The word “index” sounds cold, but it has an important meaning: it represents the measured result of activity under observation.
At present we are included on a dozen of the main sustainability indexes. These are stock market indexes made up of the shares of companies selected on the basis of economic and financial parameters and social and environmental criteria. The selection is made by specialised rating agencies that assess companies on the basis of public information or questionnaires, also taking into consideration the opinions of the media and stakeholders.
Being admitted to these indexes is an important result, a litmus test of the effort actually made, which has a positive impact on the company’s reputation, employer branding, its attractiveness to young talents, and investors, who show increasing interest in sustainable companies which are considered less risky and more promising in the medium to long-term.
The Diversity and Inclusion Index was launched in 2016. In 2017, TIM was one of the top 100 companies; the following year, 2018, we optimised all the initiatives developed and moved into the Top 10, a position we have maintained for 3 consecutive years up until today when, in the 2020 edition, we are ranked 8th overall.
Two contextual facts seem more important to us than the ranking: we are the only Telco in the Top 25 out of 7000 companies worldwide, and we are the top Italian company in the index, above Enel, Hera and Ferragamo.
Our approach is known for its innovative vision, which can even be considered pioneering in some respects, also linked to the work of a great Diversity Manager who died recently, Fabio Galluccio.
The vision is based on two pillars. “Never leave anyone behind,” an idea ahead of its time that has seen the launch of initiatives such as telephone counselling for colleagues who need to talk about issues large or small, and an innovative policy to provide equipment for colleagues with disabilities which, in the case of deaf workers, has effectively eliminated the communication gap with the rest of the team. “The direct participation of people in company activities”: an example being our “Inclusion Week” based on a programme of over 200 events, put together and proposed by people, and intersectional logic, creating arenas in which various diversities come face to face and collaborate, such as the TIM4INCLUSION community, where over 400 people collaborate with the D&I manager to plan solutions to reduce all kinds of barriers and gaps.
Our diversity & inclusion programme aims to create the conditions for everyone to express their potential to the full, even through partnerships. For instance, we partner with Valore D, a business association promoting leadership for women with over 190 companies involved, and PARKS Liberi e Uguali, a business association promoting LGBT people in the world of work. We also have specific policies for disability management, to support maternity/paternity and to ensure all types of families, traditional and otherwise, have access to benefits and services.
Our commitment on the broader sustainability front is anchored to the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan: indicators such as the involvement of employees become part of the company management and management performance analysis system.
