Founder of BETC, France's leading advertising agency, and Chairman of BETC Groupe, Mercedes Erra explains why offices are central to corporate strategy, whether in terms of management, creativity or well-being.
Mercedes Erra
President
BETC Group
You broke the mould by setting up outside Paris, a daring gamble at the time. Four years on, what are the results?
"Setting up in Pantin was a militant act. We were convinced that we had to settle in a neighbourhood that needed us. And today, Pantin is gradually changing. We have the impression that we are doing good for the town and the suburbs. Paris isn't just about the ring road. And we wanted to participate in the emergence of this 'beyond-periph' culture and in the construction of the Greater Paris narrative.
In terms of design, where did you start?
"What's certain is that we don't like it when there's no architecture, no architectural vision. We're creative people, we're crazy about design, architecture, houses... We needed to be surrounded by creative thinking. I can't believe that by putting people in something ugly you can work and be creative. We're activists, we believe in beauty, and we're not keen on high-rise buildings that all look the same. When we moved into Pantin, we had the impression that we were defending a building that was already very much in existence, and that we were going to put our stamp on it, as well as bringing a new vision of workplace architecture to the table.
How has Covid-19 affected your organisation?
"Before the lockdown, we didn't even monitor the presence of individual employees in the offices. We had implemented teleworking in complete confidence, and our employees worked from home when they were interested. Today, it has become the norm not to work in the office. But when you're not physically there, for creative people for example, it's not the same. Because we need to work in pairs and as a team, to think together. Tomorrow, I don't think the new balance will be 'two days in the country, two days in the office'. This 'new world' is going to be complicated to create, because it implies proximity between home and office. Face-to-face working will have to be reinstated as a priority, because it's also by working together that we achieve great things.
How do you convince the younger generation to return to the office?
"Strangely enough, the young people were even more upset by COVID. Overworked, isolated, cramped... we noticed that the mums and the young people were very unhappy during this period of confinement. They understand very well the concrete advantages of offices: contact with the most experienced people, the family-style food in our canteen, the places to live, the atmosphere... At BETC, employees come because they believe in their job, in the idea of teamwork, and because they are convinced that they can make a difference in the world. And it's easier to do it together than from home.
