Smart working increasingly popular and appreciated in Italy, especially among male workers. This was revealed by the Randstad Workmonitor according to which over eight out of ten employees (84%) appreciate "agile" work, because they believe it improves creativity, productivity and satisfaction in the workplace, and 84% always believe that help maintain a good balance between work and private life. Almost one out of two Italians has already experimented with forms of smart working, confirming that companies are also gradually adapting, even if in the end almost two thirds of employees still work exclusively in the traditional way. Above all women, usually more attentive to the issue of work-life balance, adhere with much less enthusiasm than their male colleagues to "agile" work, expressing less confidence in its ability to guarantee a correct balance between private and working life (-11%) and instead preferring work in the office (+10%).
The latest edition of Randstad Work Monitor – the quarterly survey on the world of work by Randstad, the second world operator in human resources services, conducted in 33 countries of the world on a sample of 400 workers aged between 18 and 65 for each nation - thus reveals a growing demand among Italians for flexibility and professional autonomy, but also a cultural resistance in a large number of workers and businesses, which remains tied to the traditional way of working.
“Smart working in Italy is an extremely dynamic and transforming reality that involves almost half of the workers interviewed, with some companies already making the transition from traditional to agile employment and others applying forms of flexibility that concern place and working hours - he declares Valentina sangiorgi, Chief HR Officer of Randstad Italia –. However, although the majority of Italians look favorably on smart working, two thirds of employees still work exclusively in the office and almost one in two fears that smart working could have negative repercussions on their private life. A sign that there is still a cultural barrier to overcome and that companies must rethink work organization to allow all employees access to forms of working flexibility and a correct balance between professional life and free time”.
The results
In detail, according to the Randstad Workmonitor, Italians are among the workers who most appreciate smart working. 87% of employees like it because it allows them to maintain a good work-life balance (+5% compared to the global average and +7% compared to the European average), a percentage which in Europe is exceeded only by Portugal (90% ). 84%, on the other hand, appreciate the consequent increase in autonomy, productivity, creativity and satisfaction in the workplace (3% more than the global average and 5% more than the European average); in Europe, only France (88%), Switzerland (88%) and Portugal (90%) have higher approval ratings. Two out of three Italians (66%, +1% on the global average) would like to work occasionally in agile mode, more than all other Europeans, with the exception of the Spanish and Portuguese (73%).
On the other hand, the research highlights a good share of workers who take a more conservative attitude. In fact, 60% of Italians prefer to work in the office (+1% on the global average) – a propensity shared by many European workers, such as French (61%), Greek (65%), Luxembourgish (64%), English and Spaniards (62%) - and almost one out of two (47%, +3% on the global average and +6% on the European one) believes that smart working adds stress to private life because it prevents you from detaching from work, a belief that in Europe is expressed to a greater extent only by the Spaniards (48%).
It is women in particular who adopt a more cautious attitude towards smart working. Although they are less free to organize and manage their work (-10% compared to men) and more dependent on the indications of a superior (+8%), they are also the least inclined to identify smart working as a tool for greater independence ( -6%) and a balance factor between work and free time (-11%). Furthermore, compared to their male colleagues, they tend to prefer the office as a workplace (+10%) and view working from home even occasionally (-9%) less favorably.
The data contained in the research confirms that companies too are starting to rethink the organization of work in a smarter direction. In fact, 48% of workers are already working in agile mode, with the possibility of carrying out their duties at any place and time. A figure that exceeds the global average by 7 points and the European average by 9 points, placing Italy in the first places in Europe, surpassed only by Germany (52%), Denmark (51%) and the Netherlands (49%). More than four out of ten workers (43%, -1% on the global average, +3% on the European average), on the other hand, declare that they are in a transition situation between traditional employment and agile forms of work, a process which in Europe sees only English (50%) and Dutch (46%) at a more advanced stage. Confirming the companies' commitment on this front, 62% of employees state that the reality in which they work offers all the necessary technological tools to be able to work outside the office (+6% vs the global average), 65 % say they have the freedom to organize and prioritize their work (-1% compared to the global average) and four out of ten workers (41%, compared to 36% of the global average) regularly use tools to organize online meetings and virtual video conferencing.
Yet, a different image of the acceptance and penetration of smart working in Italy also emerges from the research. 65% of Italians still work only in the traditional way (-3% compared to the world average and 2 points more than the European average) while 70% of workers interested in smart working carry out tasks that do not provide for this possibility (6% in more than the average of the countries analysed), another 70%, furthermore, continue to favor meetings in the office over virtual tools to discuss with colleagues. Finally, a good part of the sample still complains of an insufficient degree of autonomy in organizing their work: over one Italian out of two declares that it is managers who set priorities in the workplace (53%, against 48% of the global average) and as many as 59% say that it is the managers who decide which tasks they have to carry out.
Quarterly indices
Transports – In the first quarter of 2018, compared to the previous one, labor mobility remained stable globally, at 109 points. The Italian market, on the other hand, recorded a reduction of five points, confirming itself to be stiffer than the average, with a mobility index that went from 101 to 96.
Job change – 79% of Italian workers have not changed job or employer in the last six months, 11% of employees have only changed companies, another 7% have changed roles within the same company, 3% have both the company and the position held changed.
Job search – Only 4% of Italians are actively looking for another job, 8% are selecting new opportunities, 20% are looking around, 32% are not actively engaging in the search but if an opportunity arose they would be open to every possibility, while as many as 38% say they are not looking for work.
Job satisfaction – While permanently occupying the second half of the ranking, overall Italians are satisfied with their employment situation: 64% are satisfied, 24% do not express a positive or negative opinion, while only 11% are dissatisfied with their Work.
Fear of losing your job – In the last quarter, the percentage of Italians who are afraid of losing their jobs has decreased (7%, two points less than the previous quarter, even if it doubles among 18-34 year olds). The number of employees who believe they can find a similar job within six months is also stable, a belief that is more widespread in the 18-44 age group among both men (58%) and women (46%). The general perception of greater stability favors a small increase in the aspiration for a professional promotion (81%, +4% compared to a quarter ago, and with higher values among the younger ones), while the ambition to start a new activity (62%). Furthermore, the confidence in finding a different job increased by 6 points (from 46% in the previous quarter to 52% in the last survey) and also in this case the most optimistic are women (from 44% in 2016 to the current 50%, versus 42% of men).
