In the current crisis, many companies are probably anxious to retain existing customers. According to a study commissioned by Genesys, a provider of cloud-based customer experience solutions, the conditions are not sufficiently in place in many places - there are many weaknesses in customer service. For example, consumers complain of long wait times (72 percent), the need to repeat the request (49 percent) and poor accessibility of companies (45 percent).

Different views of the companies and the customers

The perception of customer service differs greatly between consumers and companies. The majority of company representatives (81 percent) rated their own customer service as good or very good. On the consumer side, only 44 percent said they were rather or very satisfied with the professional competence of customer service staff. The speed of response impressed 42 percent of respondents. In terms of empathy, the demands of 41 percent of consumers were met.

Companies are often not aware of which aspects are important to customers. While almost half of consumers (49 percent) complain about having to repeat their concerns to different customer service representatives, only 26 percent of companies believe that this aspect is relevant to the customer. At the same time, companies overestimate the importance of response speed. After all, 62 percent count this as a crucial aspect from the customer's point of view, while only 47 percent of customers actually attach importance to it.

The greatest discrepancy between the two groups is with regard to addressing customers individually. Thirty-seven percent of the respondents from the companies consider this aspect to be crucial to the success of customer service. On the customer side, however, only a good sixth (16 percent) share this assessment.

Weaknesses in customer service lead to change of provider

If companies do not want to lose their customers, they should act quickly. Because for almost half of the consumers surveyed (49 percent), a negative experience with customer service is a reason to switch providers. This contrasts with just 16 percent for whom a bad experience would not be a reason to turn their back on a company.

A first step toward avoiding a loss of customers is to make companies aware of the need for optimization. Company representatives see the greatest challenges in the quality of information (34 percent) and in the speed of response (30 percent). The majority of customers are more patient than expected. For them, the quality of the information is more important than the response time. 59 percent of consumers are prepared to wait five minutes or longer to speak to the employee best qualified to deal with their query.

Companies also have an opportunity to actively contact customers. After all, 45 percent of consumers have already abandoned an online purchase because of a question that arose. The overwhelming majority of 91 percent of consumers surveyed would have been pleased if the company had contacted them in this situation. However, only slightly more than half of companies (57 percent) actively contact customers.

Solving the customer's problem has top priority

Consumers and companies agree on some points. For example, resolving the customer's concern is the top priority for companies (71 percent) and consumers (72 percent). A good half of consumers (53 percent) are rather or very satisfied with the resolution of their concern. The second most important factor for high satisfaction is the professional competence of employees, as 70 percent of the company representatives surveyed and 68 percent of consumers agree. "Even if the views of consumers and companies diverge in some cases, they agree on one thing: the most important thing is to resolve consumers' concerns quickly and competently," sums up Heinrich Welter, Territory Vice President EMEA Central and General Manager of the DACH region at Genesys.

Chatbots are becoming more and more important. But there is still skepticism about them and human employees are still relevant. For example, 39 percent of consumers think it is important for chatbots to hand customers over to human employees if a concern cannot be clarified. "Companies must therefore be prepared to constantly adapt to current conditions. Today, it is crucial that companies optimize the way they serve their customers," Welter continues.

Source and further information: Genesys

The commercial vehicle market in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein grew by 13.1 percent in the first quarter of 2021. After 9,462 new registrations in the same period last year, 10,702 are on the books as of the end of March - and thus even 228 more than in the first three months of the pre-crisis year 2019, according to the latest surveys by the industry association auto-schweiz. Demand for motorhomes is also stronger; these continue to benefit from the trend toward individual vacations during the covid pandemic and provide a jump of 31.6 percent in passenger transport vehicles.

Commercial vehicle market with positive outlook

The economic environment for rising demand for transport vehicles is definitely in place, says auto-schweiz. The latest economic forecasts by the federal government's group of experts and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology's economic research unit (KOF) predict growth in gross domestic product of between 3.2 and 4.7 percent for 2021. After the Swiss commercial vehicle market was hit much harder than the economy as a whole with a drop of 13.5 percent in the Corona year 2020, the recovery after the crisis could now also be stronger. This is because a catch-up effect is foreseeable in terms of companies' investments in new vehicles. In view of the previous year's figures, which were impacted by showroom closures, auto-schweiz therefore expects the recovery in the Swiss commercial vehicle market to continue in the coming months.

