It is normal to quantify the right salary for a position, of any level, and especially for those that are classified as C-Level. Equally daily, during interviews with candidates, we recognise those soft skills that increasingly make the difference between one profile and another.
But have we ever considered what values can be of value to a candidate? Have we ever wondered what remuneration a candidate would be willing to revise for the right job?
In light of the ‘Conscious Quitting' phenomenon that characterised 2023, the HR world will have to reflect on this question and start taking into account the importance that a personal set of values can have for a candidate. In fact, some studies brought to the fore by major national and international media, show that with reference to ‘Conscious Quitting', the choice, the decision to leave or change jobs due to ethical conflicts, is growing significantly.
The analysis of the problem conducted by Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, and by the EIB - European Investment Bank - highlights that in an historical moment characterised by wars and massive natural disasters that threaten our stability and our future, the Z Generation are very concerned about the world they will inherit and are willing to devote their time and talent to companies that are committed to providing them with a better future. Consequently, they are willing to quit when their companies let them down'. And it is not only young people who are fuelling this trend, but also Millennials and a minority of Enlightened Boomers.
The ideal candidate, in a future that is already here, will not only be the one who demonstrates that he or she has the expertise and soft-skills needed to fill a certain role or do a certain type of work, but it will become increasingly important to understand whether their values are shared by the ethos of the firm in which they will work and vice versa.
We are delighted to announce that V.E.R.A. Consulting will become part of Friisberg & Partners in Milan, offering Executive Search, Assessment, Executive Coaching and Organisational Development Consultancy.
As part of our dynamic and forward-thinking approach, we are thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in the vibrant city of Milan, Italy. This strategic move is a testament to our commitment to global expansion, fostering innovation, and cultivating strong relationships with clients and partners worldwide.
This reaffirms our successful global strategy to develop solid partnerships based on shared values and mutual esteem, integrating diversified skills and experience to offer our clients bespoke, forward-looking and extremely effective solutions.
From our central offices located in Sant'Ambogio, Aureliana De Sanctis and Giovanni Mantica will be the Partners dedicated to Executive Search. Thanks to their extensive experience within specific sectors, we know that they will strengthen and expand the presence of Friisberg & Partners throughout national and cross-border territories.
Milan, often regarded as the financial and fashion capital of Italy, serves as an ideal location for our new office. The city boasts a rich cultural heritage, a thriving business environment, and a strategic geographical position within Europe. Renowned for its historical landmarks, world-class cuisine, and influential fashion and design industries, Milan provides a unique backdrop that aligns perfectly with our values of excellence and creativity.
Our strengthened team in Milan brings several benefits to our valued clients and partners:
Enhanced Service Delivery: Proximity to European markets allows us to provide faster and more responsive services, addressing the unique needs of clients in the region.
Cultural Understanding: A local presence ensures a deeper understanding of our clients' cultures and business landscapes, enabling us to tailor solutions that resonate with their specific requirements.
Innovative Collaboration: By engaging with Milan's innovation ecosystem, we open up opportunities for collaborative projects that drive mutual growth and foster innovation.
Our strategically important office in Milan reflects our commitment to providing exceptional services, fostering innovation, and building lasting relationships on a global scale. We look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, confident in our ability to thrive in Milan's dynamic business landscape.
We are ready to work together as one close-knit Team!
Many talk about it, some countries have tested it, some governments have encouraged it and more and more companies are starting to experiment with it around the world.
We are talking about the 'short' work week, reduced to 4 working days, from Monday to Thursday, with a long weekend of 3 days - and of course, without a reduction in pay.
In the post-pandemic era, several economists and sociologists highlight how important it is for companies to consider not just offering interesting salaries and benefits but, and above all guaranteeing a work-life balance that allows a clear improvement in quality of life.
Among the voices that support the validity of the 4-day work week, is that of Juliet Schor, Economist and Sociologist at Boston College, committed to studying the experiments in progress of the short week around the world. Her research focuses on the intersection of work, society, consumption and climate change. From tests conducted in Great Britain, the United States, Ireland and New Zealand, in the public and private sectors, the results are very clear and all in favour of the short week: workers are less stressed, have a better social life, appreciate more their work and, while it might seem absurd, they are absolutely more productive. In fact, while spending less time at work, people are not working less, because in exchange for a free day to devote to family, hobbies or personal needs, they make better use of their working time by increasing their productivity, without penalizing the quality of results.
