The Corona crisis quickly revealed how companies are positioned in "matters" of Working World 4.0 and where new challenges lie. Against this background, the Future Work Group launched the Future Work Barometer for the first time in July 2020. In cooperation with the leading Swiss SME magazine "Organisator" and the FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft (FHNW), the short survey collects assessments, experiences and needs regarding the working world 4.0 from Swiss employers and employees on a quarterly basis. This is done with the intention of using the insights gained through active exchange with companies to shape a working world 4.0 that is beneficial to all participants.

The Future Work Barometer is based on the major Swiss study "Arbeitswelt 4.0" (Working World 4.0) published jointly by the Future Work Group and the FHNW in fall 2019. The study shows that the mutual interaction of the dimensions People (employees), Place (working environment) and Technology (technologies) is one of the key success factors of Working World 4.0.

Desire and reality in digitization

Asked about the importance they attach to a modern, digitized working environment, 96% of the 235 participants said it was important to very important for them. At the same time, there is a significant gap between desire and reality with regard to the degree of digitization. Only 38% of the respondents attested to their company having a high to very high level of digitization.

Investments in technology and place of work rank far ahead

When asked in which areas investments were made within the past six months, according to the participants, this was primarily in the areas of work location (66%), IT/data security (49%) and IT infrastructure (47%). Given the previous pandemic-related "home office boost," this is not surprising. The least investment was made in the areas of the traditional office workplace (25%) and leadership style (29%).

Overall, at 51%, just over half of the participants are satisfied to very satisfied with the investments their company has made with regard to Working World 4.0. At the same time, it is clear that the factual investments (technology, work location) are clearly in the foreground.

Clear need to catch up at management level

In contrast, according to the participants, the crucial areas at the corporate management level show massive deficits. For example, they rate the development potential of culture/values/collaboration (78%), work processes (77%), strategy (76%), personal competencies (74%) and leadership style (72%) as high. It is therefore urgent to make up for lost time here or to carry out intensive development work for the successful realization of the working world 4.0. Because this new working world is based on new thinking - and that lies with the people in the company.

Future Work Barometer: The most important key figures

The Future Work Barometer reveals the following findings in its first edition, 2020-1:

• Degree of digitization of the working environment in own company: 38% rate this as high/very high
• Satisfaction with own company's investments: 51% consider them as high/very high
• Investments in the People dimension in the last six months: 30% rate these in their company as much/very
• Investment in Dimension Place in the last six months: 46% say their company invested a lot/very much
• Investments in Dimension Technology in the last six months: 48% rate these at the level a lot/very much

Possible solution approaches for a holistic transformation to the working world 4.0

"Referring to the results of this first Future Work Barometer, it seems that the potential of the field of action Working World 4.0 is far from being fully tapped. Far too few organizations have so far developed the necessary strategy together with their employees, one of their most valuable success factors," sums up Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter, Head of the Competence Center Digital Transformation at the FHNW and publisher of the Working World 4.0 study. One possible solution approach for the sustainable joint design of the Working World 4.0 can be offered by easy-to-use practical aids such as a workshop canvas in combination with a methodical project process that integrates the three dimensions of People, Place and Technology.

More information: www.future-work-barometer.ch

It was noticeable to both organizer Armin Baumann of KMU SWISS AG and many of the guests: People enjoyed meeting face to face once again and having conversations away from home offices and video conferences. The organizers made every effort to ensure hygiene regulations, distance rules and contact tracing, but the associated "sacrifices" in spontaneity were manageable. Proof was provided that larger live events can again be held more or less without any problems - and that attending them should actually pose no risk.

The fact that events like the KMU Swiss Podium 2020 meet a need was evident from the attendance of around 250 guests. "People want to get together," said Armin Baumann in his opening remarks. The digital world is not everything, but it has nevertheless "somewhat" asserted itself, Baumann continued. But it can never replace personal contact. In this respect, the conference motto "Cult and Culture" was fitting, because personal conversations are part of our culture.

Innovation - also a question of culture

The first presentation, however, focused on a different facet: "Innovation management as cultural change" was the topic of Dr. Harald Brodbeck (Fernfachhochschule Schweiz FFHS) and Sabrina Ernst (Neosight AG). They emphasized that culture cannot simply be imparted to a company via project work. Especially not if a culture of innovation is to emerge from it. Ideally, however, culture enables innovation, and innovation in turn shapes culture. This cycle must be activated in a different way. The speakers demonstrated this with the help of four levers: innovation strategy (clarity of goals is needed), innovation structures, innovation processes and innovation tools. The latter also requires the existence of a culture of error - something that, in the experience of the two speakers, many companies still struggle with.

