Since 2020, the country managements have developed local systems that enable them to be in very regular contact with all the teams to better respond to their expectations, to encourage solidarity and mutual attention so as not to forget anyone, and thus to better detect any weak signals or warnings regarding employees who may be in difficulty.
At the Groupe level, four regional round tables (APAC; Europe, Africa & Middle East; North America; South and Latin America) were held four times this year with, each time, the Chairman of the Management Board Arthur Sadoun, supported by the members of the Management Board/Directoire+, the Management Committee and key local executives. Employees are invited to send all their questions in advance and to interact live during the sessions. In the United States, for example, these quarterly sessions were attended by around 10,000 employees each time.
Publicis Groupe has always been committed to human rights and remains concerned about respect for fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, the right to respect and the protection of privacy. These values are included in the Janus Code of Conduct and Ethics and apply everywhere; Publicis Groupe has included in the Groupe's Janus Code of Conduct and Ethics the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, as well as the Seven Women Empowerment Principles (UN WEPs).
Lastly, listening to employees is carried out at the highest level of corporate governance, with the Supervisory Board, which has two employee representatives (one man and one woman) from two French subsidiaries.
In 2022, Moments that Matter was launched in the Groupe. This is a satisfaction survey program that may be addressed to all or some employees to better estimate their experience as employees within the Company. These are short, frequent surveys and sometimes linked to certain circumstances. In 2023, all new employees in the Groupe were surveyed through the Onboarding Survey. All employees were asked in the Mid‑Year Check In Survey, just as there is an Anniversary Survey (linked to the start date at the Groupe).
Since 2022, “Moments that Matter” is a new short survey that can be initiated for different reasons (end of a project, intermediate point, check‑in with a team, etc.). In 2023, 86% of employees indicated a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Finally, an Exit Survey is sent to for all employees leaving the Groupe voluntarily, and more than eight out of ten employees indicated that they remained interested in returning to the Groupe in the future. This is an important factor to consider when analyzing the structurally high employee turnover rate in the communication sector.
88% of employees had at least one individual interview (talent review, annual appraisal or performance review) in 2023, not counting Catch‑ups or Wrap‑Ups, shorter formats carried out during the year or following a completed project. This is an internal obligation and is part of the human resources management rules defined in the Janus Code of Conduct and Ethics. Career Conversations is the tool used in the Marcel platform, which has the advantage of being used throughout the year, and to keep pace with the projects.
This platform allows for more frequent meetings between employees and their managers, based on key objectives for Senior Management (KPIs), for all employees, to build a Growth Plan in order to achieve their ambitions, and to ask for 360° opinions. The Wrap up is a summary exercise on the past year and on the employee’s impact, and allows a forward view to the year to come.
| Indicators | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee assessments (% of employees) | Employee assessments (% of employees) 2021 76% |
Employee assessments (% of employees) 2022 90% |
Employee assessments (% of employees) 2023 88% |
| Of which % Women | Of which % Women 2021 57% |
Of which % Women 2022 53% |
Of which % Women 2023 53% |
For several years, the Groupe’s major agencies and certain countries have set up Next Generation Boards (NGBs), enabling young talent to be involved in the operation of the entity and in the consultation and decision‑making processes. In the vast majority of cases, these young employees are selected to sit on this advisory Board for one year. Their work schedule is specific to each country context, but all are involved in both internal (inclusion, culture, organization, etc.) and business (innovation, development, etc.) issues. These Next Gen Boards also make it possible to escalate the concerns of the teams to the Groupe’s General Management, and are an interesting avenue for internal dialogue within agencies and within countries.