Companies that embrace the short week must be convinced that spending less time at work helps workers to find the physical and mental energy needed to be more lucid and focused.. In addition, they can support their employees with a reorganization of work, for example by eliminating or limiting, as much as possible, the less productive and non-essential activities.
Juliet Schor's research then highlights the impact that the reduction of the working week has on the climate crisis. With the four-day week, commuting is obviously reduced, creating a dynamic of long-term decarbonisation. Because when people are stressed by time, they aim to choose faster and more polluting modes of travel and daily activities, while when they have more time they tend to have a lower carbon footprint.
But the biggest reason has to do with the size of the economy. By choosing to work less, countries are choosing not to expand production to the maximum, thus avoiding additional emissions. As evidenced by the carbon-related success stories of Germany and Denmark which have low annual hours. France and the Netherlands also have low carbon emissions and working times.
And in Italy? Taking into account that our country is the second in Europe for the amount of hours worked per week (on average 7 more than those of Germany), the pandemic has led to greater work flexibility - an important development of smart-working and also to the phenomenon of the great resignations.
So in Italy some companies have also started experimenting with the short week. The first were medium-sized companies operating mostly in the digital, marketing and communication sector, but it is news these days that the largest Italian banking group, Intesa San Paolo, is proposing to its employees they reduce the week to four working days, spreading the 36 hours over 4 days, with unchanged salaries.
Negotiations with the trade unions are underway, but it is certain that the work of the 21st century goes in this direction and, as Juliet Schor also points out in her TED speech, it is necessary that governments understand the importance of reducing the working week and take charge of encouraging it, as happens in Spain and Belgium, to go beyond the enlightened companies that already see the virtues of this new work organization.
The hope is that 2022 will end the nightmare of Covid and enable us all to re-start our social relationships that have been paused over the past two years.
We have all learned so much and we strive to move forward with a positive attitude.
There is no doubt that a lack of face to face contact has had an impact on our attitudes to work.
Major European leaders, with caution, are united that 2022 will prove to be the year of the end of pandemic for 4 reasons:
No one wants to halt the global economy again, so companies like Friisberg are working hard with business leaders around the world to re-configure their structure, create digital platforms, manage their HR structures and solve problems quickly and effectively - especially at the moment those linked to the re-opening of local economies and work places.
Since September 2021 we feel very positive that the global marketplace has 'woken up'.
We will continue to contribute, helping to build strong bridges within teams, building on new expectations and business needs around the world.
Aureliana De Sanctis
Associate Partner, Milan
There are Christmas traditions in Italy that are widespread practically everywhere in the country, such as the Christmas tree and the nativity scene. To be fair, however, the Christmas tree is much more common in the north of Italy, while the nativity scene in more common in the centre and south.
In some areas of northern Italy, it is not Santa Claus who brings the gifts, but Saint Lucia. This tradition persists, for example, in the provinces of Cremona but also Brescia, Bergamo and Verona. In particular, the tradition of Santa Lucia is very much felt in Lombardy and Veneto: in Verona it is said that during the holidays of 1200 in the city an epidemic spread that affected the sight of children and that, to avert it, the mothers decided to make their little ones go on a pilgrimage asking for the grace of Saint Lucia, protector of the blind. To persuade the children, they promised that the Saint would have them find gifts on their return. From that moment, on the night between 12 and 13 December, Veronese children, like the Lombards, are waiting for Saint Lucia to carry the gifts on the back of her donkey.
A typical custom of Trentino Alto Adige is that of the Advent Wreath. Each family makes a wreath with fir branches and intertwined red silk ribbons, inserting 4 candles on this wreath. Every Sunday before Christmas day, families gather to light one, waiting together for December 25th.
In the centre of Italy there is another widespread custom, that of bagpipers - that is, musicians who roam the streets of the villages playing typically Christmas songs with their bagpipes. Sometimes they even knock on doors, cheering with their music in exchange for an offering.
When it comes to Christmas traditions regarding food, while in some regions there is a tendency to celebrate in style during the Christmas lunch, in others the most noteworthy event is that of the Christmas Eve dinner on December 24th. Just think, for example, of the Christmas traditions in Sicily: in some mountain villages, on the night of the 24th, bonfires are lit to warm the Child Jesus. Furthermore, many families, after the usual dinner, tell tales and legends to each other, to entertain the children waiting for Santa Claus.
