Employees

In 2014, 232 new employees were hired, mainly accounting for the 9.1% increase in the workforce compared to 2013.

The fundamental elements underlying the Mediolanum Group's competitiveness include its commitment to developing employees with outstanding skills, the active engagement of personnel in processes relevant to them, and a particular focus on the internal communication system to promote a culture of dialogue and the free flow of information. The search for quality-oriented, flexible and highly motivated employees is carried out in complete compliance with the principles of respect and equality .

The Mediolanum Group recruits qualified personnel through a structured process that, following principles of fairness and impartiality, ensures the growth and renewal of skills within the company. Personnel selection is coordinated by the Recruitment and Selection Department, created in Spring 2014. The Department is responsible for finding and selecting new personnel, taking into account set budget limits, management requirements and the recruitment plan. The Recruitment and Selection Department has redeveloped and implemented selection processes for the Bank and for the Group's Italian subsidiaries.

Being competitive in the today's new environment requires the ability to engage with the market in new ways and to overcome all barriers, including within the organisation. In the Organisation Department, a study is under way that will lead to the implementation of the "Digital Workplace." This project is aimed at emphasising how information transparency is one of Mediolanum's values, as well as at increasing information sharing between different corporate levels and individuals by redefining the means of support for internal information flows.

The objectives of the Digital Workplace include: increasing the engagement and contribution of employees; improving the corporate climate and compliance, increasing responsiveness to the requirements of end customers and of the sales network; and being at the forefront in the use of technology to fully embrace smart working practices.

• Size and composition
• Employee benefits
• Mediolanum Corporate University - Employee Training
• Workplace safety

Mediolanum Corporate University - Employee Training

The total number of course-credit hours increased by 34% compared to 2013. Training hours increased, both on-site (+73%) and off-site (+24%). The number of courses held, or that can be held, by the unit increased significantly (+50%). This confirms the great efforts made by the Group in terms of planning, coordination and provision, as well as an extensive and flexible training capacity.

Individual employee attendance data showed a consistent increase in course attendance (+33%), while the decrease in online training hours is linked to the aforementioned exceptional mandatory training activities on regulations in 2013.

In terms of individual initiatives, the following are worthy of note:

• The second Executive Masters in Business & Banking Administration ended this year. The course was held in partnership with SDA Bocconi, and 19 Group employees “graduated” this year, including senior and middle managers.
• The first Certificate in Banking and Finance was launched in 2014, targeted at middle managers and non-management employees. Although this course is shorter, the teachers and methodology are comparable to the Masters level.

These initiatives were designed to teach a fundamental understanding of business and business management, in order to build a common and widespread approach on economic issues.
For both projects, a number of course places were offered as prizes in a competition, through an internal selection process open to all employees meeting the minimum requirements.

A new and original training and development programme was launched in 2014. It aims to identify and develop professional and managerial skills and talent, by promoting the importance of cooperation, teamwork and cross-functional integration. The initiative, launched in February 2014, was established in partnership with the MIP-Politecnico di Milano. It recalls the Olympics both in name and in its intention to celebrate the values of fair competition, sacrifice and the search for excellence.
Brain Marathon will continue in 2015, involving 39 non-management and middle management Group employees, who will analyse real business problems. They will then find solutions through the application of project management methods and tools.

The intensive training targeted at management continued in 2014, identifying and applying the Company’s Project Management methodologies, tools and guidelines, through workshops devoted to illustrating the guidelines and experimenting with their implementation in Company projects.

It should be emphasised that, through the specialised training on these issues, numerous colleagues from the organisation and IT areas will obtain the international Project Management Professional Certification.

The Mediolanum Team Management programme was launched in 2014, targeted at all personnel responsible for team coordination. This course focuses on developing resource management skills and on defining and sharing Mediolanum guidelines for effectively managing functional and cross-functional teams.

Again in the area of coordination and resource management, a programme was completed aimed at informing and training managers on the main features and innovations introduced in the management and assessment of staff performance, started in 2013.

The significant number of apprentices hired this year required special concentration on in-depth training programmes for new hires, to enable them to rapidly achieve a high level of professionalism, in line with the high standards of service offered by the Bank's Sales Network assistance and customer assistance.

Alongside the skills mapping model to determine the skill level of individual employees, the Bank made great efforts to plan and organise high-level specialised courses for specific types of professionals. These multi-year training programs are designed to bridge the knowledge gap by providing new, up-to-date information and by strengthening existing corporate skills and expertise.

The Company is continuing its efforts regarding refresher courses and training on financial and banking issues for operational and specialist areas. Specifically, the “Banking Techniques” training programme was further developed and extended, and a basic training programme for the lending area was designed and implemented.