Thomas Matter, SVP National Councilor and founding partner of Helvetic Bank, then gave his thoughts on the topic of "corporate versus SME culture. He emphasized that by creating jobs and thus enabling many people to make a living, the economy was performing an enormous cultural feat. He drew a clear line between entrepreneurs who fulfill their social responsibility and create jobs and managers who "lavishly help themselves to money that does not belong to them." And he made no secret of his opinion on our country's relationship with the EU and the free movement of persons, although he did not manage to win over the entire audience.

Also a topic at the KMU Swiss Podium 2020: Artificial Intelligence

No event without the topic of "artificial intelligence": This was no different at the KMU Swiss Podium 2020. Nino Weingart from BSI Business Systems Integration AG explained how and where SMEs can use artificial intelligence. Four prerequisites have to be met: First, there has to be a suitable business case, which a company has to know perfectly. "Never do an AI project if you could do it without," was the expert's tip. Secondly, it's about data or its availability and quality, thirdly, the right team and fourthly, the budget. However, very few SMEs have the corresponding resources, which is why "AI as a service" is a good approach.

Many SMEs operate internationally and are therefore successful. Simone Wyss Fedele, CEO of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), showed that the road to success abroad can also be rocky. She pointed out that cultural differences between countries are often underestimated, especially at the beginning. Using examples from the USA, China, South Korea and the Middle East, she showed what to look out for if you want to do business successfully in these countries.

And finally a star guest

The last part of the afternoon was introduced by Urs Hoffmann, member of the Aargau government, with his remarks on "Innovative women and men in Aargau". Afterwards, the panel discussion led by moderator Michael Sokoll with him and the actual "star guest", actress, presenter ("RTL Samstagnacht") and director Esther Schweins, formed the final highlight. The duo "inmot!on" also provided spectacular entertainment between the individual presentation blocks with their show interludes with yoyos, glow sticks and other "toys".

www.kmuswiss.ch

These are the most female companies in Switzerland in 2020: Adval Tech (sector: industry), IKEA (sector: consumer goods & retail), Biogen Switzerland (sector: life sciences), Sympany (sector: insurance) and Eidg. Personalamt (sector: federal companies) Zuger Kantonalbank (sector: banking) Ringier (sector: ICT) Der Touristik Suisse (sector: transport/logistics/tourism) are the frontrunners in their sector and currently have the highest proportion of women on the management board (GL). Biogen with a female quota in the management of 70%, Pfizer with 57%, as well as dsm, Eidg. Personalamt, Der Touristik Suisse with 50% lead the overall ranking of the 270 companies surveyed.

The most female companies 2020: The list

The analysis is based on publicly available data from the companies and was conducted between January and August 2020.

Boards of directors are more female than management boards

The proportion of women has increased slightly compared to the first survey (2018) and now stands at 10%. This is a pleasing trend, which is also confirmed by the current Schilling Report. Nevertheless, in more than half of the companies researched, one searches in vain for women on the management board (GL). The situation is better on the boards of directors, with at least 85% of the companies surveyed having at least one woman on their board.

In a comparison of industries, the federally related companies are the best positioned, with an average share of women in the GL of 22%. The life sciences sector follows with 18% and insurance with 13%. In the consumer goods & retail sector, as well as in banks, the ratio is 10%. ICT and the transport & logistics & tourism sector have an average share of 9% women. The industry sector brings up the rear with just 5%.

In most cases, there is no direct intention to deliberately keep the proportion of women in management low. However, many companies have little appetite to remedy this situation. Stereotypes and biases are often strongly pronounced and these unconscious thought patterns can hardly be overcome with conventional methods.

An overview of the companies (incl. ranking) is available on the DOIT-smart Homepage http://www.doit-smart.org/frauenanteil-uebersicht/ published.

What is the basic attitude of employees to the topic of home office? What emotions did they feel when they had to work from home? And what about their productivity in the home office? These topics were investigated during five weeks from mid-April to mid-May 2020, during which many employees worked from home for the first time due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Study confirms: Positive attitude promotes productivity in the home office

In terms of mindset, the individuals studied were differentiated according to whether they believe that the skills for working at home are innate (fixed mindset) or whether they believe that this new skill can be learned (growth mindset). Those individuals who assume innate ability in this regard (Fixed Mindset) viewed home office like a new challenge that they are not up to. They experienced more negative emotions such as frustration, guilt, or anxiety and few positive emotions, which directly affected their perceived productivity: individuals with strong negative emotions accomplished 31% fewer goals in the same week and 19% fewer goals in the following week than individuals with weak negative emotions. On the other hand, individuals with a Growth Mindset were significantly more motivated and productive in the home office, according to the study. Employees with the strongest positive feelings had achieved an average of 43% more goals in the same week than those with no positive feelings.

