It is called Warming up not unlike what Formula 1 cars do before starting the race and it is the two-year programme created to welcome and accompany the people newly hired by Pirelli. The goal is to introduce newcomers to the Pirelli world and make them aware of their professional skills and talents.
The programme kicks off when the permanent employment contract starts for people joining from internships, recent graduates or anyone younger than 28 who has less than two years of working experience in other companies. The scheme pivots on four pillars, four collective parts developed through virtual lessons, classroom sessions and directly on the job to gain practical experience.
The first stage is called P Lunga, “stretched P”, in honour of the Pirelli brand and the subject is the company itself. This stage of the programme welcomes all new employees, not only the young ones, presenting the company's history, its roots and today's representation of culture and strategy to the people who step in through the Bicocca doors. It is five days of full immersion and the beginning of the affiliation.
The second appointment, called Inside Pirelli, is the heart of the Warming Up process and is when the new employees learn more about the company's processes, activities and objectives. It starts by illustrating the company's strategy and explaining how it is deployed in each function. “The most significant functions in the value chain were selected, such as Research & Development, Quality, Manufacturing or Sales. A person representing each one tells about the business model and its application through an interview”, explains Gabriella Giglio, training manager of Pirelli. There are roughly two appointments a month for six months. It is seldom a frontal lesson and more often than not dynamic formats are used in which a learning expert facilitates conversations between the participants and the key contact people. Not infrequently, edutainment or gamification tools are used with online solutions that facilitate the understanding of complex issues while having fun. The more traditional lessons are alternated with practical field experiences whenever possible, like test drives on the track at Vizzola, visits to the production plant or working alongside a salesperson for a day's work in the field. After having got to know the company and its objectives, it is time for the stage called the Pirelli Way. This is when the participants learn the tools of the trade and refine the skills deemed fundamental for working at Pirelli. There is a major focus on economics and creative problem solving during this stage, because - at any point of one's professional life - it is essential to be able to read and interpret economic KPIs and be able to deal with unexpected critical issues effectively. A fundamental part of this stage of the process is to understand how one's decisions impact the work of other people and business processes and, if well managed, can help create value for the company.
The last stage is called Tomorrow in Pirelli. It is a moment of speculation in which participants are asked to examine themselves, exploring and becoming aware of their strengths and work areas. This is a fundamental step to foster self-awareness and, above all, discover how they are perceived in the professional context learning how they can grow if they want to. A diagnostic tool is made available to help the new recruits position themselves in chosen areas of observation, such as sociability or decision-making skills. The result is a snapshot that can be used to create a personal improvement plan on which to work independently, with the help of dedicated resources, like a manager, through exchanges with co-workers, by taking part in a course, following an online course devoted to the matter and so forth.
Warming Up offers a wide array of opportunities and tools. Each participant can take advantage of the opportunities to grow and design their own future in the company.
