Internal mobility and cross-functional careers at Morning.

According to a study by La Tribune – Économie, 60% of employees planned to change careers or were already in the process of retraining during 2022. This telling statistic should not, however, be read as a desire on the part of those surveyed to change employer.
Internal mobility allows companies to retain their talent while offering them a different role. For their part, employees can consider growing professionally – provided, of course, that they work within a sufficiently flexible organisation.

At Morning, internal mobility is made easy and actively encouraged. As far as possible, the HR team tries to create bridges between roles and between the different teams. Given the variety of positions on offer (construction manager, designer, architect, admin, finance, events manager, and so on), not every move is possible. Some original "cross-functional" journeys, however, are well worth telling.

Paul Boyer: CONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR
formerly Business developer, formerly Morning manager

The path taken by Paul Boyer illustrates rather well the opportunities for internal progression at Morning. He began the Morning adventure as a business developer on an internship, before joining the Morning managers team a few months later. "It was after that that I was attached to the fit-out team, becoming a construction project manager. And since 2022, I've even moved up to the role of coordinator."
At each stage of retraining, Paul has shown real adaptability: "When I joined the construction team, I knew nothing. I had to learn everything. Beyond the technical side of the job, I had to train myself in managing a team. But I have to say that my internship on the sales team helped me develop my people skills, which turned out to be really useful for keeping in touch with clients and suppliers."
Beyond the skills acquired along the way, Paul highlights the support of his colleagues: "I was lucky to be well surrounded, by my team and by all my external contacts. There are around fifteen of us now on the construction team and, as ever at Morning, we learn by doing, by getting it wrong and by starting again. The organisation gives us responsibility quickly, which only strengthens the climate of trust within the team".

Paul puts this flexibility down to the "project" mode that forms the foundation of the Morning organisation: "If I had to single out one skill from all those I've developed in my various jobs, it would be project management. As I've found this same facet across all my jobs, I've had the chance to shape and hone it. He goes on: "Managing a project well involves various aspects, beyond managing a team. It's about having an overall view, taking risks, knowing how to make the call when you have to and, above all, trusting your colleagues".

In five years, the construction coordinator has changed roles four times within the same organisation. This journey is in no way down to chance: "Internal mobility is no myth at Morning. Five people on the fit-out team were space managers in their previous job! Our organisation puts profiles ahead of skills, and each person's adaptability ahead of their technical know-how. These convictions are notably what allowed us to recruit half of the construction team from among our interns", Paul stresses. A fine start for the construction team, which is always on the lookout for its future talent!

Marie Barbier: HR DIRECTOR
formerly Head of Communications

When Clément Alteresco founded Bureaux à Partager, Marie Barbier was head of communications. It was in 2016 that she took up her role as human resources director at Morning. "Given how small we were back then, I was already handling HR duties alongside my role as communications officer. My tasks mainly concerned recruitment and the development of our company culture", Marie confides, before going on: "In my new profession, I obviously had to train myself in employment law, but some of the skills I'd picked up in my old role proved particularly useful; being able to communicate made internal cohesion so much easier."

A new job, though, does not have to mean a new company. On that note, the former communications officer takes the opportunity to highlight the opportunities for progression within the organisation: "Morning is a wonderful playground for trying your hand at internal mobility. The most important thing, to my mind, is not to be afraid of getting it wrong, to be ready to learn every day and, above all, to know how to seize the opportunity when it comes along!".

Marie sees these career changes as necessary steps towards her professional fulfilment, rather than as fresh starts. On that note, she highlights the sheer range of her experiences: "I've already tried 7 different jobs in my working life, and I don't intend to stop there! I'm currently thinking about what comes next…". Prospects that promise to be full of new challenges for our HR director!

Julie Boffy: HEAD OF RECEPTION AND CONCIERGE SERVICES
Formerly a barista (and a wedding planner on the side!)

Julie Boffy held the position of barista at Morning Amsterdam for nearly two and a half years. "This job allowed me to develop a range of skills, in particular versatility and adaptability. The art of coffee held no secrets for me, of course, but my duties didn't stop there. A good atmosphere in a space is fundamental for the people who use it. In creating it, the barista's role is key. Their daily contact with the occupants is the main lever. In some Morning spaces, it's even the baristas who handle reception. This other side of the job makes it all the more interesting."

Since 1 February 2023, the former barista has taken on the role of reception and concierge project manager. "This new job calls for new skills in human resources, which I've had to acquire. Even though it's new to me, it's probably the side of my job I enjoy the most! I won't pretend that being in constant contact with clients in my old role didn't help me a great deal in learning it."

Various reasons prompted Julie to choose to retrain at Morning. "The organisation took my skills and my wishes into account to find me the role that suits me best. I'm proud to be part of a human-sized company that champions its employees. Morning makes it a point of honour to value profiles and adaptability rather than hard technical skills", the project manager stresses. Even so, Julie carries on with her other job: organising weddings, but on a smaller scale.

☞ For your information, Julie's team is looking for its future receptionist! To apply, head over here.

Diane Percheron: MORNING MANAGER
Formerly a barista

Four months after taking up her post as a barista – then a floating barista – Diane Percheron became a Morning Manager in January 2021. "This job is very complete and demands genuine versatility. The range of duties is very broad: the operational running of the building, letting the offices, animating the space's community, administrative follow-up… The client-relations side as a barista served me really well!"
Diane stresses the skills required: "Field roles demand a keen sense of people skills from those who do them. Whether you're a barista or a space manager, we're in contact with clients every day! Even though the two professions are very different, our role is above all to make sure everyone has a good working day".

For Diane, joining Morning happened almost by accident. "After my studies, I worked in marketing and product development in Hong Kong. But very quickly, I set my sights on a more operational role, more in contact with customers. To tell you the truth, I wanted to become a yoga teacher! But when I came back to France, the health crisis changed my plans. That's when I started out as a barista, at Morning."

From a situation she fell into "by default", Diane discovered new horizons: "From my role as a barista, I discovered the job of space manager. The 'field' side appealed to me straight away. And today, I'm delighted. The variety of the duties, running several projects at once, the overall view… I love it all!"

Diane looks to the future with confidence, keeping an ear open for any opportunities. "As part of my job, I've had the chance to work with the fit-out team on several occasions, and I have to say the roles in that field interest me too. I'm possibly thinking of retraining in interior architecture in the future. It would seem that Morning and its wonderful team keep making me want to grow and reinvent myself professionally!".

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The paths taken by Paul, Marie, Julie and Diane are a fine illustration of internal mobility at Morning. If you have any questions or accounts of your own to enrich the subject, do not hesitate to leave us a comment in the field below!
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SEE ALSO:
☞ Company culture at Morning
☞ Space manager: a springboard role towards other adventures
☞ Discover the roles that are hiring!

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