OCTOBER 2018

Are geeks a threat to companies?

Inside a geek's mind

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Methodology

There cannot be successful digital transformation without digital talent, those we call 'geeks' in this study.They work in IT and digital.Their functions are linked to data management, software, agile mode, or design.

What makes and will make the difference between winners and losers of the digital transformation is their capacity to onboard new talent — those who analyze data, code, develop, and more largely use new technologies at work. Who are they? What are their expectations vis-à-vis the company and their managers?

This study has been carried out by BCG, BCG Platinion with Viavoice

Online interviews from September 4 to October 2, 2018 with a sample of 732 people worldwide• Definition of the geek: person who works in the IT and digital sectors• Functions fulfilled: IT Architect, Back-end developer, Software engineer, IT project manager, Agile coach, CTO,

UX Designer, Data engineer, Data scientist, Design Strategist, IT coordinator, digital manager, Lead agile Evangelist, Machine Learning Engineer, Analytics Architect, Product owner, Developer engineer, Innovation manager, etc.

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Summary

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The geek is a mutant

He/she looks like us… …yet is very different

The geek has a good image of the company (69% of

the geeks), is happy at work. He/she prefers a permanent contract…

At work, the relationships with his/her colleagues is essential…

1st value for the geeksand the rest of the population

He/she is attached to the value of freedom… 40 % of the geeks, like 41 % of French people, consider it

the most important value

He/she is personally happy…(85% of the geeks)

… BUT, he/she is less attached than the rest of the population to the permanent contract status (-20 % points) and more inclined to be a freelancer (2nd position after permanent contract)

… BUT, he/she attaches much more importance than others to the interest of the assignment (2nd

position vs. 10th) and the compensation (4th position

vs. 8th) and very little to the relationships with his/her hierarchy

… BUT, he/she has his/her own values such as creativity (30% vs. 6% for French people) or responsibility, while French people overall advocate justice and security

… BUT, more pessimistic about the world's future for half of them (+7 % points)

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The geek forces management to reinvent itselfCompanies should rebuild their managerial system and rethink the role of managers as facilitators, able to set objectives. Inadequate management (47 %) and process heaviness (38 %) are perceived as strong constraints in the business world

The geek wants to innovate, learn, and work in total freedomInnovation is a fundamental value. 42% of the geeks think that giving them the possibility to innovate and contribute ideas to be a force of change would improve their working conditions

The geek is insensitive to corporate speechThe geek pushes the company to question the reality of its speech.He/she does not consider that the company should give meaning to his/her work. Only 24 % among them consider lack of meaning as oneof the main constraints in the labor world. Yet he/she has a good image of the company and expects it to come back to basics, by giving him/her assignments that match his/her expertise, and be well paid

The geek, a mutant who threatens the traditional functioning of companies

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Details of the lessons

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The geek has a positive perception of the companyImage of the business world

The geeks have a positive image of the company world, like the rest of the population

Sub-total« Good image »

69 %

Would you say that the image you haveof the business world today is…

Base: Whole sample

Very poor image

Rather poor image

Prefer not to say

Sub-total« Poor image »

26 %

And what image do you have of the company or which you are currently working?

Base: Whole sample

Very good image

Sub-total« Poor image »

13 %

Very good image

Rather good image

Rather poor image

Very poor image

74 % of French employees have a good image of their companyBenchmark

Sub-total« Good image »

86 %

71 % of French people have a good image of the business worldBenchmark

Prefer not to say

13%

56%

22%

4%5%

48%

38%

1%

3%10%

Rather good image

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The geek has a positive perception of the companyImage of the business world

The Geeks are happy in their professional lives

Prefer not

to say

Would you say you are happy on the professional side? Base: Whole sample

Not at all

Sub-total « Yes » 76 %Sub-total « No » 24 %

Rather not

Yes, totally

Rather yes

55%

17%

6%17%

1%

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Generally speaking, a geek prefers the organization type of a private company

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the geek is particularly interested neither in the start-ups, nor the GAFAM

The geek feels more at ease with the freelancer status than the rest of the population

The geek wishes to work in a company

Ideally, in which organization would you prefer to work?