Of course, these are just some of the Christmas traditions scattered around Italy. While not covering all regions, however, they represent an excellent starting point for a symbolic journey which, we hope, can help to put our international Friisberg family into a merry Christmas mood.
Guglielmo Sallustio, from our office in Milan, is hosting our 115th Partner Conference this week. Accepting that for many travel is still not entirely safe, nor easy, we are running a Hybrid Conference with in-person and virtual delegates taking part.
We are all genuinely looking forward to seeing each other once again, to welcoming our new Partners and Consultants – we have had numerous arrivals to Friisberg in the recent months - and to discussing our 2025 growth strategy.
Ours is a Management Consulting firm that specialises in Executive Search, particularly for businesses operating in multinational markets.
Our six-monthly Conferences ensure that our Partners are always learning from each other to constantly improve the service, and the results, we deliver to our clients.
After two years of absence in light of the pandemic, September 2021 represents a new beginning for the city:
Milan is going through a slow and gradual reopening - it is seeking a new way of restarting.
Milan Design Week was one of the most anticipated design events to take place in Italy, and it has finally opened its doors to visitors. From the 5th- 10th of September, more than 350,000 architects, designers, artists, and craftspeople from all around the world had the chance to explore new design innovations and exchange ideas about interior design, furniture, and lighting. During the week-long event, Salone del Mobile, the renowned furniture and interior design event of the year, hosted local and international exhibitors at the Fiera Milano, Rho, along with interventions by world-renowned architects across the city.
New this year was the Supersalone, the special event of the Salone del Mobile, curated by the architect Stefano Boeri, that marks the restart in our
post-pandemic city. There were 425 brands in the four pavilions and 1,900 projects on display with spaces dedicated to companies and small consumers. The emphasis was on the smart component and the rediscovery of the home as an environment in which to live. There were 30,000 tickets only on the first day (the expectations were 50,000 for all six days), of which half were foreign visitors. And as we walk through the pavilions, the amount of visitors is undeniable.
"Milan is moving and, with Milan, Italy is moving again," said the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala. "It is an event that brings to the world the positive image of our city and the country. I welcome and endorse the invitation of President Mattarela, who I thank for his presence, to assume our responsibilities. Milan takes responsibility and wants to lead the restart.".
Guglielmo Sallustio
Partner, Milan
Guglielmo said, “We are excited to enter our next phase as Friisberg, Italy. We will, of course, continue to offer the same client-centric approach and meet the growing needs of our clients as we deliver strategic talent solutions at senior and executive level across a wide variety of sectors and geographies. After successfully building our service offering and reputation, we’re proud to align fully with Friisberg, which embodies our modern vision and direction. We’re excited to see what the future holds for us as we build on our established position as thought leaders on leadership in Italy. The benefits to our clients and candidates are immense. Our expanded team of consultants offer greater industry experiences, additional sector specialists and an even more extensive network across Europe, and beyond.”
Friisberg & Partners International operates in highly competitive and fast-moving global markets. Our core values are discretion, commitment and integrity and it’s crucial to our clients that these values are inherent and evident in every aspect of our business; having a strong brand that conveys these values is an important part of ensuring this. As a unified firm, we provide an unparalleled end to end talent solution, without borders, for our clients.
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg & Partners International, welcomed the rebrand, “Friisberg remains focused on its strategy to expand and innovate to connect clients to talent, internationally. We have made it our purpose to grow with our clients, as individuals and as a team, and this news from Italy confirms our growing significance in European Executive Search.”
The expansion of Friisberg & Partners International is going from strength to strength. It is a philosophy of ‘collective intelligence’ that truly sets us apart as a consultancy-led search firm and enables us to provide unparalleled service to our clients. That we work for a client, together, across multiple Friisberg offices, is one of the many reasons why our clients choose us.
For some time now, environmental sustainability has been one of the most important issues globally involving governments, businesses and consumers.
Consumers have never been so aware of the environment as they are today, and in turn this affects the organisational and business processes of companies. Consequently the importance of communicating sustainability is growing dramatically - and on a global scale.
This is why Green Marketing is a new approach for business that aims to develop, promote and enhance products and services which generate a reduced environmental impact compared to the alternatives offered in the market.
