Italians dream of working in Ferrero, BMW e Automobili Lamborghini. These are the three most attractive Italian companies as potential employers awarded with the Randstad Employer Brand 2019, the award assigned today in the Milan office of Talent Garden by Randstad, the world's first operator in human resources services, based on the most complete and representative global research dedicated to employer branding.
Commissioned by Randstad of the Kantar research institute TNS and independently conducted on more than 200.000 people in 32 countries (no company can voluntarily register to participate) with in-depth analysis of more than 6.200 companies globally, the Randstad Employer research Brand measured the level of perceived attractiveness of Italian companies by prospective employees. In Italy, around 7.700 people aged between 18 and 65 were interviewed, a representative sample of employed, students and non-employed, who were asked what factors make a company attractive among the 150 selected with over 1000 employees based in Italy and known by at least 10% of the population.
"People, just like businesses, select potential employers by checking their reputation and verifying the possibilities of finding a work environment in line with their expectations - he says Mark Ceresa, Chief Executive Officer of Randstad Italia -. In an increasingly competitive market, the role of employer branding becomes fundamental to overcome the emergency of skills shortage. Many companies still base their strategy on factors that do not arouse the interest of potential employees, missing out on great opportunities. Understanding and meeting their expectations, focusing decisively on improving the work-life balance, creating a pleasant working atmosphere and adequate and valuable salaries and benefits is the best calling card for attracting and retaining the best talent . The winners of the Randstad Employer Brand 2019 are particularly successful examples of employer branding”.
The ranking – The Randstad Employer Brand 2019 has been awarded to the three most coveted organizations by potential employees. In first place in the preferences of Italians there is Ferrero, with 78,5% of the interviewees considering the Alba company the best employer. In second position BMW, with 73,2% of Italians giving preference to the Bavarian car manufacturer. Another car brand closes the podium, Automobili Lamborghini, indicated as the ideal company by 72,6% of the interviewees.
After the three winners, the ranking of the most sought-after Italian companies by potential employees sees him in fourth position Thales Alenia Space in Italy, in fifth Feltrinelli and then Maserati, Mondadori, RAI, Avio Aero e Coca-Cola HBC Italy to close the selection of the 10 brands considered the best potential employers.
“Reaching the top and being recognized as the most desired and attractive company on the Italian labor market is the result of a fantastic climb that began over 70 years ago, thanks to the commitment and vision of the Ferrero family,” he comments. Alessandro d'Este, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ferrero Commerciale Italy –. However, being able to confirm oneself year after year is increasingly complicated, but also challenging and exciting at the same time. The exceptional result obtained by winning us the "Randstad Employer Brand" again in 2019 can mainly be attributed to our People, who daily undertake to preserve the reputation of our company, both as an employer and as a socially reliable and recognized organization in Italy and in the world, knowing how to combine the strength of Ferrero tradition with the ability to be innovative and simultaneously modern. We have succeeded in transforming a story of brilliant family entrepreneurship into a large international multinational, which however never forgets its roots and which is now capable of attracting the best talents from all over the world, who will be the future protagonists of this great Italian success story. This year then, in addition to being the most loved and desired company on the labor market, we are also awarded 5 awards, all truly special: among these, for the first time, also the Randstad Globes for Corporate Social Responsibility and for the high Company Reputation, a sign that our social role and our constant commitment to protect the communities and the environment in which we operate are increasingly perceived by our stakeholders as tangible and extremely concrete activities”.
“This result represents a great recognition of the work done over the last few years in terms of attractiveness on the labor market, innovation, training, diversity, inclusion, involvement, motivation and well-being of employees – he comments Marco Bergossi, HR Director of BMW Italia SpA –. Flexibility of hours and workplace, offices equipped with comfortable equipment and innovative technologies, personalized career paths, job rotation, training courses on digital transformation, innovation and leadership in contexts of volatility and uncertainty, responsibility activities corporate social responsibility are just some of the initiatives we have developed in recent years to attract and retain talent. In a world that is constantly changing and where digitization plays a strategic role, we as the BMW Group continue to think that the fundamental and winning asset is People".
“Today's recognition confirms a strategy that sees us invest in young people, continuous training and new technologies in a highly balanced relationship with the needs of work-life balance and a flexible approach to work – he says Albert Ferrarotto, Employer Branding Manager of Automobili Lamborghini -. We have always been innovators and our passion and constant attention to people are the way to ensure sustainable growth and a fast and consistent realignment to the technological changes we witness every day".
The Randstad Globes – During the evening, a further recognition, the Randstad Globe, was awarded to those companies which, on the basis of the research, were found to be the most attractive for each factor under investigation. Ferrero was awarded thanks to the preference of the interviewees in five areas: workplace safety, pleasant working atmosphere, good reputation, work-life balance, CSR. Cars Lamborghini has achieved primacy among potential employers in pay/benefit and in the use of the latest generation technologies. Thales Alenia Space in Italy won the Randstad Globe for Interesting Job Content. Coca-Cola HBC Italy it is the company considered to be the most solid from a financial point of view. PwC Italy withdrew recognition as an organization considered to have the best career opportunities.
What are workers looking for? – From the Randstad Employer Brand research it emerges that the factor most sought after by Italians in an employer is the balance between professional and private life, indicated by 53% of the sample, followed by the pleasant working atmosphere (52%) and good pay and benefits (47%). Then come job security (46%) and career opportunities (37%).