Private company

Independent / freelancer

Start-up

Public Service

University, business school

GAFAM-like company

Other

Prefer not to say

Base: Whole sample

1 1

2

3

4

5

6 n.a

n.a

4

3

2

Geek ranking

1. BCG Analysis, Global Talent Survey, Source: BCG Analysis, ViaVoice, Inside a geek's mind

=

=

≠

≠

Worldwide population ranking1

44%

15%

14%

9%

7%

4%

6%

2%

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The permanent contract is the preferred working status, including by the geeks

On the other hand, it is still less valued by the geeks than by French young professionals

The geek is less attached to permanent employment contracts than the others

Ideally, you would wish…

57 % of young French professionals between 18 and 30 years old would prefer a permanent contract in a company

37%

22%

20%

18%

1%

2%

Base: Base France

Be employed by a companywith permanent contract

Manage your own company

Punctually work on assignments and do…

Be independent orself-employed

Other

Prefer not to tell

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The geek is happy… yet pessimisticPerception on his/her life and the evolution of the society

Very happy personally, the geek is more pessimistic about society than the rest of the French population globally (+ 7 points and + 6 points for the geeks, respectively)

14% 36% 39% 8%

3%

Very optimistic Rather optimistic Rather pessimistic Very pessimitic Prefer not to say

Sub-total« Yes »

85 %

30% 55% 12%

2%

1%

Yes, totally Rather yes Rather no Not at all Prefer not to say

Would you say you are happy on the personal side? Base: Whole sample

Sub-total« No »14 %

And regarding the evolution of the society and the world, would you say you are:Base: Whole sample

78 % of French workers feel happy

Benchmark

Sub-total« Pessimistic »

47 %

Sub-total« Optimistic »

50 %

59 % of French workers say they are optimistic about the evolution of the world and the society

Benchmark

41 % of French workers say they are pessimistic about the evolution of the world and the society

Benchmark

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Attached to relationships with his/her colleagues,the geek favors the assignment and the compensation

Like the rest of the population, geeks are highly attached to the relationships with their colleagues

BUT• The interest of the

assignment is primordial (2nd vs.10th rank) like the compensation (4th vs. 8th rank)

• They are not attached much to the quality of their relationship with their hierarchy(7th vs. 3rd rank)

• They are insensitive to the corporate speeches

1

2

3

4

5

67

8

9

1

10

8

4

53

9

6

n.a

=

=

=

≠

≠

≠

≠

=

Geek ranking

Worldwide population ranking1

10 n.a

1. BCG Analysis, Global Talent Survey, Source: BCG Analysis, ViaVoice, Inside a geek's mind

44%

44%

42%

38%

31%

22%

19%

19%

14%

11%

7%

2%

1%

Relationships with your colleagues

Interest of the assignment

Flexibility and autonomy

Compensation

Possibility to develop your skills / learn

Posibility to evolve professionally

Relationship with your hierarchy

Valuing and recognition of yourideas / viewpoints

Financial stability of the company

Adhere to company vision / values

Be connected to a community around your skillsin the company

Be connected to a community around your skillsoutside the company

Other

Currently, which elements are most important in your professional life? Base: Whole sampleTotal higher than 100 % - Three answers possible

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The geek's values: freedom, responsibility, and creativityPerceptions on values

Freedom is a value that unites geeks and French people

The order of favored values is rather different: the geeks value creativity, while French people overall value justice and security

What are the most important values for you?Base: Whole sampleTotal above 100 % - Three answers possible

40%

39%

32%

31%

30%

28%

22%

20%

19%

12%

11%

7%

1%

Freedom or autonomy

Respect

Responsiblity

Recognition

Innovation and creativity

Solidarity (team spirit)