Demand for light commercial vehicles in particular is growing again, with an increase of 11.9 percent. This means that 7,772 new light commercial vehicles hit the road in the first quarter, compared with 6,944 in the same period of the previous year. The 11.9 percent increase is attributable in particular to the heavier vehicle groups between 2.6 and 3.5 tons gross weight. Only heavy commercial vehicles are slightly below the level of the first quarter of 2020, at 7.7 percent or 75 units.

Heavy commercial vehicles: delayed effect

In the weight classes above that, heavy material transport vehicles, however, the previous year's level of 976 registrations was not quite reached. However, the 7.7 percent decline to 901 new trucks and semitrailer tractors is manageable in the volatile truck market and could already turn into a plus in the second quarter, according to auto-schweiz. The first three months of 2019 went exceptionally well with 1,093 new registrations, the gap to this pre-Corona quarter is correspondingly high at 17.6 percent. However, a four-digit number of new heavy commercial vehicles in a quarter already seems within reach again in the further course of the year.

General increase in vehicle in-transit

Together with the 56,497 passenger cars, a total of 67,199 new motor vehicles were put into circulation in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the first quarter of 2021. Compared to the previous year's figure of 64,914, this represents an increase of 2,285 new registrations or 3.5 percent.

Source: auto-schweiz

In order to honor the succession of companies, the Initiative successor bus 2020 Phoenix Award for long-term Swiss entrepreneurship. After its successful premiere, it will be awarded again this year. It honors Swiss SMEs that have achieved the entrepreneurial feat of succession planning over a period of at least 100 years. They are given the stage they deserve. In most cases, these companies had to overcome more than one crisis and rise anew like "Phoenix from the ashes".

For the potential of long-term entrepreneurship

The focus as potential winners for the Phoenix Award is on the one hand on Swiss SMEs that have been entered in the Swiss Commercial Register for 100 years in the respective year, i.e. this year since 1921. These can be determined via the publicly accessible entries.

At the same time, as many companies as possible whose founding took place 100 years ago or in 1921 without an entry in the commercial register should be included as possible prize winners. These are cordially called upon to until May 30, 2021 at carla.kaufmann@companymarket.ch to report if they meet these criteria:

• Founded in 1921
• Swiss SME
• Independent of the Group or privately managed

From these companies, an expert jury with representatives from entrepreneurship, science and the media will determine the winners of the Phoenix Award 2021 in the following categories

• Innovation/disruption/renewal capability
• Team performance
• Social/economic contribution

The winners of the award, which will be presented for the first time in 2020, are the Distillerie Louis Morand & Cie SA, Martigny, and the Rüetschi AG, Aarau.

Phoenix Award as motivation and inspiration

"Especially in times like these, positive examples of long-term entrepreneurship, as embodied by the Phoenix Award winners, are the best motivation and inspiration for all entrepreneurs to keep at it and find (new) ways to ensure the continuity of their own company. With their own stories, they all write a piece of Swiss corporate history and contribute to the preservation of the economic substance," says Carla Kaufmann, summing up the intention of the Phoenix Award. The experienced succession expert and partner of Companymarket AG launched the Succession Bus initiative in 2018. This comprises an extensive range of information and further training. This includes personal 1:1 expert* interviews via video call, the Follow-up magazinewhich is published in cooperation with the leading Swiss SME trade magazine ORGANISATOR as well as Succession Practice Workshops as an online platform for sellers and buyers with information and further education around the crucial steps of business succession.

The goal of both variants of assessments is identical: to gain information that will help to make the right personnel decisions. However, the methodology is fundamentally different. Analog assessments usually last at least half a day to three days and are conducted by one or more assessors. Proper online assessments work with various tests and questionnaires to be completed in one hour. The tests and questionnaires are then evaluated by experts.

Which is better?

One thing should be said at the outset: All assessments require professional experts to conduct them and the appropriate methodology. Any assessment is useless if it is not valid and reliable, i.e. if it does not measure what it is supposed to and does so reliably and meaningfully.

