How to meet the demands in reskilling and upskilling applying life resources and talents into the workplace? And how to secure investment for fast growth businesses working in lifelong learning? These are some of the key issues for innovators in the Edtech sector.
Our CEO Riccarda Zezza explores more in this new episode of The Edtech Podcast, which is part of the Female Edtech Fellowship, a collaboration between the European Edtech Alliance and Supercharger Ventures to support the growth of the most promising female founders in Europe. Listen to the podcast here:
In the years after the start of the pandemic, companies have experienced great changes with considerable impacts on the labour market and on employability: first of all, there has been an acceleration in the digital transition and, as a consequence, the skill mismatch has increased. The pandemic has also led people to focus more on themselves, an aspect that is linked to the phenomenon of the Great Resignation.
So how has the concept of well-being changed for people and companies? What are the new priorities and what skills have been developed? This was discussed during the Presentation of the results of the Lifeed Work-Life Observatory based on the 2021 Survey and those of the HR Innovation Practice Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano.
The Politecnico research showed that only 9% of workers say they feel good across all three dimensions of well-being (physical, psychological, social) and that engagement has dropped from 20% last year (already a low figure) to 14% today
As Martina Mauri, Director of the HR Innovation Practice Observatory, explains, it is becoming necessary for companies’ HR departments to put a “Connected People Care” strategy into practice aimed at connecting people through digital tools, to promote their empowerment and involvement, valuing them from every perspective and also taking their soft skills into account. In this context, the use of data and digital tools is crucial for decision-making, personalisation of services, communication and involvement of people.
The study shows, however, that few organisations are aware of the resources and talents they have at their disposal in relation to people’s role skills. Regarding precisely this aspect, the data from the Lifeed Work-Life Observatory presented by Chiara Bacilieri, Lifeed Head of Data, show that most of people’s talents are to be found in their private lives, and therefore outside organisational boundaries: 70% in personal roles, 30% in professional roles.
This suggests to companies that starting by listening and developing people’s awareness, with a data-driven approach, is the right way to help them transfer skills between private and professional life, allowing them to express themselves in a more open way and transforming difficulties into opportunities, both at an individual and organisational level.
On the other hand, as pointed out by Fortunato Costantino, People care, Employees & Unions Relationship Manager at Q8 Kuwait Petroleum Italia, the pandemic has increased the self-awareness of individuals, who now require more attentive listening to their needs, in the professional sphere too. In valuing the multiple identity dimensions of people, Q8 promotes all-inclusive and interdisciplinary training that encourages the exercising of skills built up by individuals in their various life roles.
However, to take advantage of this vision, according to Costantino, a cultural change is first of all needed to create a socially sustainable organisation with a holistic approach to the various dimensions of people’s lives.
This vision also has an impact on the achievement of financial targets and on performance measurement. From the perspective of corporate profit, the key is to create a link between sustainability commitments and financial results, favouring a balance with people’s needs. Regarding the performance of individuals, the shift required on the part of companies is from static and periodic verification of results to a dynamic assessment that looks more to the future than to the past, including through the practice of continuous feedback.
Today, therefore, it is no longer sustainable to separate the dimensions of private and professional life. Federico Pistillo, Marketing & Communication Strategy of Grenke Italia, is convinced of this. He believes that we cannot even divide ‘soft’ skills from ‘hard’ skills, because the former enable the development of the latter, and both are needed to make the organisation work.
Fostering crossover between the private and working spheres, embracing the sum of everyone’s life transitions in a positive way, provides benefits for everyone involved: Pistillo highlights how, when a person is more satisfied, he or she is more inclined to give more at work as well, and this makes the organisation evolve more effectively.
To achieve this, the company must ensure its actions are consistent with its declarations, through the ‘good example’ of the management.
The bill tabled in the Chamber of Deputies for a three-month paid paternity leave (instead of the current 10 days) has refocused the spotlight on an issue that often remains in the background of public debate: parenthood is also a men’s issue and, if shared, benefits both fathers and mothers.