Customer satisfaction

Loyalty

Fairness

Rigor

Security

Ambition

Other

Benchmark

French people

41 %

23 %

6 %

35 %

36 %

≠

≠

≠

≠

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The geek challenges corporate speechConstraints in the business world

Highly critical perception of organization functioning and processes, deemed as heavy and useless

The manager's role should be rethoughtto shift toward a more flexible and agile functioning mode

The geek does not expect the companyto give them meaning

Source: BCG Analysis, ViaVoice, Inside a geek's mind

Base: Whole sampleTotal above 100 % - Three answers possible

47%

38%

29%

24%

23%

20%

15%

14%

14%

3%

Inadequate or illegitimatemanagement

Process and reporting heaviness

Organization

Lack of meaning

Working hours

Target figures

Tools used (notably IT)

Lack of colleagues with the sameskills

Organization of the working spaceand premises

Other

25-34 years old: 39 %50-64 years old: 63 %

58 % of French people estimate that giving meaning to what one does is more and more important

Benchmark

43 % of 18 – 30 years old estimate that succeeding in their professional life means giving a meaning to their work

è The « meaning » of the business world is not seen as a constraint by the geeks, unlike French employees

And what are for you the main constraints in the business world?

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The geek questions company purpose

Get back to company basics: offer interesting assignments to its employees and give them the means to succeed

Looking for meaning, a priority for the majority of the population, is not value shared

Only among French geeks consider the absence of meaning as one of the main constraints in the corporate world

19%

58%

vs.

Of French people think that giving meaning to what they do is more and more important

10th

2nd

vs.

The interest of the assignment comes in second position among the most important elements in the geeks' professional life

Geeks

Worldwide population1

For the geeks, the company should first of all propose interesting assignments

1. BCG Analysis, Global Talent Survey, 2. Source: BCG Analysis, ViaVoice, Inside a geek's mind

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What deal manager for the geekManager's quality

The ideal managerfor the geek is a facilitator

The manager understands the stakes and knowshow to set objectives

What are the main qualities you expect from your manager?Base: Whole sampleTotal above 100 % - Three answers possible

50%

34%

33%

30%

29%

26%

25%

21%

15%

9%

8%

Listening and openness to new propositions

Capacity to set clear objectives and set aframework

Recognition toward his/her teams

Role modelling

Delegate and trust the teams

Technical expertise

Capacity to give feedback and elements foryou to develop yourself

Support to the teams in case of failure

Capacity to challenge him/herself

Capacity to collaborate with other companyentities

Customer focus

Employees: 25 %

25-34 years old: 34 %Employees: 29 %

Benchmark

6 % of young workers expect efficiency (≠)

55 % of young workers expect dialogue (=)

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The geek wishes to innovate, be autonomous, and learn

An interesting assignment implies the possibility to innovate and be autonomous…

…as well as the possibility to learn and develop his/her skills

Source: BCG Analysis, ViaVoice, Inside a geek's mind

44%

44%

42%

38%

31%

22%

19%

19%

14%

11%

7%

2%

1%

Relationships with your colleagues

Interest of the assignment

Flexibility and autonomy

Compensation

Possibility to develop your skills / learn

Posibility to evolve professionally

Relationship with your hierarchy

Valuing and recognition of your…

Financial stability of the company

Adhere to company vision / values

Be connected to a community around…

Be connected to a community around…

Other

According to you, what should be improved to work in better conditions within the companies?Base: Whole sampleTotal above 100 % - Three answers possible

59%

42%

35%

30%

30%

24%

22%

19%

8%

3%

Work / life balance

Possibility to innovate and beforce of proposition

Autonomy at work

Working atmosphere in theoffices / premises

Decision-making process

Team multi-disciplinarity

Collaboration with the othercompany departments

Performance measurement

Networking activities in mycommunity

Other

Executives: 41 %Employees: 30 %

Executives: 34 %Management functions: 23 %

EXECUTIVES 68 %

Benchmark

WORKERS 18-30 Y.O. 14 %

è Geeks favor more autonomy than young French workers

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