Inclusive Hiring Academy
We supported a leading multinational company in designing a training program aimed at the entire company workforce to promote more inclusive processes at a systemic level.
Challenge
How can we spark a cultural transformation that values diversity as a positive and empowering element?
Strategy
Inclusivity is not just an ethical value but a winning business strategy: it fosters creativity and strengthens the sense of belonging among team members.
Through a training program aimed at individuals at various levels and responsibilities, the Inclusive Hiring Academy seeks to create an interdisciplinary and transformative learning experience. It is designed to foster an inclusive work environment and provide the tools needed to address the challenges and opportunities related to integrating people with disabilities and vulnerabilities.
Process
In the project’s first phase, we were involved in designing and curating the training program. Together with key figures from the company, we explored the collective perception of various topics related to the world of DE&I and initiated a dialogue based on personal sotries and experiences. This participatory process led to the development of the Inclusive Hiring Academy schedule: five training modules tailored for company personnel, facilitated by us and enriched with guest speakers of exceptional expertise.
Inclusive Hiring Academy
1. Rethinking disability: The evolution of word and legislation
Exploring how the concept of disability has evolved over time, we traced the development of Italian corporate legal obligations in DE&I and the regulations safeguarding the rights of people with disabilities.
2. Inclusive hiring and onboarding processes
This module focused on the importance of recognizing and overcoming cognitive biases within corporate dynamics, creating fairer and more inclusive selection and onboarding processes.Thanks to CambiScena, a theater improvisation company and school, participants engaged with tools and methods rooted in theater to approach inclusivity in the workplace from diverse perspectives. A roleplay exercise enabled participants to explore job interviews in unconventional ways.
With: Paralympic water skier and sports executive Daniele Cassioli; founder of the “A Ruota Libera” association Luca Trapanese; CambiScena improvisation school; Daniele Regolo, Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador for Openjobmetis and founder of Jobmetoo.
3. Words Matter: narratives, stereotypes and language
With insights from writer Fabrizio Acanfora, renowned for his advocacy work on the autism spectrum, and essayist Raffaele Alberto Ventura, we delved into the power of language. The module examined the meanings of normality and diversity, common stereotypes, and how certain narratives shape perceptions of individuals with disabilities.
With: Fabrizio Acanfora and Raffaele Alberto Ventura.
4. Design for All: the role of Accessible Technology
This module explored innovative practices and tools to ensure accessibility, including reasonable accommodations and assistive technologies.Designing accessible and barrier-free work environments is essential to recognizing and addressing exclusion, fostering more inclusive experiences and embracing diversity.
5. Inclusive Leadership to drive change
In the concluding module of the Inclusive Hiring Academy, we discussed how working on one’s mental models and recognizing unconscious biases can positively influence decision-making processes.
Con Emanuel Ingrao, Founder & CEO di Shifton
Handbook
At the end of the project, the Revealing team, Shifton’s unit specialising in communication strategies, created a unique document accessible to the entire workforce. This handbook consolidates the content of the Inclusive Hiring Academy, serving as a central resource and a strategic touchpoint in the company’s cultural transformation journey.
Designed to disseminate a shared vision and guide new employees, the handbook promotes continuous learning, reinforcing a sense of belonging and alignment with inclusive values and practices. Its accessibility-oriented design makes it an indispensable tool for fostering a conscious and innovative corporate culture, as well as a continuously evolving resource.
Training emerges as one of the most effective tools for activating large-scale cultural transformation processes within major organizations. Through targeted training modules, practical tools, and the contributions of DE&I experts, the Inclusive Hiring Academy helped raise awareness and educate the company workforce, enabling systemic inclusivity and highlighting diversity as a strategic element.
Thanks to the synergy between our Training and Revealing units, the Inclusive Hiring Academy and the handbook are conceived as part of a single ecosystem, offering a continuous learning experience that enhances the company’s collective intelligence and promotes lasting and shared change.
Credits
Client
Confidential