The search for environmental sustainability leads to the creation of new products and new lifestyles, making better alternatives accessible, not only for the planet but also for humanity.
What does this mean?
To reduce the environmental impact of the work process, one must invest in sustainable projects, embrace as a team a philosophy aligned to this and commit to communicate it.
Does my business have an environmental impact?
To make sustainability a core value of your brand you must start with critical self analysis.
Post-analysis, and with attainable goals identified, it is essential to involve all employees. Consistency is the first ingredient of green marketing. Therefore all individual participants must be trained and must participate in all activities with awareness. Very often, in order to achieve goals, it is necessary for the employees themselves to change some of their habits.
The obvious assumption of Green Marketing is that potential consumers will see a "green" product or service as an advantage and base their purchase decision accordingly. It is a positive choice as it combines trade, technology, social effects and ecology. It is an activity that is both commercial and environmental, because it deals with selling sustainable goods and services in an equally sustainable way.
Companies that develop new and improved products, and services with environmental inputs in mind give themselves access to new markets, increase the sustainability of their profits and enjoy a competitive advantage over companies that do not care about the environment.
To implement a Green Marketing strategy you must focus on 4 components:
as well as sustainable partnerships with entities or other companies.
It is often necessary to develop new products in the search for innovative materials, and be able to match high performances with a reduced environmental impact.
Furthermore, sustainable product innovation must not only concern the environmental impact of the production and transport of goods, but also the way in which it is used by consumers, for the reduced impact to be maintained throughout the life cycle of the product.
In the absence of a strategic foundation Green Marketing makes no sense and can also be harmful - it cannot be done just because it’s fashionable or because it could bring more contacts to the company. In fact environmental communication which is not based on real elements involves great risks, such as the loss of credibility, the waste of resources or, worse, the accusation of greenwashing.
Green Marketing is certainly not the solution to the problem of climate catastrophe, but it is a way to make people participate in the issue, as it offers ecology creative and effective tools to spread the message.
Marketing is just the tip of the iceberg, the rest of the company must work to make the supply of resources, production and distribution sustainable.
It is only a small part of the solution, but it is certainly the most visible and therefore has a fundamental role because it can influence consumers and change their consumption styles.
Guglielmo Sallustio
Partner, Milan
The Italian Experience...
Digital transformation is now a strategic priority for companies in all sectors and the past year, due to the pandemic, has highlighted even more gaps in larger companies.
Digital technologies are present in our daily lives and are also forcing companies to change - it is no longer possible to procrastinate.
The increasingly widespread adoption of the Cloud, the introduction of the IoT (Internet of Thing), the need to give value to the enormous amount of data, are causing to all industries to undergo a radical change in processes, in their ways of working and in the corporate culture itself.
Research conducted by Accenture The European Double Up: A twin Strategy that will Strengthen Competitiveness of 4,051 executives of European companies was presented at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum last January. It underlined that for European companies to return to levels of profitability before the pandemic would take 18 months and only 32% of companies expect to realize an increase in profits in the next 12 months. These latter realities, defined as "the leading companies of tomorrow", will focus on the adoption of digital, together with the implementation of sustainability actions. The study shows that around half (45%) of European companies are prioritizing investments in both digital transformation and sustainability, with 40% of companies planning to make large investments in the field of artificial intelligence, 37 % in the cloud and 31% in sustainability.
In Italy, a survey made by the European Investment Bank, still highlights a low focus of Italian companies on innovation with just 17% having concentrated investments in innovation relating to the introduction of software and digital technologies. Proof of the benefits of digitization is the analysis of the productivity level which shows that digitized companies perform better and are more dynamic than non-digitized ones. The EIBIS survey shows the average productivity of digital companies in Italy is 12.3 %, more than 11.7% of non-digitized companies. Furthermore, in the last three years, companies that have undertaken innovations in the digital field have had a growth trend of the workforce higher than that of companies that have not implemented digital technologies. There is no doubt, in fact, that digital transformation requires a profound cultural change and the acquisition of new skills and profiles, which often come from the digital world.
The technologies that drive this transformation are many, such as:
Production and logistics managers as well as network managers will need to acquire more and more new skills in this area to be able to lead the change.
Guglielmo Sallustio
Partner, Italy