Companies can improve competitiveness

"If home office is going to last in the long term, companies need to be aware of what makes their employees happy and productive when they do so. Our study suggests that a certain personal attitude toward working from home is a crucial factor," says the study's lead author Dr. Lauren Howe of the University of Zurich. "If employees are happy, then their productivity measurably increases. So companies have a big incentive to support their employees as much as possible in the new work environment," says Marco Meister, Co-Founder & CEO of atwork. "In the future, the companies that will be successful will be those that know best about the difficulties and challenges their employees face and respond with targeted measures. This will enable them to increase productivity within the company and improve their competitiveness."

The study was conducted by Lauren Howe and Jochen Menges from the University of Zurich and co-developed by ZHAW and atwork. In the process, 113 home office employees were surveyed with four surveys each.

Source: atwork

According to a new ISG study, companies increasingly prefer IT security services from a single source. "For most companies, the large-scale move to a home office was made in a hurry and without much planning," says Frank Heuer, manager at ISG Research. "Accordingly, security measures must now be taken quickly to protect their new communication structures." Security providers who can offer core technical solutions as well as security services are therefore at an advantage. "The demand for one-stop services has increased significantly," says Heuer, "especially among medium-sized companies that want to save themselves as much effort as possible in coordinating service providers."

Many gaps in knowledge about cyber security

Since the new workplace normality in some cases requires completely new or additional security solutions, the submarket of "technical security services" is benefiting most from this, according to the ISG vendor comparison. According to the ISG, in addition to up-to-date security equipment, training is currently playing a very important role. "The move to a home office is associated with many uncertainties for employees," says ISG analyst Heuer. "There are also many gaps in knowledge when it comes to security, which are exploited again and again by Trojan and phishing attackers." Cyber security providers would therefore have to present convincing alternatives to classroom training and convincing overall concepts for remote training.

Challenging cyber security market

For large customers, providers in the demanding market of technical security services also need international experience with a broad range of solutions and teams that are set up across national borders, the ISG study continues. Medium-sized companies, on the other hand, often value the local presence of the service providers in order to receive uncomplicated, rapid support via short routes. Due to their complex IT (security) landscapes and projects, large companies continue to be among the most important customers for technical security services. However, medium-sized companies are also increasingly making use of these services, making them a target group with above-average market growth.

The "ISG Provider Lens Cyber Security - Solutions & Services Report Switzerland 2020" evaluates the capabilities of 73 providers in the cyber security market in five segments: In addition to "Technical Security Services", these are "Identity & Access Management", "Data Leakage/Loss Prevention", "Strategic Security Services" and "Managed Security Services".

Identity & Access Management (IAM)

According to the ISG study, IAM is currently making a comeback as a particularly important security topic. One of the main reasons for this is that, due to increasing digitization, not only users and their identities need to be protected, but also machines and entire company departments as part of Industry 4.0. As in the software market as a whole, there is also a shift in IAM solutions from in-house to cloud operation ("Identity-as-a-Service"). According to ISG, most providers have adapted to this and offer both types of operation. Pure cloud providers are also appearing more and more frequently in this market.

Data Leakage/Loss Prevention (DLP)

In recent years, ISG has seen a significant increase in interest in DLP solutions. The main reason for this is the increasing use of private devices for business purposes. This makes it much more difficult and therefore more important to prevent unwanted data outflows. In addition, the IT trends of big data, social business and cloud computing are making it more difficult to control data movements, which places high demands on providers of DLP solutions.

Strategic Security Services

Increasingly frequent and diverse attacks on IT systems and networks are leading companies to view IT security as a strategic task. According to the ISG study, large companies with complex IT landscapes are among the most important customers for strategic security services. However, medium-sized companies are also increasingly relying on these services because they are particularly affected by the shortage of security experts and have a greater need to catch up with modern security systems.

Managed Security Services

Shortages of skilled personnel and the constant emergence of new types of attacks by hackers are also driving demand for managed security services, according to the ISG study. Providers with Security Operations Centers (SOCs) in Switzerland have an advantage for data protection reasons. According to the study, large companies in particular often attach importance to an international presence of the respective provider with globally distributed SOCs and a broad range of security topics. For medium-sized customers, on the other hand, contact persons with local language skills in the SOCs play an important role.