Women attach more importance to a pleasant working atmosphere (57%, 10 points more than men) and work-life balance (55% against 51% of colleagues), while men, immediately after the balance between work and private life, prefer good pay and benefits (48%, vs. 47% of women) and are less interested in job security than female colleagues (44% vs. 47%).
But the most evident differences emerge by age group: the very young (18-24 years) seek more than others a pleasant working atmosphere, the Millennials (25-34 years) focus above all on career opportunities, adults between 35 and 54 years attach relatively greater importance to the proximity of the workplace, while the over 55s look above all to the financial solidity of the company.
For part-time workers (19% of the workforce) the most attractive employer is a company that offers a pleasant atmosphere and a good work-life balance. Compared to their full-time colleagues, they are less interested in wages and benefits and career opportunities, while more concerned with job security.
What companies offer – Italian companies do not seem aligned with the expectations of potential employees. In the perception of the interviewees, in fact, companies above all offer financial solidity, excellent reputation and use of the latest technologies, factors other than those at the top of the candidates' wishes. Only in ninth position do we find work-life balance (the factor most sought after by workers), eighth for good pay and benefits and seventh for a pleasant working atmosphere. Companies are best positioned for job security and career opportunities, in fourth and fifth position (aligned with the wishes of prospective employees).
The most coveted sectors and types of business – Multinationals are the type of enterprise most sought after by potential Italian employees, with 29% of preferences, above all for financial solidity, career opportunities and job security. In second place among the most desired types of companies are SMEs, chosen by 18% of the sample above all for their pleasant working atmosphere, work-life balance and flexibility, factors in common with their own businesses, indicated as the ideal destination by 14 % of respondents. 11% prefer to work for the public administration or for non-profit organizations, for job security, financial strength and work-life balance.
Fewer Italians are attracted mainly by startups and family-run businesses, for both just 6%: the former offer above all interesting work content, a pleasant working atmosphere and career opportunities, while the latter offer a pleasant atmosphere, work-life balance and flexibility. However, startups are the most coveted realities by young people under 25 (10%), 25-34 year olds prefer multinationals (32%), 35-54 year olds prefer small and medium-sized enterprises (19%), while senior workers they do not express preferences.
The most attractive sector is the media sector, which candidates particularly like due to its financial strength, excellent reputation and interesting job content, followed by automotive, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
How Italians look for work – Over eight out of ten Italians have not changed jobs in the last year, 16% have started working for another company and almost one in three (30%) intends to change during 2019. Among the three groups there are no marked differences in the factors on which the choice of employer is based: for all, work-life balance is the most important element, followed by a pleasant working atmosphere, good pay and benefits.
The most used channels in the search for a job, on the other hand, are different if one considers those who have already changed jobs or those who are evaluating new opportunities. Those looking for a job mainly use Infojobs (51%), employment agencies (50%) and other job portals such as Monster (48%). Then come company sites (42%) and personal acquaintances (40%), Google (34%) and social media such as LinkedIn (36%) and Facebook (22%). But those who have already found a new job have done so mainly through personal contacts and acquaintances (38%) and employment agencies (21%). Next come portals such as Infojobs (16%), Subito (16%), other sites dedicated to work (13%), the "work with us" sections of companies (13%), Google (12%), social channels such as Facebook (12%), LinkedIn (13%) and Twitter (5%), while services for public employment (8%), recruiters (4%) and trade fairs (3%) are less effective.
When looking for a job, almost nine out of ten potential employees check the reputation of the companies they are applying for (88%). This action is mainly carried out by consulting company websites (48%), then through the opinions of family and friends (40%), bulletin boards or job posting portals (40%), visiting the company as in the case of restaurants and stores (35%) and LinkedIn (31%). Also in this case, important differences emerge between the different age groups: the younger ones mainly use advertising and LinkedIn to check the company reputation, while the seniors rely more on the opinions of family and friends (39% of 35-54 year olds) or visit the company in person.
Why stay in the company – Italians who have chosen to continue working for the same company have been attracted above all by the work-life balance policies (45%), by job security (41%), by the pleasant working atmosphere (41%), financial solidity (38%) and proximity to the company (36%). But the reasons that link employees to the company they work for vary according to age group: 34% of the youngest (under 25) choose to stay if there are career opportunities, 29% of 25-34 year olds if the employer offers training programs, 39% of workers aged 35-54 remain loyal to the company if it is in a convenient location, while 46% of over 55s rank job security as the top reason for remaining work place.
Job security is top of mind for most of the sample. In fact, 72% of those interviewed would be willing to give up part of their salary in exchange for greater security: 17% would give up more than 10% of their salary, almost one in five (19%) to a figure between 6 to 10% of pay and 24% would do without a 1% to 5% paycheck.
Why change jobs – In first place among the reasons that push Italian employees to change employer is too low salary, indicated by 47% of the sample, followed by the imbalance between private and professional life (38%), scarce career opportunities ( 36%), lack of rewards or professional recognition (34%) and lack of challenges (30%). The absence of stimuli and professional challenges is the first reason that induces workers aged 55-64 to change, the following generation (35-54 years) leaves more due to lack of recognition and Millennials (25-34 years) look for opportunities if realize that they do not have a good relationship with their direct superior. The very young between 18 and 24 leave their jobs if they do not see career opportunities.