Online assessments vs. analog assessments

In the following, the respective assessment will be examined to see how well it performs in the following criteria.

• Objectivity: The point for objectivity clearly goes to online assessments, since here the expert has no direct contact with the candidate, cannot build empathy, and can thus make a recommendation to the recruiters, free from his gut feeling and personal impression.
• Scope: Analog assessment centers have an advantage here. They not only perform analyses, but also simulations. For example, a good assessor can use a role play to see how well a candidate masters a difficult management situation, incorporates gestures and facial expressions, or how he or she communicates. Of course, candidates are aware that they are being observed, which could influence their behavior. However, competent assessors are very good at setting up the right setting and interpreting it correctly, so the bias in this discussion is negligible. However, it should be noted that the client of the assessment can also gain information on how a candidate communicates or how they appear overall - this is what introductory interviews are for. Nevertheless, the point about scope goes to the analog assessments.
• Cost: An assessment always costs, not only a lot of money, but also time for the candidate. If the candidate is still employed, it can be quite difficult to miss one to three days of work in order to carry out an assessment. The online assessment is the clear winner here. The financial costs of the digitized version are lower across the board and candidates benefit from flexibility in spades. Candidates are free to do the assessment where and when they want and need a maximum of one free hour.
• Efficiency: This means obtaining the greatest possible return with the least effort. In the case of assessments, the return is meaningful information that is needed to make the right decisions. The effort, the time and financial costs that one has to bear.

The costs for an online assessment are considerably lower than those for analog assessments. The quality of the analyses is comparable, however, online assessments are more objective. Analog assessments can be more comprehensive (but do not have to be). However, it is not always necessary to create even more extensive analyses and is therefore not a decisive factor in making the right personnel decision. For these reasons, the online assessment is clearly the winner in this category: the performance is comparable and more objective, although the costs are lower. The additional scope of an assessment in the traditional sense is not always needed, which is why it is not worth investing more and more there.

Online assessments: advantages outweigh disadvantages

Overall, analog assessments or assessment centers are still justified in a few cases. For example when the most comprehensive analysispossible is required, or if the client would like to delegate the entire recruitment process. However, the latter is not possible in my eyes, never really justified when you think about the extent that one wrong personnel decision can have.

To the author:
Noah Werder is an employee at Outvision GmbH. Outvision helps companies to make the right personnel decisions and relies fully on online assessments. Scientifically tested online tools are used. www.outvision.ch

What is the state of "digital maturity" in Swiss companies? The international software manufacturer ABRA addressed this question. More than 60 companies from various industries participated in a survey conducted for this purpose. Around 90 % of these were Swiss companies in the German-speaking economic area. The company sizes varied from commercial enterprises to medium-sized companies. The survey covered 11 topics such as strategy, organization, customer experience, product innovation and collaboration. External factors and the effects of the pandemic were also taken into account.

Digital maturity: still a lot of work to be done on processes

The survey shows that the majority of Swiss companies are aware of the importance and urgency of digital change. 73 % of the companies surveyed consider digitization to be crucial for future economic success. However, there is still a need for action with regard to process integration, system-supported evaluations or the use of digital opportunities for interaction with customers - e.g. social media, marketing automation.

Effects on business models

The topics of strategy and organization, with an assessed relevance of 84 % and 79 %, respectively, reflect the awareness that digital topics and digital projects must find their way into business models. Of the SMEs surveyed, 71 % are aware that products and services must also be digitized. However, they are cautious when it comes to process digitization (see chart below).

Transformation is a matter for the boss

Almost 80 % of the companies are clear that the digital challenges of the future cannot be mastered without information technology and appropriate transformation management. However, one-third of respondents feel that the influence of digitization in business plans is still too low. Overall, however, management is given a good report card on the extent to which it deals with digital transformation.

