Wavestone Ranks 1st Again in the 2023 Great Place to Work(R) France Awards

With strong participation in the survey (70%) and 88% of employees considering Wavestone as "a truly great to company to work for" (+2 points compared to 2021), the firm secures the top spot again for companies with more than 2,500 employees in France. This success extends beyond borders, as Wavestone is also ranked as a Great Place to Work® in Luxembourg, certified across all its global offices, and labeled as a Great Place to Work for Wellbeing® in the United Kingdom.

The Positive Way, a Foundation of Values Experienced Daily by Employees

The firm's principal value, client satisfaction, is demonstrated through employees' commitment to develop their expertise, ensure the quality of their work and the relationships they build with their clients daily. According to the Great Place to Work survey, 86% of employees believe clients would rate the quality of Wavestone's services as "excellent," a sentiment supported by a 93% client satisfaction rate (source: Client Satisfaction survey).

Wavestone also places employee development at the core of its corporate strategy. Thus, new training programs have been created on cross-functional hard skills (data, agility, sustainability, etc.). Moreover, 81% of surveyed employees report having access to effective tools and resources for growth. Initiative-taking is highly encouraged, allowing everyone to express themselves and impact the company's development.

The firm also enacts its responsible and ethical commitments through concrete actions in environmental matters (creation of a Sustainability offering, reducing Wavestone's impact in line with the Net-Zero Standard of the SBTi initiative, etc.), societal engagement (Powerday, skills sponsorship), gender equality (percentage of
women in management, virtual "Women@Wavestone" cafés), and diversity and inclusion (signing the LGBT+ charter from l'Autre Cercle charity and appointing a sponsor on this topic, raising awareness and imposing sanctions against discrimination, creating a Employee Disability Mission team, etc.) In fact, over 95% of respondents say they are treated fairly without discrimination, and 84% are proud to work for Wavestone.

Wavestone values collective intelligence and collective success, convinced that they are a guarantee of better performance for the company and a more fulfilling work environment for all. This collective culture is particularly appreciated by our employees: 93% of survey participants testify to the solidarity within the firm through mutual support and a sense of "family" or team.

Company culture is also one of the primary factors motivating alumni to return to work at Wavestone, as the firm is seeing a steady return of former employees.

Flexibility, Well-being, and Sociability at the Heart of the Work Environment

The firm is praised for its flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to thrive in a demanding environment while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. A new tailored work framework, Smartworking@Wavestone, was developed following an experimental phase in 2022 aimed at improving the quality and balance of work-life. This framework is based on principles of flexibility, well-being, individual responsibility, and includes key measures such as no quota for remote work/on-site days and the freedom for employees to organize their schedules to help manage daily constraints (transportation, school drop-offs, urgent appointments, etc.).

As part of this approach, the firm recently invested in its premises to meet evolving workplace expectations since the Covid-19 pandemic: according to a 2022 survey of all employees, the return to the office is driven by the desire for interaction with colleagues and informal exchanges. Wavestone has thus created new, more social spaces that reflect the firm's mindset: the office is not just a workplace, but a place to live.

Initial improvements have been implemented in the Nantes offices with enhanced meeting rooms, adaptations for hybrid work, and the creation of "grand café" style exchange areas. This ambition is materializing in the Parisian offices through the addition of equipped meeting rooms, expansion and multiplication of convivial spaces, and the installation of furniture conducive to exchanges. According to the survey, 92% of employees attest to the hospitality and friendly atmosphere within the firm.

Strong Confidence in Management and a Rich Career Development Path

According to 90% of surveyed employees, management is "accessible, open to discussions," and 88% attest to its reliability, honesty, and ethics. Fanny Rouhet, HR Development Director, explains: "Wavestone's HR model is based on Career Development Managers (CDMs), selected from the teams to support, develop, and retain employees throughout their careers. To become CDMs, they must demonstrate proven HR qualities (listening, openness, kindness, diligence, availability) and be ambassadors of Wavestone's project and values. This demanding role, for which they receive training for, allows them to develop numerous managerial skills, such as the ability to promote growth, manage interpersonal relationships, demonstrate leadership, and guide."

Employees also benefit from rapid and diverse career development opportunities. Formalized job reference frameworks describe each grade and the key skills required to advance to the next level, allowing each employee to co-construct their career path at Wavestone with the help of their Career Manager. The rules of the game in terms of salary are transparent, including salary scales. Mobility is also widely encouraged, giving employees the opportunity to change jobs, areas of expertise or geographic zones at any time during their career with Wavestone. Finally, employees are also heavily involved in numerous internal missions of all kinds (training, recruitment, business, communication, etc.),
which gives them the opportunity to play a greater role in the firm's operations and development while developing new skills and a better understanding of the company.

" We are extremely proud to be ranked 1st again in the Great Place to Work France awards, especially in a job market under high tension this year and in a context of transformation within Wavestone linked to the implementation of our strategic plan. This success is the result of the joint efforts of our management and HR teams, as well as of all the employees who contribute daily to the values of Wavestone. Our very good international results this year are also a great source of satisfaction and encouragement as they are the result of our efforts to become a GPTW in all our geographies," said Fanny Rouhet, HR Development Director. "We also remain aware of the challenges that lie ahead: our international development needs to be consolidated and the retention of our teams requires us to continue to reinvent ourselves.
We have major projects underway to improve the efficiency of our Talent Management systems. In addition, our challenge of increasing the representation of women in management has not yet been met. Finally, in the field of recruitment, we want to develop our ability to recruit and integrate many more experienced employees, in particular by making more and more alumni want to return to our ranks!"

For the year 2023, Wavestone is recruiting in all its offices: https://www.wavestone.com/fr/carrieres/nos-offres/

About the Great Place to Work® Institute

Since 1992 and in 50 countries, the Great Place to Work® Institute has been supporting companies by helping them sustainably transform their work environment through three business lines: diagnostics, consulting, and training. Every year, it publishes the rankings of the best companies to work for, in partnership with Le Figaro Économie. For more information, visit www.greatplacetowork.fr / @GPTW_FRANCE

About Wavestone

In a world where knowing how to transform is key to success, Wavestone's mission is to enlighten and guide large organizations in their most critical transformations, with the ambition to make them positive for all stakeholders. This ambition is rooted in the firm's DNA and summarized by the tagline "The Positive Way."

Wavestone brings together nearly 4,000 employees in Europe – where it is among the independent consulting leaders – in the United States and Asia.

Wavestone is listed on Euronext in Paris and is certified as a Great Place to Work®.

For more information, visit www.wavestone.com // @wavestoneFR

Wavestone Mélodie LAUQUE press@wavestone.com Tel. : + 33 1 49 03 20 00

Wellcom PR Agency Chloé Bencivengo : chloe.bencivengo@wellcom.fr Bastien Depond : bastien.depond@wellcom.fr Marie-Charlotte Fauquette :  mariecharlotte.fauquette@wellcom.fr Tel. : + 33 1 46 34 60 60