with 58 % for the general population), and the same proportion feel that their offices "reflect this culture well". According to them, the top-5 values that best define their company are, in order: innovation, performance, team spirit, conviviality and fun. These "warm" values are also reflected in the atmosphere between colleagues: 85 % of Tech employees say that they "often" laugh at work (compared with 63 % for the general population).
They have a very unique relationship with the workplace: 82 % of them consider that their office is "a place where they like to spend time".. This response is in contrast to that of employees in the general population, the majority of whom (57% %) feel that the office is "a place of work where you want to spend as little time as possible".
This "living space" is supposed to be able to accommodate a wide range of activities - a majority of French Tech employees say that they prefer to be able to eat, relax and even take a nap on the premises rather than outside the office.
Tech employees form a tribe that works together, eats together and drinks together. 81 % 'very often' have lunch with colleagues (compared with 55 % for the general population), and 69 % 'regularly' have drinks together in the evening, three times more than the general population! As in London - see the 2016 edition of Paris Workplace - the afterwork drink plays a decisive cultural role.
