Chief Transformation officer since 2016 at Prisma Media, Philipp Schmidt sees the company's changing practices with a strategic eye. New generation, Genevilliers campus, teleworking... he tells us more about what Covid has changed in the agency.
Philipp Schmidt
Chief Transformation officer,
Prisma Media
How will the Covid-19 project affect work organisation at Prisma in the medium term?
Until now, we had opted for a large 25,000 square metre head office to accommodate our 1,200 employees in Gennevilliers, in a sort of outlying 'campus', although accessible via line 13 of the metro. It's a way of bringing together all our business units and all our generations in a head office with a range of services, cafeterias, a Zen zone, an integrated coworking space, etc. All with one objective in mind: to create an environment that is as welcoming as possible. All with one objective in mind: to improve the quality of life at work. For a company like ours, which has made 'people first' a core value, this mode of operation will no longer be possible in the future, now that we are seeing the difficulties posed by public transport. We're moving towards a more hybrid mode. For us, taking care of our employees means adapting to their needs. That's why we're planning to opt for more flex-office working, a much greater proportion of teleworking, and more central locations in Paris where we can get together.
A much higher proportion of teleworking, and more central locations in Paris to meet up.
Why, despite teleworking, are these new locations important to you?
Some jobs are more suited to teleworking, and we call them 'tele-robust' jobs. This is particularly true for projects involving the improvement of existing systems, where innovation is marginal. In today's uncertain world, it's important to have a resilient organisation. But there are also 'tele-fragile' jobs, which require creativity and brainstorming, and here, agency managers tell me, it's easier to do these things when you see each other. Some employees, often the older ones whose children are already grown up, are very comfortable working from home, but for the younger ones, in small flats or with young children, it's much more difficult. Each profile is different, but for many who work in teams, there is an intrinsic need to find their professional 'tribe' in physical locations.
In this world affected by the pandemic, we're not looking for the ultimate wisdom, but for the fastest possible adaptability.
Which locations are considered "essential"?
There is a need for physical places to celebrate convivial moments. But there are also informal places to defuse small tensions, little "pebbles in the shoe" that, with the unspoken words of distance, can eventually evolve into bigger problems. The coffee machine plays a very important role! But in my opinion, the challenge today is not to imagine the office of the future, but to organise, manage and create spaces that are capable of adapting. We need to change our mindset and become learning organisations, constantly improving. In this pandemic-affected world, we're not looking for the ultimate wisdom, but for the fastest possible adaptability. The trend is already well known: the end of the fixed office, coworking codes, mobility within the office. The older generation is still attached to this, but it's not a problem for younger people, who are much more attached to service than to possession.
Generation Y and authority
Today, management by control is no longer acceptable. The "whipping father" management style is a thing of the past. The idea that you have to be tough to be respected is a thing of the past. Teleworking has accelerated this evolution, because it's simply no longer possible to stand behind every employee. What does work, however, is management by trust. Employees expect their manager to make sense of things, to answer their questions, to show the way. They need to embody the company's values, its raison d'être. This is very important to counter the risk of having an employee who resigns "internally", loses interest or drops out. Finally, generation Y has a greater need for transparency, they want to understand, to have a global vision, to have access to information, to have access to managers. Big bosses who are only seen at general meetings don't encourage commitment!
