In today’s digital-first world, the employee experience is undergoing a profound transformation. The acceleration of digital technologies, the rise of remote and hybrid work, and the evolving expectations of talent have fundamentally changed how organizations attract, engage, and support their people. No longer is the function of managing people simply about HR processes or compliance—it’s about enabling people to thrive, innovate, and deliver value in a rapidly changing environment. This is the era of People Success.
Traditional HR was built for a world of predictable processes and physical workplaces. Today, leading organizations are moving beyond the notion of “human resources” to embrace a more holistic, human-centered approach—People Success. This shift recognizes that people are not just resources to be managed, but the core value creators in a digital business. At Publicis Sapient, this philosophy is embedded in our DNA: our People Success function is designed to nurture, empower, and support our greatest asset—our people—so they can thrive in the brave pursuit of next.
This transformation is not just semantic. It’s a strategic reorientation that puts employee well-being, growth, and engagement at the heart of business success. In a year when Publicis Sapient hired more people than ever before—many of whom joined, onboarded, and developed their careers entirely remotely—the People Success function was tested and transformed. The challenge: how do you create a sense of belonging, purpose, and opportunity for thousands of new colleagues who may never set foot in a physical office?
The last few years have seen digital go from important to existential for organizations. As businesses reimagined customer journeys, they also had to reimagine the employee journey. This meant:
At Publicis Sapient, this required a complete rewiring of our internal digital business transformation (IDBT). We leveraged technology not just to keep the lights on, but to create new ways for people to connect, learn, and grow. We amplified communication, increased the frequency of one-on-ones, and used digital platforms to foster authentic engagement. The result: a record period of growth and impact, even in the face of global disruption.
In a digital world, the signals that once came from hallway conversations or in-person meetings are now captured in data. Leading organizations are using analytics to measure and respond to employee engagement, sentiment, and well-being in real time. At Publicis Sapient, we decomposed the employee journey to identify new proxy metrics—ranging from simple daily mood check-ins (smileys) to sophisticated engagement analytics across geographies, disciplines, and client teams.
But data alone is not enough. The key is to design organizations that are responsive to these insights. When patterns emerge—such as a dip in engagement in a particular region or team—leaders are empowered to act quickly, providing support or making changes to improve the experience. This approach moves beyond annual surveys to create a dynamic, always-on feedback loop that puts people at the center.
Transformation is not a one-off project; it’s a continuous journey. At Publicis Sapient, we use the SPEED framework—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, Data & AI—to guide both client and internal transformation. For People Success, this means:
This integrated approach ensures that employee experience is not siloed, but embedded in the fabric of the organization.
The shift to remote and hybrid work has unlocked new opportunities for flexibility and inclusion, but it also brings challenges:
Publicis Sapient’s response has been to quadruple investments in learning, development, and technology-based training; to launch targeted programs for underrepresented groups; and to rethink flexibility—not as a perk, but as a core design principle. We recognize that work must fit into people’s lives, not the other way around.
Technology is the enabler of transformation, but people and culture are the foundation. The most successful organizations are those that:
The future of People Success is not about managing change—it’s about building organizations that are designed for perpetual evolution. It’s about creating the conditions for people to do their best work, together, in a world where digital and human are inseparable.
The ripple effect of digital business transformation is felt not just in business outcomes, but in the lives of real people. At Publicis Sapient, our work has helped:
These stories are a testament to the power of putting people at the center of transformation.
As organizations look to the future, the mandate is clear: People Success is business success. By rewiring employee experience for the digital age—grounded in data, enabled by technology, and anchored in purpose—leaders can create thriving, resilient workforces ready for whatever comes next. At Publicis Sapient, we are proud to be at the forefront of this journey, helping our clients and our own people thrive in the brave pursuit of next.