“In the digital era, companies that can count on the richest wealth of knowledge win”: the words of Giuseppe Lasco, General Manager of Poste Italiane, open an article in the ‘L’Economia’ insert of Corriere della Sera. The article notes that as Italy’s largest employer with over 119,000 employees, Poste Italiane is committed to the development and enhancement of its human resources, embarking on a significant transformation journey as early as 2017. In the past seven years, 30,000 recruitments have been completed, with the company expecting another 19,000 by 2028. The new recruits have led to a considerable decrease in the average age of the workforce, reducing it from approximately 50 years to 47.5. Today, 57 per cent of employees are under the age of 51 (compared to 46 per cent in 2017), while 28 per cent are under the age of 40. The level of education is also on the rise, with 23 per cent of graduates in 2023 compared to 12 per cent in 2017. The most popular degrees are in STEM subjects.
The Connecting Platform plan
Within the company, as noted by the economic insert of Corriere della Sera, four different generations are currently working. “The enhancement of human capital – Lasco states – is one of the pillars of the new industrial plan, The Connecting Platform, and of the development strategies. In addition, personnel selection policies have lowered the average age of employees and fostered the integration of new and in-depth knowledge, which will play a crucial role in tackling future challenges”. Indeed, women constitute 53 per cent of Poste Italiane’s workforce, even at senior levels, with women making up 46 per cent of middle managers and executives and 60 per cent of post office managers. Considerable focus is dedicated to training; beginning in 2017, approximately 37 million hours have been provided, with 6.5 million hours offered in 2023 alone, also including specific courses. “Training programmes represent one of the most significant areas of investment for Poste Italiane. In the updated Industrial Plan, a total of 25 million hours of supplementary training is scheduled for employees, with an average of 52 hours allocated per person. Thanks to the cooperation agreement with some of Italy’s most prestigious universities, training spaces and advanced technology hubs will be created for employees”.
The value of welfare
Finally, the Corriere della Sera’s insert highlights that Poste Italiane is committed to improving employee satisfaction and well-being by offering complementary healthcare plans and promoting awareness campaigns on prevention. To support families, it provides company crèches and scholarships for employees’ children. Additionally, through the Poste Mondo Welfare programme, employees can choose to convert all or part of their performance bonus into tax-free goods and services.
