Some say that to get a good cup of coffee in Italy, you need to be friends with the barman. It is also said that to get hired in this country you have to be friends with the boss. Well, maybe you don’t have to be friends exactly, as in chums who barbecue fat Florentine steaks at his house in Chianti on weekends, but you do need to be friendly with him in some way. A friend of a friend of a friend or the son or nephew of a friend of a friend will suffice.
“If you get hired in Italy, it’s almost impossible to be fired,” explains Marco, my newly graduated architect friend. He has been working for free in a studio for six months and considers the position a favour from his uncle. “In this country, hiring someone is like playing the stock market. It’s a risk and a gamble. You let someone onto your payroll, and they will be there for life. So it’s best to choose someone raccomandato.”
To be “raccomandato” or “recommended” means more than one might assume at first glance. We are not talking about a simple letter of recommendation signed by a previous employer that vouches for your professional expertise. In Italy, to be “recommended” means that the job is virtually yours, as in favour rendered, favour due.
There are, of course exceptions, Marco admits. In some cases, resumés will be looked at, tests taken, and interviews held. Sometimes the best candidate wins. But it doesn’t hurt if the best candidate also knows someone. Certainly, favouritism can happen just about anywhere. In Italy, though, it’s not just that it can happen, it is the way the game is actually played.
“Fundamentally,” Marco tells me, “Italy is a tribal society. It feeds on two main resources: blood and favours. They are the oil that keeps the economy’s wheels turning.”
Marco’s comment may sound strange but it’s not hard to see. Italian big business, across the board, in sectors as diverse as food, fashion, and engineering, has traditionally been family-run. Ferrari, Ferragamo, Fiat, and Versace are just a few examples of how business in Italy builds bridges with blood ties. Sons and daughters, and at worst, nieces and nephews, often fill high administrative and executive positions in the companies created by their literal founding fathers. According to tribal logic, it’s about keeping the money and the creativity in the family safely flowing.
On a smaller scale, it’s also worthwhile to mention that Italy’s network of local family-run businesses still occupies a considerable portion of the market, particularly for products of high craftsmanship. Small businesses are often notorious in their efforts to avoid the risk of investing in a well-qualified “stranger.” In most cases, small companies will unanimously choose an almost-qualified familiar face as a better bet to place their money on.
Favours are the other juice that keeps the Italian economy healthy, or at least well-oiled. In this country, it’s a widespread conviction that any state-run establishment, any system, any government will only bleed us for taxes and complicate our plans. In this “us against them” set-up, and it’s the individual’s job to form enough solid favour-exchanging relationships to make the list of “us” stronger and longer than the list of “them.” The family is the central point, but the circle is meant to expand, like a drop of ink on Japanese silk paper.
So hurry, get into someone’s circle and make it a pleasure to owe you a favour. It will come back to you in no time at all. And we’ll assume that you have time. Regional statistics say that you will be going nowhere. If you are in Italy now, just wait and see. This city will get into your blood and to leave it will be like leaving your dearly beloved to step into another man’s life.
