Environmental quality the words replace acts

In 2008, the average real estate cost per employee should drop 15.767 euros to 13.629 euros in 2011 for headquarters of 100 to 1,000 employees, according to the indicator of overall average housing cost per employee prepared by BNP Paribas Real Estate in partnership with the ESSEC business school. This windfall is cyclical, linked to declining rents began in 2008 and scheduled to last for even a few quarters. It is part of a trend more heavy that grows business leaders to "streamline their settlements", i.e. to regroup their troops on a single site and less than square metres. No sector is spared: 1,300 employees of Prisma Presse, came from the 17earrondissement of Paris and Neuilly-sur-Seine, will move to Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine). Sodexo is 7 sites and 900 of his collaborators on 18,000 m2, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Yvelines)... Large companies are not concerned only: according to a survey by CB Richard Ellis, nearly 20,000 jobs in SMEs and SMIs 3,500, every year, left the capital between 2005 and 2008, for the benefit of the departments of the first Crown for SMEs, the second for SMIs.

These movements do not always benefit to employees, increasingly tight in new buildings: 20 m2 surfaces dedicated to each are passed to 12 m2et to much less in the "bench" organizations, batteries of workstations "which align tertiary bones," commented Lucy Bakli, co-founder of the Majorelle and responsible planning Office by business leaders to think about the new plans for implementation. "For years, we asked to pack without worrying about the type of position nor individuals." Everything had to be interchangeable, she explains. Since a few months, we observe a real change in the application. The "open space" standard, then of large "villages" the next to each other, with identity.

Poorly perceived efforts

The felt measured by two opinion polls conducted in the fall of employees and executives by the land of the regions (TNS Sofres) Group (1) and the society of Council AOS Studley (Opinion Way) (2) shows in any case that it is time to act. According to these studies, 44 of the surveyed employees considered their inadequate office and source of stress; 83 of the employees of the structures of 100 to 249 people are satisfied with their place of work, but this rate drops to 66 in groups of more than 1,000 people.

The location of the offices remains one of the essential criteria of satisfaction. Nearly 80 of respondents consider it important, 92 consider it priority and likely to influence their choice for professional transfer. Followed by access to transportation and the parking and the proximity of services. More than half of the surveyed employees would like to take advantage of personalized services such as a Manger of business or a sports hall, difficult to make profitable except to pool in a business district. The study of SOA Watch a contrario that it is unnecessary to provide a fitness room if the computer running poorly or if clients lose by coming to an appointment because the building is not found.

This survey also shows that the efforts of the management for the space are few or poorly perceived as "a person two is no link between the development of the place of work and General Organization and strategy of the company". "The work evolves more slowly that you want to do believe." The fundamentals remain the same: single reflection work as a team, meeting... table, Chair, computer. "In is globalizing, methods of organization to trivialize and lose efficiency," notes Philippe Meurice, CEO of DEGW, architects and interior designers. Finally, more than 70 of the polled believe that their employers have no imagination. "This reflects a lack of involvement of the leaders who transmit or style, or values, or"visions"project designers, reduced to the role of movers," laments Lucy Bakli.

Densify spaces

One half only employees were satisfied with the development of workspaces. "But today we have the experience and we know organizing places both pleasant and functional." "Failures" can be explained by insufficient financial means. "He often lack thinking up the project," confirms Elizabeth Pélegrin-Genel, architect and psychologist of the work.

Private offices, in a small building outside downtown, in an environment of businesses and services, rather it is the model seeks the majority of employees. If one adds access to transportation constantly cited, the equation becomes almost insoluble. In any case, it reveals a gap between the perception of leaders and the employees: the latter are 73 to (very) important access to services and businesses, while half of officials granted him little of interest. They focus on the image of the lobby as well as the accessibility to persons with reduced mobility. Spend less, 54 of interviewed leaders prefer to densify office space to optimize their cost without moving; 23 plan on premises for rent lower; 7 think to outsource all or part of their fleet in remaining tenant.

Environmental quality, the words replace acts. The answers are contradictory: "sustainable" solution is for 88 of leaders to redevelop the spaces to the economy of square metres, while 78 evoke 76 and renewable energy eco-construction, especially for the other... Maurice Gauchot, CEO of CB Richard Ellis France Council, confirms: "users raising many but are not now ready to pay more for sustainable buildings."