Source and further information: ABRA Software AG

In the 2020 financial year, revenue at Internet service provider iWay grew from CHF 30.5 million in the previous year to CHF 34.5 million. Revenue growth thus increased from 12 percent in 2019 to 13 percent in 2020. The company's most important business areas also recorded the highest growth rates: the Internet Access segment grew by 18.5 percent to CHF 19.8 million, which corresponds to a 59 percent share of total revenue. With Internet telephony (Voice over IP) and TV services, iWay generated 8.3 million francs (plus 16.1 percent) or 25 percent of sales in the past fiscal year. The workforce grew from 48 to 50 employees. This relatively moderate growth reflects the ongoing drive to digitize and automate business processes. "At 13 percent versus 10 percent, we were able to significantly exceed the budgeted growth last year. In particular, the growth in Internet connections for both fiber and xDSL lines is very pleasing in view of the highly competitive market," says Markus Vetterli, Managing Director of iWay. To a certain extent, the Covid 19 pandemic also contributed to the growth: "We were able to see that we are systemically relevant as an Internet provider. This is because the demand for larger bandwidths has risen again due to the increased shift to the home office, homeschooling and more TV and streaming consumption among private customers," says Vetterli.

More performance for the same price

iWay is now responding to this customer loyalty with a nationwide adjustment of speeds and prices: "We are immediately increasing the bandwidths for the products and reducing subscription prices. This means our customers get more performance for the same or lower price," says Vetterli. For example, a subscription with 1000/1000 Mbit/s upload and download speeds now costs 59 francs a month. For the 10-GBit/s subscription, iWay is even lowering the price from 99 to as low as 69 francs. The prices apply to both new and existing customers. Importantly, these prices are not time-limited. "We are harmonizing our portfolio in cities with fiber optic networks, but also across Switzerland for fiber and XGS-PON connections," says Vetterli. Both existing and new customers will therefore benefit from these service and price adjustments. Furthermore, products can be tested free of charge for one month at iWay. This is because customers in the B2C sector are very willing to switch, especially when it comes to TV, as Vetterli explained at a media conference.

Virtual-ISP coveted sales model in lockdown

As expected, the partner business again proved to be significant for iWay's success in the past fiscal year. Thus, sales via indirect distribution grew from 16.9 to 17.6 million Swiss francs (plus 4 percent) in 2020. The automated ordering process for resellers in particular proved to be a business model in demand during the pandemic. While pure sales partners generate additional revenue for their company with referral commissions, wholesale partners can act as providers (Virtual ISP) to their customers. "The ability for IT companies to sell Internet and TV services to their customers in their own name and order them from the comfort of their home office on our partner portal has made things easier for many partners in the lockdown," says Vetterli. Virtual ISPs do not have to sign their own contracts with Swisscom or city networks. iWay also takes care of background handling for them, such as shipping preconfigured routers, invoicing and support services on behalf of the partners. This process optimization, which has already been tried and tested over three years, has not only enabled the company to increase its revenue via partners, but also to further expand its wholesale partner network from 171 in 2019 to 214 companies.

iWay launches new products

For enterprise customers, iWay now has the option of a telephony connection to the Microsoft Teams communications solution. Many companies have recognized how well the functionalities of these video conferencing solutions can also be used for telephony, provided that they invest in the necessary voice add-on from Microsoft, says Dejan Crvenkovic, who is responsible for the corporate customer business at iWay. For smaller companies with more basic requirements, the connection is made via a session border controller hosted by iWay. Each Teams user is assigned a phone number and can use it to make and receive calls. In addition, Teams offers a small PBX feature set by default. For companies with more complex telephony solution needs, VPBX offers a comprehensive range of PBX functionalities and maximum flexibility in addition to the connection to Microsoft Teams - even in mixed operation with desk phones, mobile clients and Microsoft Teams users. Other new products for corporate customers relate to offerings for split-second detection of interruptions in fiber or DSL connections and automatic takeover of the route by a secondary line via 4G/LTE.

Outlook for 2021: iWay expects further growth

For the current financial year, Vetterli expects growth in the high single-digit percentage range. This is because increasing price pressure and a certain negative effect following the pandemic are likely to make the same strong growth in the access area as in previous years less likely. On the other hand, Vetterli expects clear double-digit growth in Voice-Over-IP in the business customer environment and in TV offerings. Cybersecurity is also becoming increasingly important. iWay also confirms an increase in DDOS attacks since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, but considers itself well equipped in this regard. Among other things, the IP addresses of iWay customers are constantly monitored by external cybersecurity service providers, so that open ports or poorly secured servers can be quickly detected and customers informed accordingly.