The last two years have made it even more clear that the right to equal parenting cannot be put off any longer This is demonstrated by the analysis conducted by the Lifeed Work-Life Observatory, according to which working fathers no longer see their professional role as pre-eminent in their lives: indeed, they see themselves as fathers first of all (71%) and only then professionals (42%).
How is all this reflected in the workplace? How can companies harness the life experiences and skills of their workers who are fathers? This was discussed during the Caring Company Digital Talk Fathers’ skills transferred to the workplace promoted by Lifeed and moderated by Chiara Sivieri, Lifeed Customer Executive, through the testimonies of managers from leading companies.
First of all, the question is whether fatherhood is visible in companies today. From an analysis of the reflections of working fathers participating in Lifeed courses, the percentage of fathers who do not consider themselves “visible” in the workplace is still high (57%). This is due to obstacles that, according to the fathers themselves, range from the corporate culture that tends to keep private and work life separate, to the lack of attention to work-life balance by the company, to personal stereotypes.
But there are also enablers that, according to the participants, can ‘ignite’ the potential of fatherhood in the workplace: a ‘caring’ corporate culture that shows attention to work-life balance and people’s roles outside work; a climate of sharing, mutual support, openness to dialogue between colleagues, managers and co-workers on the issue of fatherhood; ad hoc initiatives dedicated to parents; and the self-determination and will of individuals.
The type of company and organisational values are fundamental, together with individual drive, in influencing the visibility of fatherhood in the company. Stefano Angilella, HR Director of Avanade ICEG, is convinced of this. According to him, the company context is the most important element in ensuring that the parenting experience is an asset in terms of skills for the company itself.
Among the many initiatives to support parenthood, Avanade has produced a manifesto mandating compulsory paternity leave: a measure that goes in the direction of fostering gender equality and makes this opportunity structural, to allow the parental experience to be lived in full, side by side with the professional growth path.
The path to visibility for fathers is part of a corporate cultural change that, especially in Italy, requires time and the overcoming of stereotypes regarding private and work roles. For Ivan Basilico, Human Resources and Welfare Development of Ferrovie Nord Milano, all those involved (from the State to individuals) must work collectively to overcome the obstacles.
To this end, company measures can be useful, such as those implemented by FNM, which shift the focus from quantity to quality of work, emphasise listening and freedom to talk about care and parenting as something that makes it possible to acquire transverse skills between life and work, flexible working hours, smart working and specific initiatives in favour of parents.
Ruggero Dadamo, Chief People Officer at Sisal, also maintains that it the regulatory aspect is crucial. In the absence of greater support from the state, companies can listen to their employees and make them feel comfortable recounting their own parenting experiences, which can break down cultural stereotypes, creating ‘dad-ambassadors’ in the company.
To accompany employees who are fathers through this cultural change, Sisal has also put in place measures in favour of employees’ children to guide them towards STEM disciplines and to increase their digital skills, as well as specific initiatives to support employees who are parents during the pandemic.
Matteo Gori, Global Marketing Director at Barilla, explains that today we are on an ‘evolutionary path’ along which individuals are encouraged to take the initiative and companies can set a virtuous circle in motion. The individual can therefore play a very important role in enabling change and, in this sense, self-determination is crucial.
However, what are the advantages of this outlook in private life and at work? “Parental leave,” says Gori, citing his own personal experience, “helps to balance care burdens, while parenthood makes for better managers who are more curious, with a broad vision, aware that they can experience a healthier separation between private life and work, and realising that they have different priorities.
To make fatherhood a distinctive and positive factor, one must first work on the cultural values of the company. According to Alessandro Mancini, Head of Trade Union Relations and Welfare at Trenord, the HR function has a pivotal role in achieving this and training courses are very important to involve fathers in the implementation of change.
Mancini points out that the phenomenon of low birth rate in Italy is worrying and therefore we need to work on the issue of people’s fear of not being up to the task of parenthood or of losing something else important in their lives by becoming parents. Lasting organisational well-being initiatives can be useful in valuing the uniqueness of each person and ensuring a better balance of care burdens.