Leading companies in the cyber security market

The vendor comparison lists IBM as a "leader" in all five market segments and Atos in four. Accenture, Capgemini and Swisscom are named as "Leaders" in three segments and Avectris, DXC Technology, HCL, Microsoft and T-Systems in two segments each. Axians, Bechtle, Broadcom, Dell/RSA, Deloitte, DriveLock, Ergon, EY, Forcepoint, KPMG, Matrix42, McAfee, MobileIron, NEVIS, Okta, Orange Cyberdefense, PwC, Trend Micro and United Security Providers are "Leaders" in one market segment each.

Source: Information Services Group (ISG)

Elon Musk is driving public perception and an entire industry forward. His latest announcement is about revolutionizing the entire car production process by making the car body consist of only four parts instead of 80. That would cut costs massively. Now, with Musk's announcements, the question is always what will be implemented at all and by when. But that's not the point.

Which fields Elon Musk and Steve Jobs occupy

People like Elon Musk do not usually make concrete promises with their statements, but create and occupy fields of opinion in the public perception - and the opinion of experts. The consequence: as soon as such ideas eventually become reality, these realities are directly linked to the person who occupied the field. As a result, reputation usually rises dramatically - with a direct impact on market leadership. Another expert in this was Steve Jobs: who do you associate with the pioneer of smartphones, mobile music enjoyment, emotional computing and more? Sure, Steve Jobs. Why? Because he occupied the fields.

Three fields you should occupy

This occupation of fields requires above all courage, the ability to find supporters, and a strong focus on visible actions. Not everyone can or wants to do this, because it naturally also involves risks. What can you do with this as a leader? Well, outstanding leaders use the strategy of occupying fields in all kinds of leadership. If you can master this, it will massively increase your influence. Here are three fields you should definitely fill:

1. Vision. If you follow me regularly, you may not be able to hear it anymore, and yet, if you don't make it clear where you want the journey to go (even if that carries risks), you just don't occupy fields. The result: activities scatter across everything possible and are reactive rather than proactive. It's a simple fact: those with the most influence almost always have the biggest visions.
2. Uniqueness. By this I mean what makes your team, your company or your products stand out in such a way that everyone immediately associates it with you. I'm always amazed at the difficulties people have in answering the question of what makes them, their team or their products stand out. What are you or your company distinctively perceived for?
3. Identity. Here, too, you should fill fields: What exactly do you stand for? What are your demands? What will you never accept? Most people in companies cannot answer these questions consistently. What does your company stand for, and in an outstanding sense?

Rise from the mediocrity

These points are important because they move you from mediocrity into the league of the truly outstanding - with lasting consequences for growth and profit. You define yourself as the benchmark for everything that is yet to come. Bill Gates did it that way, as did Steve Jobs and now Elon Musk. But don't worry: the fields you occupy don't have to be quite so big.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

In the annual "Clarity on Performance of Swiss Private Banks" study, KPMG and the University of St. Gallen (HSG) examined a total of 84 private banks operating in Switzerland and assessed the performance of these institutions as well as the most important industry trends. In addition, 27 executives of Swiss private banks were interviewed about the handling and consequences of the Corona crisis. These top bank executives represent 55% of the assets under management of all private banks analyzed (CHF 1.6 trillion).

Consolidation wave calms down for the time being

After 19 transactions in 2018, M&A activity fell sharply, with only nine transactions in 2019 and five in the first seven months of 2020. The number of private banks fell from 106 to 101 last year and by another institution to 100 in the first half of 2020. Since 2010, the number of private banks has decreased by a substantial 39%. In addition, two more transactions were announced in July 2020, so the number of private banks is expected to fall below 100 by the end of the year.

As the financial performance of most Swiss private banks in the first half of 2020 was strong compared to the previous year, the Corona crisis does not seem to have created any additional, immediate financial pressure. In the long term, however, the economic impact of the Corona crisis is likely to herald another difficult year, forcing the exit of unprofitable institutions from the private banking business and thus accelerating consolidation once again. This is because the high margin pressure on commission income will continue, interest rates are likely to remain low for much longer, and the consistent and effective digitization of the business model is increasingly becoming an insurmountable task, especially for smaller banks. The true impact of the Corona crisis will only become visible from 2021 onwards, as delayed transactions will still have an impact in the coming months on the one hand. On the other hand, the recessionary effects of important markets will only gradually take full effect when government aid packages expire.

Assets managed by private banks on the rise

In 2019, a performance of 10% and net new money growth of 3% sent assets under management soaring by 14%. This is a remarkable increase in net new money and an extremely encouraging sign for the private banking industry, especially for the two-thirds of banks that reported positive net new money. However, the analysis also shows that growth from M&A activity has remained low due to a continued lack of large acquisitions.