More information

localsearch (Swisscom Directories AG), the leading digital agency for Swiss SMEs, is revolutionizing advertising for SMEs and launching MyCAMPAIGNS, a Swiss first for small business. Thanks to the novel offer, small companies can for the first time catch up with the big advertisers and carry out broad-based professional advertising campaigns without prior knowledge, according to the company. In this way, SMEs advertise where their potential customers are today.

Advertising for SMEs becomes even easier

The new solution combines state-of-the-art marketing technologies such as cross-channel retargeting, budget optimization and detailed campaign reporting with a personal agency service. A combination of expert know-how and artificial intelligence is designed to ensure perfectly coordinated campaigns across all media channels, the provider says. Thanks to MyCAMPAIGNS, it has never been easier for the trade to win customers online, the promise goes.

Available in three gradations

"With MyCAMPAIGNS, we have developed an advertising product that for the first time gives Swiss small businesses the unlimited power of cross-channel digital marketing campaigns. Whether Google Ads, Facebook ads or banner ads on the most important news portals in Switzerland such as 20 Minuten, Blick or Tagesanzeiger: MyCAMPAIGNS revolutionizes the way SMEs do digital advertising," says Stefano Santinelli, CEO of localsearch. The new product is available in three gradations: "Search" (Google Ads), "Visual" (social media advertising and banner ads on news portals) and "Search Plus" (Google Ads, social media advertising and banner ads on news portals).

Source and further information: localsearch.ch

The British parent company Sage announced on November 20, 2020 that it intends to sell Sage Schweiz AG. Now the buyer has been found: Infoniqa GmbH from Wels, Austria, will take over the company.

Infoniqa sees "attractive synergy potentials

The acquisition of Sage Schweiz AG will almost double the Infoniqa Group's annual sales to a total of 60 million euros and increase the number of employees to a total of 410. In particular, the acquisition strengthens the company's positioning in the strategically important segment of small and medium-sized enterprises. The product portfolio will be expanded to include ERP solutions, financial management software, and payroll and HCM solutions specialized for Swiss requirements. Due to the high product compatibility, there is attractive synergy potential.

"We are very pleased to announce our next acquisition with the support of our owners Warburg Pincus Global Growth and Elvaston Capital. With the acquisition of Sage Schweiz AG, we are consistently pursuing our growth strategy and further driving the international expansion of the Infoniqa Group. Together with the proven and leading Sage Schweiz AG, we will be able to invest even more consistently in the further development of the products as well as in excellent customer service for all Swiss customers and partners," summarizes Léon Vergnes, Managing Director of Infoniqa.

Further development of existing products assured

The purchase includes the Sage Start, Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra products, which will continue to be developed and supported locally by experienced employees, according to the statement. "The acquisition of Sage Schweiz AG by Infoniqa is a great opportunity for our employees, customers and partners. As part of the Infoniqa Group with a strong investor in the background, this step offers us strong future prospects and the opportunity to continue to provide the highest software quality and maximum customer satisfaction as part of a strong growth-oriented solution provider in the DACH region. Over the past 30 years, Infoniqa has shown that its excellent service and strong customer focus delight customers and partners alike," adds Thomas Hersche, Managing Director of Sage Schweiz AG.

Following the purchase of Haveldata GmbH at the end of 2019 and StoneData GmbH at the beginning of 2020, the acquisition of Sage Schweiz AG represents a further step in Infoniqa's growth strategy.

Source and further information

For more than 18 years, Continuum AG has been advising and supporting medium-sized and larger companies in their long-term development and helping families to solve their challenges in the succession process. In addition to Zurich and Staufen b. Lenzburg, the company has existed in St.Gallen since 2003 with Partner Rolf Brunner, Senior Manager Dr. Stefan Schneider and Associate Partner Matt Moser.

Reinforcement of Continuum AG in the midlands

As of April 2021, Rudolf P. Winzenried will join the team as an additional Associate Partner and expand the network in the Mittelland region. Rudolf P. Winzenried has a broad experience in corporate governance, strategy development and structuring of family businesses.

