Preamble :
Certification to UNI/PdR 125:2022 helps organizations to promote equality between women and men by structuring their own inclusion management system which includes specific performance indicators (KPIS) linked to gender equality policies within organizations.
In recent years, particular attention has been paid to companies' capacity for inclusion, and it has been discovered that the most successful companies are those that manage to create and maintain an internal working model with a strong focus on inclusion.
This not only brings benefits in terms of image and reputation, but also increases cultural stimuli and corporate culture in general, developing greater economic value and attractiveness to investors and new talent.
Sopra Steria Italia and the project team
Sopra Steria, recognized as a European technology leader in consulting, digital services and software development, supports its customers on their digital transformation journey with tangible, lasting benefits. With 55,000 employees in 30 countries, Sopra Steria puts people at the heart of everything it does and is committed to making the most of digital technology to build a positive future for its customers.
Sopra Steria operates on the Italian market through its offices in Assago (MI), Rome, Collecchio (PR), Padua, Ariano Irpino (AV) and Pozzuoli. Sopra Steria Italia's management system is currently certified to ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 37001 by AFNOR Italia.
Afnor Italy would like to thank the Sopra Steria Italia team for agreeing to take part in the writing of this article, and in particular Alessia Ventrella, Human Resources Manager, and Carlo Mangiagalli, Operations and Quality Assurance Manager.
Q: Why did you decide to undertake the certification process?
R : Gender equality and inclusion are principles in which we firmly believe, both at group level and in Italy.
That's why, at Sopra Steria, we have long been committed to promoting equality between men and women, both through internal equity policies (for example, by including actions such as pay and career equity in our corporate DNA) and through our membership of the Fondazione Libellula, the first network of companies united against discrimination and violence against women.
As soon as we learned of the existence of UNI/PdR 125:2022, we seized the opportunity to use it as a guideline to identify actions to follow and improve our already gender-sensitive processes.
We have identified this practice as an opportunity to do more, to improve both our current procedures and the attention paid by our employees to this issue in which we firmly believe.
Q: What were the main benefits of certification?
R : Certainly, staff retention has been positively affected. We believe that the ability to attract and retain people with similar values to our own and to promote a respectful and inclusive working environment is fundamental.
As we have mentioned, Sopra Steria has for many years demonstrated its commitment to promoting equality between men and women. During the audit, all existing processes such as, for example, recruitment, selection and parenting processes were analyzed and positively evaluated, improved and updated in line with the guidelines.
In addition, the importance of the measurement index introduced by UNI/PdR 125:2022 is an added value of the entire certification process. The availability of precise, objective indicators has proved invaluable for the analysis and subsequent improvement of the company's processes.
Obtaining a rating and a strategic improvement plan is certainly one of the rewarding aspects of this complex and dynamic journey, which involves different aspects of the organization, which must be willing to constantly monitor and update its policies in order to meet the challenges that arise and promote the company's objectives.
Having achieved a rating and a strategic improvement plan is certainly part of the positive aspects of this complex, dynamic and multi-faceted journey for the organization, which must be willing to constantly monitor and update its policies to meet ever-changing challenges and promote a fair and inclusive working environment.
Q: What do you see as the greatest challenges?
R : We've met every challenge along the way, always with a view to continuously improving our processes and policies.
The decision to make training mandatory was certainly a very interesting challenge. Training and awareness-raising on gender equality issues can indeed help change mentalities and behaviours within the organization.
In particular, training, developed through a series of courses on gender equality, has been made mandatory to ensure that everyone involved in the recruitment and staff development processes has the right tools and information to be able to act in the best possible way and avoid mismatches between procedures and actions.
Q: Why did you choose AFNOR Group?
R : Our choice was conditioned by an existing relationship between the two companies. In fact, Sopra Steria Italia has a management system certified to ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 37001 standards with AFNOR Italy.
Q: Do you think the AFNOR Group has personally contributed to the success of the initiative?
R : We believe that AFNOR Italy' s knowledge of our terminology and processes made it easier to identify points of attention, where it is necessary to ensure that there are no discrepancies between theoretical procedures and their implementation in practice.
Working with someone who was already familiar with Sopra Steria's processes helped to highlight more concrete points for development and improvement.
