The chance to change

Published: 2008 - October/November, Dossier

Temporary labor companies, now called Employment agencies, are since the end of 2003, private companies authorized by the Ministry of Labor to broker manpower in Italy, based on the so called “Legge Biagi”, (“Biaggi Law”). This has completely redrawn the procedure for the authorizations from the ministry for the agencies, which may in this way practice the activity of supplying labor, brokering, searching and selection of personnel and support to professional outplacement. The function of the agency is to support demands and offers of labor: it sends one of its own workers in a company that requires a contract of supply, which explains all the details of the service the agency can offer. At the same time, the agency orders another contract with the workers, based on which the worker is employed by the same agency, supplying work at another external company. To point out that the worker has the right to equal pay, meaning the same wages and regulations benefited by the employees of equal ranks of the company using it. In addition, the employment agency oversees personnel selection with different profiles, complies with all the administrative fulfillments (contracts, pay checks, communication to the employment centre), can supply basic and professional training courses, based on client’s request.
The Umana agency, which since 1997 – the year in which temporary labor was introduced also in Italy by the so called Pacchetto Treu – has established its general management and legal head offices in Venice, is one of the first ten major players in the sector in Italy. Standing-out in the market for being one of the few with share capital completely held by Italian private entrepreneurs and the only one provided with a code of ethics translated in 5 languages (“Essere Umana”). Internal Divisions allow the company to offer all those services necessary to facilitate the meeting of the offer and demand for labor. In 2007 the company established the Umana Brazil, its Brazilian equivalent. About “Umana”, and above all, about the operating differences between Italy and the USA and of the various assessments on personal profiles in the two countries, we have talked to the President Luigi Brugnaro and Vice-president Maria Raffaella Caprioglio.

Dott. Brugnaro, how does an Employment agency operate in Italy?
“Every day at Umana we receive thousands of résumés and perform hundreds of interviews: we try first of all to understand the hidden professional abilities, aspirations and talents of the candidates and then we match them with the requests for personnel coming from companies. Our objective is to always introduce the right person in the right place, helping companies to handle flexibility and for the worker to be introduced or being reinstated in the job market.”

What are the differences between helping a worker in Italy compared to a country like the USA?
“United States has a more deregulated market, less “constrained”: the ‘basic rule’ that governs it is that change is an opportunity. All of this makes it easy to handle the worker who, more inclined to change due to the culture in Anglo-Saxon countries, is more willing to invest in him/her self, start again and try new professions and new challenges.”

Italy and USA, different countries and different labor laws. Often the Italian worker sees America as a country where work is better paid, more secure and more satisfying, but is it truly so? Are the two countries so far apart regarding employment?
“Actually it’s not true that in the United States work, in absolute terms, is better paid, more secure or satisfying. The major difference between the two job markets is that the first is more deregulated, it’s easier to enter or be reinstated. And this higher facilitation of accessing the job market allows those who are dissatisfied with their jobs or wages try and search for a new one with waiting times reduced to the minimum.”

Meritocracy: it’s a subject being discussed more and more often, but is it so difficult to apply it?
“To discuss meritocracy it’s necessary that in a company there is a real sharing of values and a participation of the employee to the company’s objectives: without this prerequisites we cannot talk about merit, nor apply it in a company or institution. It ensues that recognition or gratification, will bring an effective higher personal commitment by an employee in the accomplishment of a project but, above all, they must be perceived as such by the rest of the colleagues. Sharing and participation are the way toward a true meritocracy and authentic appreciation of the Human Resources.”

Dottoressa Caprioglio, on what are your criteria of assessments based?
“At Umana, when we review a Résumé, we try first of all to learn about the person coming to us with those lines. Get to know that person for what he or she really is, with his or her training and professional path and their expectations, understanding what he or she wants and is capable of doing. We believe that in a company, people make the difference, that’s why we concentrate our efforts at knowing better the client we have in front of us.”

Often in Italy the first step in searching for a job is the sending of a Résumé. In America an interview is done immediately. 
 “From this point of view, the dynamics of the Employment agencies are much similar to those in the United States. When we receive a Résumé, we match it promptly with the active searches and, if it is compatible with one of the job opportunities, we contact the candidate for an exploratory interview. In a global and continuously becoming market, even the promptness in joining a company becomes fundamental.”

What should Italy do to make improvements in this field?
“Actually, in this field Italy fears no comparisons with other countries: Human Resources, have always been one of the main sources of wealth of Italy. Besides, for centuries, Italy has been famous all over the world for its talents and the “Made in Italy”.
Surely though our Country and Italian companies can take additional steps on this path of enhancing their own Human Resources: first thing by investing in training, because today it is more than ever evident that the challenge in competitiveness – either for companies in global markets, as well as workers in the job market – will be won by those who invest, non-stop, in professionalism, but continuing to be updated and rethinking their strategies on the future scenarios.”