According to a study by the 4.Manager Observatory – which surveyed more than a thousand managers and consultants who deal with sustainability, also from a social point of view and some with particular attention to diversity & inclusion – to date just over half of the companies in which they operate has activated actions to promote and improve diversity, equity and inclusion. As regards, in particular, medium and large companies, only 56% have a clear understanding of the skills necessary to operate. And according to Istat, in 2019, only 15.9% of companies implemented non-mandatory diversity measures concerning disability. The collective commitment must also grow on the part of local authorities and public service managers.
How to increase inclusion in the world of work
“The protection of the rights of people with disabilities – underlined Stefano Cuzzilla, president of Federmanager – is one of the government’s priorities, as recently confirmed by Prime Minister Draghi, and must become a commitment for all companies in order to increase work inclusion. optimize talent and promote a culture of solidarity. Companies capable of embracing the culture of inclusion and diversity demonstrate significant progress in terms of innovation, reputation and productivity ».
Managerial skills are needed to manage inclusion and diversity
Appropriate managerial skills are needed to better manage the issue of inclusion and diversity, also taking into consideration the more general aspects such as the right to mobility: “For some time – added Cuzzilla – companies have been talking about inclusive strategies and the importance of diversity in the area of human resource development policies, but we need to do more. Federmanager is thinking of ad hoc training courses for managers, in order to guarantee the best conditions for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the company workforce, in a spirit of collaboration and support to the third sector and to what Draghi affirmed ».
Fundamental technologies and innovation for inclusion
Companies that have shown more attention to the issue of integration derive important benefits in several areas, especially those concerning innovation in a broad sense. If on the one hand the presence of disabled people increases the need for the adoption of new technologies and innovation to ensure their inclusion, on the other hand their strong problem-solving skills lead to solutions that are often more effective in the company.