Today, the situation in the world of work is radically different from the pre-pandemic period. People’s priorities have changed and organisational arrangements have been radically transformed, probably forever. As a result, the labour market is also no longer the same.
Smart working has become increasingly widespread and people have often found themselves working from home. In this context, as shown by the 2021 Annual Survey of the Lifeed Work-Life Observatory, which surveyed 1,258 participants in its training programmes, there has been a shift in people’s focus towards their own well-being.
Among caring roles, 40% of participants recognise that they take care of themselves, a 90% increase over the 2020 figure (where only 4% per cent recognised that they take care of themselves). This figure could indicate an increased focus on personal well-being and increased awareness.
The pandemic remains the most significant transition for people for the third year running (74%). However, all participants in the Lifeed Survey say they are also experiencing other personal transitions, such as becoming a parent or caregiver, changing jobs, homes, etc.
Against this backdrop, it is interesting to note that the leadership figure is higher for those who care for someone at home or at work. While, in general, 77% recognise that they have improved this ability, the figure rises to 84% for new parents, 80% for caregivers and 79% for parents.
Caring for someone at work also increases leadership skills, as shown by the figure of 83% for managers (6% higher than the average). These data suggest that leadership in companies today must put the word “care” at the centre of their actions.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY? DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER
Historically in Italy, family care burdens have weighed more heavily on women. Today, in fact, three quarters of unpaid caring work is performed by women, also due to the persistence of strong cultural gender stereotypes. Caregiving and parenting are key aspects that influence the gender gap and also affect companies, which can play a decisive role in ensuring a better balance.
How can this gap be overcome? What policies should be adopted to move from the concept of reconciling work and care time to that of sharing the burden of care? Answers to these questions were sought during the talk “8 March: from reconciliation to sharing” organised by Valore D on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022, in which Riccarda Zezza, CEO of Lifeed also participated.
“The pandemic has held back progress towards gender equality,” Zezza explained. “Shared parenting today is considered a ‘nice to have’, but it is not seen as something urgent”.
Italy is among the last countries to have introduced compulsory paternity leave of 10 days, which is in any case much shorter than the five months’ leave for mothers. Moreover, data on female employment and fertility rates see Italy at the bottom of international rankings.
Some companies are trying to fill the gap left by other institutional players on these fronts. However, as pointed out by Paola Mascaro, President of Valore D, there is a dichotomy between culture and pragmatism: “Resistance to change exists even in large companies, where the cultural baggage of individual bosses can penalise employees who want to devote themselves more to their role as fathers”. According to Mascaro, special regulations are needed to make change more effective.
Organisational culture, therefore, plays a decisive role, but it must be accompanied by laws and daily actions that can facilitate the sharing of care burdens between fathers and mothers. Everyone would benefit, because such sharing can cause resources and talents to emerge that people already possess in their private life roles and that are useful for their companies.
As Zezza mentioned, 73% of employees are caregivers, i.e. they take care of someone. And it is precisely from care burdens that useful skills for businesses can emerge: “Caregiving develops soft skills 70% of which, according to Lifeed’s Work-Life Observatory, are trained in non-work roles. With increased sharing, there would be more opportunities to transfer skills from private to professional life roles and vice versa,” Zezza explained.
On this aspect, Lorenzo Gasparrini, philosopher, author and trainer on gender issues, emphasised that “people work better when they feel better. Large companies are making an effort, but today many small and medium-sized companies still frown on employees taking paternity leave”.
According to Gasparrini, we need to reassess how the role of parent is reconciled with that of worker, which also concerns the time dedicated to work and family, and the domestic space. “Changing laws and the organisation of work in companies involves systemic changes and abandoning hierarchical logic to solve problems”. Our roles, he added, “cannot be compartmentalised”.
Finally, Sofia Maroudia, ESG Officer at Snam, recalled that in Italy women dedicate 22 hours a week to childcare, compared to three hours for men. “Companies can have a great impact to create a better balance through leave for fathers, flexible work and psychological help”. This talk was the conclusion of a Valore D inter-company working table on the subject, created with the support of Snam and Generazione Donna, which involved 25 companies and produced a document containing over 200 good business practices.
