Flat hierarchy meets Italian workplace culture: feedback and decisions

Nordic management has a reputation, and mostly a deserved one: flat structures, consensus, low status distance, a preference for understatement, and trust that people will take initiative. Italian professionals who join a Nordic company often like it a lot. They also find parts of it confusing.

These are generalisations, and individuals vary. But a few patterns come up often enough to plan for.

Where the styles differ  

Hierarchy. Italian workplaces are traditionally more hierarchical. Titles matter more, and many employees expect the manager to decide. When a Nordic manager says “what do you think we should do?”, an Italian employee may hear uncertainty, or a test.

Decisions. Nordic teams often reach decisions through discussion until everyone is on board, sometimes without a clear moment of decision. Italian colleagues may leave the meeting unsure whether anything was decided.

Feedback. Nordic feedback is often direct and sparse. Italian feedback culture can be more expressive and more relational. An Italian employee who hears only short written comments may read them as dissatisfaction. Equally, a frank Italian reaction in a meeting is rarely as dramatic as it sounds to a Finnish ear.

Relationship before task. Italians often invest more in personal contact: a call instead of a message, a coffee before the agenda, interest in family and life. This is not small talk to be minimised; it builds the trust that makes the work go faster.

Formality in writing. Italian business writing can be more formal than Nordic writing, especially with customers and authorities. Inside your team, informal is fine; with Italian customers, follow your Italian colleague’s lead.

Habits that work  

Make decisions visible. End meetings with a short written summary: what was decided, who does what, by when. It costs two minutes and removes most misunderstanding.

Invite input, then decide. Keep the Nordic consultation, but close it explicitly: “Thanks, I’ve heard the views; this is what we’ll do.”

Give context with feedback. Say what went well and why, not only what to fix. In one-to-ones, ask how the person prefers feedback.

Use video, not only chat. For remote Italian employees, regular video calls do more than any amount of Slack.

Explain the flat structure. Tell new Italian hires explicitly that you expect initiative and disagreement, and that challenging a manager is welcome. Many will need time and evidence before they believe it.

Meet in person. A visit to Stockholm or Copenhagen in the first months, and a visit to Italy by the manager, are worth far more than their cost.

What Italians bring  

Italian colleagues often bring strengths that complement Nordic teams: relationship building with customers and suppliers, improvisation when plans fail, and a strong sense of quality and craft. A mixed team that uses both sets of strengths is better than either alone.

Formal frame, informal culture  

One thing does not change with culture: the Italian employment relationship is formal. Contract changes, warnings, role changes and remote-work terms need writing. A relaxed team culture works well on top of that frame, not instead of it.

As Employer of Record (EOR), we handle the formal frame. You build the team.

Questions we hear from Nordic companies  

Should we use titles with Italian colleagues? Inside your team, first names are fine and quickly adopted. With Italian customers and authorities, follow local practice, which can include professional titles such as Dottore or Ingegnere.

How do we give critical feedback? Privately, specifically, and with context. Combine it with what works well. In writing, avoid sarcasm and understatement that can be misread across languages.

What about language? English works for most professional teams. Learning a few Italian phrases, and showing interest in Italian customers in their language, is appreciated far beyond its effort.

In short  

Keep the Nordic strengths, consultation, trust and autonomy, but make decisions and priorities explicit and written. Invest in personal contact, especially with remote Italian colleagues, and give feedback with context. Explain your flat structure to new hires, and give them time to test it. On the formal side, follow the Italian frame: contracts, changes and warnings in writing.

For the formal side, see Contracts, leave and exits . For a first hire, start with the cost calculator .