Making sense of work

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Following the confinement of 30 October 2020, telework is no longer an option but an obligation. Indeed, the Minister of Labour, Elisabeth Borne, states that “The employer has in the labour code an obligation to protect employees”. For many companies and employees the headache begins. Indeed, although telework is not new in the territory it has not yet fully entered the mores. However, the first phase of containment allowed businesses and employees to learn from them. For this second containment, they seem more ready. In addition, to enhance the well-being of their employees and contribute to the implementation of a CSR strategy, companies can use new solutions. OLY BE offers yoga classes or stress management modules online and for businesses. Thus, taking into account the employee’s well-being is increasingly taking into account in this difficult period in order to boost his performance but also to give meaning to his involvement in the company.

Companies that want to make sense can no longer attract, train and retain tomorrow’s talent in the same way. There has been a decrease in employee engagement within their company. Indeed, 26% of employees are totally disengaged in their company in France, according to the Gallup Institute (1). Disengagement expresses a sense of ill-being and professional discontent (2). The current situation is particularly delicate, and companies want above all to take into account the quality of work within the company. This would help to turn the tide while maintaining a tight-knit and valued workforce.

Valuing people through entrepreneurship

Bordeaux relies on its strong entrepreneurial potential. Indeed, the city’s top economic priority is to invest in entrepreneurship (3). As a result, 30 economic players and major personalities have been meeting since 2014 to share their vision and journey (3). By 2030, the Mayor of Bordeaux expects 100,000 more jobs, thanks to business creations (3).

The Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) brings together companies and organizations that combine economic activity and social equity. The Conciergerie Solidaire, in Bordeaux, focuses its objectives on the social and thus gives meaning to its work (4). The ESS accounts for 10% of French GDP and 2.38 million at present (6), making it a growing economy. This growth is also evident in the region, particularly in New Aquitaine.

In addition, in Bordeaux, the Enterprise Institute and the SOS GROUP want to collaborate through a newsletter called “Companies of Tomorrow” (6). This is to promote solidarity and to highlight the actions taken.

In Bordeaux, solutions are put in place to promote the human in entrepreneurship

The culture of meaning

Each company has its own culture, shaped by its values and principles. This is the day-to-day environment of a company. An employee is happy in his company when he is safe, valued and given many opportunities. It is essential to know the different key cultures in the professional environment before venturing into it: dress code, punctuality, rigor… Beyond these criteria, the company culture is also, for an employee, to carry out a job that makes sense. By finding values that are dear to him, for example, in a company that promotes societal commitment before profit.

In addition, intrapreneurship is a powerful lever for commitment at work. It is an organization between a company and one or more individuals. This organization can then exist in its own right, or be integrated into the company. The different motivations are professional development and the desire to gain autonomy (7). This gives employees a sense of confidence and plays an active role in the construction of a collective project. However, the company’s culture needs to be transformed to generate engagement. In order for workers to build a meaningful working life, SomanyWays (8) has set up a questionnaire, called the Workoscope, to better understand its relationship to work.

Sources:

  1. Gallup Institute – Worldwide, 13% of Employees Are Engaged at Work

Worldwide, 13% of Employees Are Engaged at Work

  1. The Observatory of Corporate Social Networks – Definition of Disengagement
  1. Bordeaux Metropole – Economic development and employment at the heart of our priorities
  2. ESS Bordeaux Metropole – Key definitions and figures
  3. Bordeaux – ESS actors

http://www.bordeaux.fr/p81474/acteurs-de-l-ess#:~:text=A%20Bordeaux%2C%20l’ESS%20recouvre,ou%20encore%20les%20%C3%A9nergies%20renouvelables.

  1. Enterprise Institute – Companies of tomorrow launch a collaboration between the Enterprise Institute and the SOS GROUP

http://ih4g.mjt.lu/lnk/AUoAAAz-90sAAcpxLxIAAMBg9x8AAAAAAG8AAAOVAAiBaQBfYFaZpwOsARjmTeSYnfJvjq1ayAAIEt4/11/BWcdwPRTLtZVoeeFfooT8A/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zdGl0dXQtZW50cmVwcmlzZS5mci8

  1. Cape Children – Engagement and Entrepreneurship, Strong Values to Promote
  1. SomanyWays – Press release
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