Gestire le risorse umane nel tessile in Italia: fra tradizione e necessità di innovazione

The study focuses on human resource management (HR) in the case of Italian textile industry. The textile industry has a major role in the Italian economy; however, it must deal with major shifts at international and national levels. Recruitment and retention of personnel is becoming a critical issue, given the “skill mismatch” affecting the industry. The research investigates how a sample of 39 Italian companies organize their HR function and manage their staff, with a focus on recruitment, retention and training. The studied companies are mostly SMEs, many of them family companies, which well represent this industry. In 54% of the cases there is an HR manager, in the other cases the HR function is in the hands of the owners. HR practices are characterized by a conservative approach and seem to lack a long-term perspective, with important processes such as retention and employer branding playing a limited role.