Rolf Brunner, who has been supporting companies in development and succession processes as a partner for eight years, is pleased about the reinforcement: "The already broad field of competence of Continuum AG is complemented in an almost ideal way by the entry of Rudolf P. Winzenried."

Rudolf P. Winzenried: A wealth of experience in the family business landscape

As a lawyer, a graduate of Bachelor of Business Administration, Advanced Management Program SKU and Certified Board Member, Rudolf P. Winzenried has 30 years of experience at board and executive management level in internationally active Swiss family-owned companies in the industrial, consumer goods, retail, real estate and hospitality sectors. His main areas of expertise are strategy development, structuring of companies and transactions, moderation and solution finding in complex situations of interests and their legal structuring as well as corporate governance. He holds mandates as chairman or member of boards of directors and boards of trustees.

Source and further information

On March 11, the general assembly of the Coworking Switzerland association took place - virtually for the first time. At the meeting, the current state of coworking in Switzerland and the impact of the pandemic were also discussed.

The pandemic also hits coworking spaces in 2020

At the beginning of 2020, the headline was still that coworking had evolved from a marginal phenomenon to a growth market. However, this development was largely slowed down by the pandemic, although the various measures taken to combat the pandemic never led to the forced closure of coworking spaces. Nevertheless, in the spring of 2020, most coworking spaces were forced into inactivity, both in terms of workspace rentals and conference and meeting rooms. After the restrictions were lifted in the summer, there was a recovery. New customers came in, interested in individual workspaces in the open space or even private offices.

However, this upswing was interrupted again in October 2020, and given the restrictions and the home office obligation, the situation has not really eased since then. So 2020, like many other industries, was a difficult year. In a survey, 56% of association members reported a loss of income. Spaces that depend on event and conference space rentals were hit harder than others. These income losses were partially offset in more than 40% of cases by reduced work hours, Covid-19 relief funds, and rent reductions from landlords.

In 2020, another challenge for coworking spaces was to keep an existing community - the very idea behind coworking - alive despite contact restrictions. Ingenuity was the order of the day, and so various actions were offered to the respective community members. These actions, in which the social contacts that are so important for people were still present, contributed to the good mental health of the coworkers.

Sustainable change in the world of work will strengthen coworking

The Covid19 pandemic has turned working habits in our country upside down, and an increasing number of employees have discovered working from home - with more or less pleasure. The time saved in terms of commuting to work thanks to home office allows for an increase in quality of life. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to separate private and professional life, especially if the working conditions at home are not ideal. This experience will shape the world of work for the future: According to a study published last week of Deloitte, only 12% of employees want to return fully to the "normal" office after the end of the pandemic. 62% want more flexibility and would like to divide their working time between the office and home office. However, the term home office does not go far enough: almost half (46%) of the respondents not only use their own residence as a home office, but also work, for example, in vacation homes, with friends, family or in a coworking space. For 44% of the respondents, the lack of personal exchange at work is one of the biggest challenges in the home office. This is precisely the aspect where coworking spaces score highly as an alternative to the home office. Proximity to the place of residence is also an important argument: With more than 150 coworking spaces throughout Switzerland, the Coworking Switzerland association provides a nationwide offering.

Coworking spaces aim to capitalize on momentum for post-Corona work environment

The majority of Swiss coworking players are convinced that the situation they have just experienced has accelerated the paradigm shift at the professional level and that coworking spaces will benefit from this in the medium term. The Coworking Switzerland association is also responding to the opportunity that now exists for coworking to become more widely established. It has produced a compact clip that highlights the advantages of coworking as an alternative to the home office: Proximity to home, separation of personal and professional life, ergonomic offices, social contacts. The campaign with the video available in five languages will start in the coming days.

The past year has changed the way most office workers work. Coworking spaces, which are popping up all over the country - and increasingly in rural areas - will play a role in the post-Corona work world. They allow everyone to work close to home in a professional environment while maintaining the social connections that are so important to our mental health.

