Full article excerpted from an interview with Pasquale de Lucia, CEO of Balance, for the Salesforce blog https://www.salesforce.com/it/blog/2022/04/intervista-ceo-balance.html

“A group of people who believe in the capabilities of each individual member and accompany them on a path of personal and professional growth”. Let’s get to know Balance, a Salesforce partner since 2011, active throughout Italy.

It is no coincidence that for a company such as Balance, a consulting firm that supports companies in their business transformation processes through the adoption of digital technologies, three words of fundamental importance for the current Italian professional system have been chosen. We are talking about a company that has been a Salesforce partner for over ten years and shares its values and intentions.

Values that, in a historical moment like the present, are fundamental for the country’s growth: the gap between demand and supply of certified professionals is increasingly evident. Where the former is growing at a fast pace, the latter is in short supply due to a lack of suitable figures, and this is where the path begins for Balance to provide an adequate and innovative business system in the transformation process.

Choosing to engage in training courses, bridging that gap that often characterises the world of work and the world of study, is a long-term investment that allows a company to have prepared and motivated professionals within its ranks, ready to enter the innovative process that is fundamental in the sphere of digital transformation.

Reskilling, training and inclusiveness, therefore. Fundamental stages of a single journey that focuses on the uniqueness of each person.

How training and reskilling help the business process

Conveying corporate values, providing adequate training and growing professionals ready to lead companies in digital transformation is the solution to the lack of adequate resources. An inclusive path, which allows one to enhance one’s professional figure regardless of belonging sector or any other characteristic. We are talking about a concept that is simple yet complex at the same time: one moves with the whole in mind, no group would exist without the uniqueness of each one.

Digital technologies are a moving reality, changing with changing needs and innovations. It is necessary for companies to keep pace with these changes in order to offer the most appropriate solution every time. Hence the need for certified resources who know how to accompany companies along this path: in the last year alone, Balance has certified more than 80 resources, and in the first three months of 2022, 18 new junior figures have begun their training. The company has also set up an important network of relationships with several Italian universities, with plans to approach high schools throughout Italy soon, in order to give a concrete chance to those who aspire to work in the digital technology sector already at school age.

In this step, inclusiveness becomes evident: an individual may come from a different physical or professional background, may have a different age or a different educational qualification. In all cases, in-company training will make him or her a prepared and competitive resource, because it is certifications that validate an individual’s preparation. A STEM degree is not necessary to enter Balance, nor is it necessary to have had similar work experience. The company itself provides structured training and development paths for Salesforce roles, supporting career progression in a wide range of disciplines.

Feeling motivated by reskilling and having the satisfaction of helping large companies in the digital transformation process makes the business process close on a positive note for both the company and internal resources. This is where the long-term investment lies, which will bear the obvious fruits of labour over time.

The importance of multi-presence in Italy

Italy, historically, is rich in training institutes. The oldest universities and the most renowned institutes of higher education in Europe are located in our country, and it is precisely from here that we must start to find the right resources that will be the new talents, thanks to a training path aimed at specificity and increasing skills.

Despite the wealth of training places, there are territorial realities where it is statistically more difficult to emerge professionally. With this in mind and with the will to make the internal training path inclusive, Balance has signed agreements with universities in many cities, including Milan, Florence and Cagliari, supporting the professional growth of the young people attending them.

Currently, Balance’s Digital Academy is a consolidated reality in the cities of Milan, Florence, Rome, Palermo and Cagliari, and it is here that it came to life in 2017. With 12 training courses, active collaborations with various universities and 8 specialisation courses for developers and analysts, the company hires more than 20 new resources per year from different Italian regions, investing in the future needed for digital transformation.

What future lies ahead with the implementation of these initiatives?

If being present in Italy is important, so is being active and present in foreign countries.

Investing in training and internal growth has led Balance to a rapid rise as a top leader among Salesforce partners. Today, the foreign offices are located in London and Tirana, with a forthcoming opening in Paris and Lugano. These are cities that stand as the headquarters of the international digital transformation and from which to absorb all the innovation in transit to our country.

In the last year alone, Balance’s figures show positive growth of 30%, testimony to the fact that the company’s business model has been functional even in a difficult period such as the one experienced in the last two years. The pandemic, which has closely affected many companies, has been experienced and treated as a further opportunity to include deserving people who are far away from headquarters in the training process.

Smart working, already present within Balance, has found confirmation in the last two years, along with the non-stop training that the company has carried out thanks to digital technologies in support of distance learning. In 2021 alone, more than 16,000 hours of training were provided by the company.

We can, therefore, add one more word to the three previously used: reskilling, training, inclusiveness and opportunity.

As Pasquale de Lucia, CEO of Balance, writes, “This is about changing the future of work as technology advances“. And if the company is also progressing, here are in black and white the reasons for its uniqueness, which will also accompany it in the future.