DIVERSITY THAT GENERATES VALUE - A project for valuing ageing in organisations

By the editorial staff

The entire world today is facing a phase of epoch al change, in which diversity and inclusion acquire new meanings. Inclusion means, in a workplace context, not leaving anyone behind, but also valuing all differences, creating a culture of shared values, considering different points of view on decisions, increasing workers’ engagement and boosting the drive for innovation.

The ManpowerGroup believes in developing and supporting individual talent and in creating a corporate culture where everyone can identify with each other, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, abilities or culture. The ManpowerGroup is committed to promoting projects that meet the needs of companies but, primarily, the needs of individuals and their diversity. And this year, for the sixth consecutive year, it has been included in the ‘World’s Most Ethical Companies’ ranking by Ethisphere, an international organisation that specialises in developing best practices in business ethics, governance and sustainability.
For example, the Manpower Group has specialised strongly in developing plans to manage and enhance ageing in organisations.

The current phenomenon of progressive demographic ageing requires companies to adopt an approach that values intergenerationality in their human resources management policies.

To support organisations, Talent Solutions – which deals with talent development within the Manpower Group – and EY have set up an innovative and customised development path, aimed at bringing out virtuous practices and behaviours within the company, in relation to the management of intergenerational relations. The programme takes place over a few months and involves experts in the felds of Age Management and Active Ageing, who collaborate with people in the organisation to enhance their contributions and integrate them with emerging best practices.
The course reinforces engagement and a sense of belonging to the organisation, starting with an activity that comprises involving, listening to, guiding and enhancing the individual and collective contributions of participants.
The effectiveness and impact of the pathway does not end, however. What emerges makes it possible to activate further initiatives to maximise the effectiveness of the various parts of the corporate population. Examples include training/reverse mentoring initiatives on digital skills for seniors; peer working/mentoring programmes to broaden access to knowledge inside and outside the company; project and training paths with intergenerational and multi-disciplinary working groups; onboarding paths in which job rotation is planned to allow staff to build a versatile profile.

The ManpowerGroup is committed to a wide range of diversity initiatives.
A team of psychologists and experts at Manpower Professional provides consultancy to companies in the search for and selection of beneficiaries of Law 69/99 and projects for inclusion in the company, following the cardinal principle of Beyond – that is, going above and beyond.

Commitment to gender equality in the workplace is fundamental to ManpowerGroup, starting with the high percentage of women in its workforce, which in Italy is at 75%, demonstrating that the company is at the forefront of building an increasingly inclusive workplace.

The ManpowerGroup also recently conducted a survey to help companies understand the experiences of members of the LGBTQI+ community in different workplaces. One of the survey results stands out: 42% of people decide not to share their sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace, 26% because they fear discrimination and 20% because they fear losing out on professional opportunities.

The ManpowerGroup’s commitment therefore continues, guaranteeing and valuing the differences in gender, age, sexual orientation, skills and culture of its people, and then transmitting these values to the outside world, means contributing to building an inclusive society where each individual can feel valued and free to express themselves.