Aton achieves gender equality certification

Aton has been awarded certification of the Gender Equality Management System in accordance with the UNI/PdR 125:2022 guidelines. This recognition makes us genuinely proud because it is not just a badge, but a concrete step towards our vision: building a tech environment that values talent without distinction.

Innovation and inclusion, two sides of the same culture

When we decided to embark on this journey, we did so with a firm belief: innovation cannot exist without inclusion. We are a technology company, but above all a community of people with different experiences, roles and perspectives, united by the desire to create a fair, open and respectful environment together. For us, promoting equal opportunities means ensuring that every Aton person can grow, contribute, be heard and be recognised for their true worth.

A shared path of growth

The audit process was rigorous and thorough, involving all the key areas set out in the national guidelines – culture and strategy, governance, HR processes, pay equity, inclusion, parenting, and work–life balance.
What made us most proud was realising that many of the required criteria were already part of our way of working: we did not need to reinvent ourselves, but rather reinforce and elevate practices already embedded in our organisational culture.

At the same time, the dialogue with consultants and auditors proved to be a valuable opportunity for growth: a chance to take a clear snapshot of our data, compare it with external benchmarks, and spark new areas for improvement.
In short, the certification is not a finishing line but a starting point, with the awareness that every cultural shift is a living process, built on listening and small steps taken day after day.

Equality, a culture already thriving at Aton

This journey has taught us that equality is not measured solely in numbers, but in behaviours, in the choices we make, and in the consistency between our values and our actions.
And yet, the numbers also say a great deal about who we are:

• 50% of our people are women, a figure well above the ICT sector average;
• the average gender pay gap is below 5%, and whenever a difference exists, it is always justified by objective criteria;
• the share of women in leadership roles is higher than the sector average;
• in the past twelve months, we have delivered over 150 hours of training on diversity, equity & inclusion.

Alongside these results, there are experiences and tools that give tangible shape to our idea of fairness:

• our reward model, which enables teams to self-assess their contribution and jointly determine the annual financial recognition, fostering trust and shared responsibility;
• .atonAcademy, our recruitment and training model open to everyone, regardless of age or background: in the initial stages of selection we assess only the scores, without access to personal data, to ensure transparent and merit-based decisions;
• the union agreement dedicated to the Service Desk team, which introduces concrete measures to support work–life balance and benefits for new parents, guaranteeing contractual stability and opportunities for growth;
• our flexible smart-working policies and autonomy in time management, which allow everyone to integrate professional and personal commitments in the way that suits them best.

Opportunities and challenges

Obtaining the certification was also a chance to take a broader look at ourselves: on the one hand, it helped us strengthen our internal awareness, reinforce our values-driven commitment, and position Aton as an inclusive and appealing environment for new talent and partners; on the other, it made us fully recognise the challenges that come with a journey of this kind.

We had to deal with the bureaucracy of a complex process, the rigidity of certain criteria that are not always easy to apply to agile and dynamic organisations like ours, and a considerable investment of time and resources.
But every hour we put in turned into a step forward: new metrics, more transparent practices, and stronger shared awareness.

Looking ahead

The most valuable thing we take away from this journey is the awareness that equality is not a matter of a single day. The certification has shone a light on our path: it is now up to us to keep it bright through concrete actions, open dialogue, ongoing monitoring and an organisational culture that truly embraces difference.

It is a recognition, but above all a promise: to continue building a workplace where digital innovation and social responsibility move forward together.

For us, the future of tech is inclusive, multicultural and genderless.

And equality, at Aton, is not a label — it is a living culture, shaped by people who choose to make it real every single day.