For some years now, companies – driven by the example of large multinationals – have begun to invest a great deal in corporate welfare. This has helped to create a series of virtuous internal policies in which the employee’s satisfaction is closely linked to the productivity and success of the company.
Investments in corporate welfare have led to the emergence of a new figure, that of the welfare manager.
Who is the welfare manager?
The welfare manager is a privileged meeting point between the interests of workers and the company; its task is to devise strategies aimed at improving the quality of life of the people who work within that company: both during working hours and outside.
The welfare manager is not a trade unionist
The figure of the welfare manager is not to be confused with that of the trade unionist. In fact, unlike the latter, whose task is to represent the rights of workers before the law, the welfare manager fits into a completely different context.
Responding to the dictates and policies of the reference company, the welfare manager acts in a “restricted” context; this allows him to carry out targeted and effective interventions , aimed at creating a more satisfying and virtuous working environment possible.
The tasks of the welfare manager
Within each individual company, the welfare manager will therefore have tasks, agreed with the CEOs, whose purpose will be precisely to provide services to the work.
We can summarize them like this …
- Coordinate the corporate welfare policy in agreement with human resources and CEOs;
- Dealing with surveys to really understand the needs of workers;
- Organize any initiatives and manage the funds;
- Manage relationships with any external partners (customers, suppliers).
How to become a welfare manager?
It is therefore clear that that of the welfare manager is a rather flexible figure but that, having to interface in certain business contexts – from the largest to the smallest, requires specific training.
To enter this type of profession it is desirable to have obtained a specialist degree in the humanities (as Communication), but also a technical-scientific type (such as Economics or Marketing).
If you have the opportunity to carry out a post-graduate training, perhaps with specific Masters, you certainly have an advantage. Although the real test is in the field, as in all professions, a solid and valid knowledge base gives aspiring welfare managers adequate tools to build their own professional figure in practice.
The welfare manager is in fact required to have skills that cannot be separated from study – such as notions related to marketing, corporate communication and managerial knowledge, but also the capacity for organization and expression.
It is therefore necessary that the welfare manager learn notions and skills to become a good leader.
The welfare manager is a leader
Within each work reality, different leaders meet, with various skills and responsibilities. The welfare manager is certainly one of them.
His task is in fact to think of a policy for the well-being of workers, something that in practice translates into the creation of services, facilitations aimed at making the life of the employees of that company satisfactory.
For this reason the welfare manager will be present in important stages of bargaining – such as the stipulation of contracts, going to occupy, for example, not only the interests of the dependent jobs but in some cases even those that carry out self-employment such as freelance.
As we have already mentioned his figure is very different from that of the trade unionist, with whom, however, he could often find himself interacting precisely with regard to trade union bargaining and labor rights.
Thanks to his training and his leadership skills, this professional figure should therefore be at the forefront of any corporate training, counseling and training programs.
Where the welfare manager works?
It is clear that the figure of the welfare manager is not only extremely flexible, but capable of making his abilities available based on the reality of reference. This does not mean that the professional cannot choose to specialize in a particular area – working in a bank rather than in a company, that provides services.
However, the strength of this profession lies precisely in its ability to continually invent and reinvent itself. A feature that makes the welfare manager particularly important in many excellent and high-level work contexts.
Here are some examples …
- Banks;
- Insurance;
- Multinationals and pharmaceutical companies;
- Companies related to communication and technology.
The welfare manager must update periodically
All professionals need to update themselves, but for this professional it is a categorical imperative. In fact, being a figure that needs to refer to a constantly changing and evolving framework of rules, but above all to a more and more rapid modification of communication and connection methods, a good professional must cut out some time to devote to his own training.
You can choose from workshops, seminars and conferences also based on your area of interest and reference. A good way to stay on track is to network with other colleagues by creating discussion groups, perhaps on social media about current hot topics.
Can the welfare manager be a freelancer?
So far, we have talked about this figure as a professional in turn framed within a company. Many would be welfare manager, but also those who already practice this profession, may wonder if it is possible to do the same job as freelancers.
Obviously, the answer is yes and as in any case, it is an important leap, in which it is necessary to consider risks and benefits. Surely, it is good to have a certain amount of experience and a “name” in the sector that certifies our abilities first.
The next step is to promote yourself and provide your services to customers who will contact you. The positive side of doing this freelance job is that it will put you in touch with many different realities, giving you the chance to learn a lot.
In this way you will also have the possibility, if you like the area of training, to put yourself at the service of companies to organize seminars, training courses or refresher courses. Nowadays these services are very much in demand and profitable.
