8 April 2020
Caregivers are becoming more visible than ever at work. We’re talking about those that care for family members, disabled or dependent relatives without any pay or formal training. In 2018, there were 12.7 million caregivers in Italy: 40% of the working population. It’s a social and demographic aspect that has a great influence on the world of work. Just like Harvard Business School’s The Caring Company report states, over 50% of caregivers hide this role from their employers, as if it was a stigma. This has a negative impact on both on an individual’s personal life and their career
Recognising and valuing diversity is key to MSD Italy, and employee inclusion is also high up on the list. The company has recently started working with Lifeed, transforming caregiving experiences into soft skills that can also be applied at work.
“30% of our working population is over 50 years old, and we know that lots of them dedicate part of their time to caring for elderly or disabled relatives”, explains Michele Ceresani, HR Executive Director at MSD Italy.
By using Lifeed, MSD want to improve key behaviors relating to diversity.
“We’re looking closely at inclusion, innovation and collaboration outside of traditional organizational silos. We believe that these learning journeys can help us to strengthen a range of skills. Skills such as empathy and listening, risk and error management, collaboration and alliance creation. We’re sure that it’s going to help us manage change. In addition, the company is also focusing on giving and receive feedback, as well as flexibility. We’re discovering a wealth of existing skills that simply need to be brought into focus”
MSD Italy wanted to draw on the learning potential hidden in everyday experiences. So, that’s why they chose Lifeed to help them make this a reality. It’s all about accelerating and strengthening skills on a daily basis.