Source: www.coworking.ch

As part of an online survey on the topic of "Developing potential in the world of work", the Marketagent market research institute surveyed 500 employed people aged between 18 and 65 from German-speaking Switzerland on behalf of XING in February 2021. The random sample is representative of the working population in German-speaking Switzerland. The most important result: every third person (32 percent) has to play a role in their job. Only one in four (26 percent) can be completely themselves on the job. 34 percent also have the impression that they are not perceived by their employer as an individual, but rather as a mere worker. The demand would be different: 92 percent of men and 96 percent of women find it important to be able to be themselves on the job.

Have a role to play: Especially in large companies

Living out one's own individuality tends to work better in smaller companies. In companies with up to 10 employees, just under 40 percent say they can be themselves at work. At the other end of the scale, in large companies with more than 10,000 employees, just 21 percent feel this way.

Often the framework conditions for individual potential development are lacking

73 percent of respondents say that they can only fully develop their potential if they can be themselves on the job. However, the necessary framework conditions are often not in place: More than one in four (28 percent) say that the current corporate culture or working environment does not allow individual potential to develop, and another quarter (23 percent) find that their own employer only focuses on employees' weaknesses instead of their strengths.

Desire for more dialog with superiors about own potential development

Around one in two (52 percent) regularly talk to their manager about promoting their own talents and potential. 37 percent of respondents would like to have more such discussions. While 35 percent state that their potential and talents are promoted by their employer through training and further education, one in four (24 percent) believe that the development of personal potential is not even wanted by their own manager. XING Switzerland CEO Robert Bertschinger says: "Employees who can be themselves at work and develop their potential are more motivated, more satisfied and ultimately make a greater contribution to the success of a company. Companies that lack the necessary framework conditions are driving with the handbrake on. From both the employer's and the employees' point of view, it pays to establish a culture in which one's own abilities can be brought to bear and no one has to play a role."

One in three has to refrain from expressing their own opinion on the job

Just under a third of respondents (32 percent) say they are not always allowed to express their own opinions in their current job. And 28 percent of employees cannot always be open about their sexual orientation at work. Only around half of respondents (54 percent) say they are allowed to dress and style themselves as they wish at work.

At least there is room for positive emotions in most cases. 85 percent say they can openly show joy and fun on the job. Negative emotions are more sensitive: Only slightly more than half (54 percent) feel they are allowed to express feelings such as sadness or anger at work. And one in three (33 percent) say they must not let on when they are stressed.

Source: XING and New Work SE

The healthcare company Medgate was founded in 1999 and today employs over 300 people in Switzerland, including 110 doctors, and over 500 people worldwide. Since 2000, Medgate has been operating the largest medical telemedicine center in Europe and thus has an extraordinary amount of experience and knowledge in telemedicine. The Medgate Mini Clinics and the doctors and clinics of the Medgate Partner Network are available to patients for on-site consultations.

Up to now, Andy Fischer, MD, has led both the Swiss and the international business as co-founder and Managing Partner of Medgate. He is now handing over the management of Medgate Switzerland to Daniel Junker as of August 1.

Daniel Junker: A lot of experience in healthcare

Daniel Junker has 18 years of experience in corporate management and development in the healthcare sector. As Chief Operation Officer of Pallas-Kliniken AG as well as Managing Director of Meconex AG and santémed Gesundheitszentren, he has contributed significantly to the success of several relevant players in the healthcare sector. In addition to his activities with the various service providers, he can also draw on experience on the insurer side thanks to his previous involvement with Swica. The Board of Directors of Medgate AG is very pleased to have won Daniel Junker for the position of CEO and to entrust him with the management of Medgate in Switzerland.

Further international growth

Andy Fischer, MD, who has led Medgate's Swiss business since its founding in 1999, will focus on leading the international Medgate Group as Group CEO from August 1. In addition to Switzerland, Medgate has offices in Germany, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and India. Medgate strives for continuous growth in the European and Asian markets and pursues the goal of being a leading global digital health provider by offering all individuals easy and fast access to cost-efficient and first-class medical care.

Through his role as CEO of the Medgate Group, Andy Fischer will also be in close exchange with the new CEO of the Swiss business. In addition, he will remain a member of the Board of Directors of Medgate Switzerland.

Source: Medgate