« Publicis invites all its collaborators to work remotely from anywhere in the world 6 weeks a year »
Décember 2021
Once again, the declaration of the wishes of the duo Levy/Sadoun will mark the spirits with a neat staging and this punchline at the end of the video.
An announcement that will make all the employees who dream of going elsewhere at the end of this year envious of a fifth wave.
And it will make HRDs blush “how can you not look cheesy with such a proposal?” (“they dared…” posted a contact who shared this video – and who works in an HRD).
How do we know if Publicis has found the answer to this question, which concerns all large groups?
The answer is not simple because, even if the image of a video in Ko Samui in February may have crossed your mind, the implementation of the Publicis solution has its limits: “is it fair knowing that my job does not allow me to do it” (accounting closing to be completed, client visits to be honored…); “what about the team spirit that we are trying to preserve with our team rituals”…
Good idea, bad idea?
The Levy/Sadoun announcement is a very good idea for Publicis because it is in line with the Publicis promise. Everything is explained in the justification of this decision.
It’s not: because after 2 years of dotted line confinement, it became necessary to take more into account the well-being of the collaborators, nor for cost reduction reasons (less people in the office means less square meters).
Their promise: “a year full of incredible memories”. For the world’s largest advertising company, this is more than a gift for their collaborators, it is a customer promise.
With this promise, the announcement of the “6 weeks of telecommuting anywhere” fits into a coherent framework: the World of Publicis.
The one who creates incredible memories for these clients (and their clients’ clients) is successful.
The choice of overseas telecommuting destination will most likely be viewed more or less favorably depending on the potential for creating memories.
Interactions are “all around the world” and the team thinks of itself as a group. This very open mode of interaction, based on a platform model, is specific to Publicis, which for the past three years has been setting up an AI platform (Marcel) so that the Group’s 80,000 collaborators can exchange and collaborate without limits or borders. These modes of interaction aim to serve the performance of Publicis, by sparking creativity and innovation.
If this solution is very good for Publicis, it is far from obvious that you should copy it at home.
Asking yourself whether your Flex Work model is appropriate for your World is the shortest way to avoid disappointments (contradictory injunctions, inequity, loss of performance, unnecessary managerial pressure…). And we can help you: start by explaining to your teams why you are not Publicis and how it could – for good or bad – question your World than to copy them.
In short, the ” Post-World ” opens up new perspectives in terms of work organization, perspectives that must be addressed without denying your roots.
In this regard, a nod to the “Historical World” of Publicis is present throughout the film: all the cities are represented by scenes from anxiety-provoking films (the Joker for New York, Shining for the mountain chalet…). All except, at the end, the Place de l’Etoile where the historical headquarters of Publicis is located.
Even the creative genius at Publicis is careful not to throw everything away when it comes to projecting his teams into a new World.
Want to know more about Worlds and their possibilities? Contact us!
Cédric Legros