For the first time, the performance of Swiss private banks was analyzed over five years (2015 to 2019), with the aim of more clearly identifying the characteristics of the higher-performing banks. According to the results, the 84 private banks surveyed increased their assets under management by CHF 616 billion, or by 27%. Virtually half of this growth (CHF 283 billion) is attributable to performance, and mainly to positive markets in 2017 and 2019, with net new assets contributing CHF 153 billion over the five-year period. This includes all net new money generated by banks through the hiring of new relationship managers.

It is striking that those banks that were able to achieve growth in assets under management over the last five years performed better in terms of both cost/income ratio and return on equity than those institutions that were unable to increase their assets under management. For example, institutions with growth in assets under management had a cost/income ratio of 80% and a return on equity of 5.6%. In comparison, banks that did not achieve growth in assets under management from 2015 to 2019 had a cost/income ratio of 93% and a return on equity of 1.1%.

Higher customer returns bring higher bank returns

During the five-year observation period, the banks were very well capitalized and overall able to absorb even substantial additional stress. The minimum regulatory capital for these banks increased by CHF 853 million over the past five years, while their eligible capital increased by CHF 5.7 billion. This is partly due to the fact that less than 40% of profits were distributed to shareholders between 2015 and 2019. 29 banks (35%) paid no dividends at all during this period. 54 banks (64%) did not make such a distribution in 2019.

The analysis also shows that higher returns for customers also help to improve the profitability - and thus the long-term survival chances - of banks. Banks that generated a positive return for their customers over the past five years had a 25% higher chance of survival compared to banks that did not generate a return for their customers. At the same time, the institutions that generated a return for their customers have a lower cost/income ratio and a higher return on equity.

Private banks demonstrate effective Covid 19 crisis management

A total of 27 executives - mainly CEOs - gave their views on the corona crisis during the first half of the year in the study. All in all, private banks have so far coped well with the Corona crisis. It turns out that crisis management plans were implemented quickly and most banks had home offices in place within a few days. Due to the conservative lending policies of the past years, credit losses could be limited. Only a few banks had to launch cost-cutting programs as a result of the Corona crisis.

According to the executives interviewed, the relationship with customers has strengthened during the crisis. With the help of expanded communication channels, it was even possible to improve the dialog with customers. Nevertheless, the acquisition of new customers in particular poses a challenge, because the majority of potential private bank customers still prefer face-to-face meetings, especially for initial contacts.

Digital transformation brings added value to all stakeholders

The Corona crisis showed how quickly banks can implement change. Digital improvements that had been postponed for years were quickly introduced after the lockdown was announced. This led to more flexible working hours, greater efficiency, more intensive customer communication, new digital solutions such as online client onboarding, and process automations that ultimately benefited all of the banking institutions' key stakeholders - shareholders, employees, and customers. It is precisely the successful banks that will continue to build on these insights.

Source: KPMG

As in previous years, the Swiss software manufacturer Opacc is one of the most popular employers. Work-life balance with flexible working time models as well as ongoing support for training and development are the cornerstones for this. The software manufacturer is in the top 10 in the entire DACH region and in 2nd place in Switzerland. The company was evaluated by over 200 employees and applicants. The recommendation rate is 100%.

How a software manufacturer becomes more female

As part of the steady growth, a specific campaign was launched with a special focus on increasing the quota of women. The opportunity to attract highly qualified women to IT professions should be better exploited Natalie Schürmann, responsible for personnel acquisition at Opacc Software AG, is pleased with the successful recruitments: "We focus on the female component because women bring special skills to our teams, such as social and communication skills or a differentiated approach to problem solving. This makes the work in the specialist teams even more valuable!"

Share company culture

For Opacc, it is crucial that new employees have a convincing personality and are able and willing to support the company culture. Natalie Schürmann: "In the initial interview, I focus on personality and social aspects. The goal is to hire people who not only meet the professional profile, but also fit well with our company." Only with this concentrated energy can Opacc successfully survive the future and continue to grow.

Talents permanently sought

The central Swiss company builds on over 30 years of experience in the development and implementation of enterprise software. In recent years, numerous new positions have been created with top-qualified specialists. However, the increasingly costly recruitment of talent acts as an obstacle to further growth.
This makes it all the more important for the HR managers to inspire new employees - both men and women - to join Opacc through a variety of efforts. Opacc currently has a wide variety of jobs available, from project management to systems engineering and development.

Source and further information: www.opacc.ch

The swissICT Salary Study 2020 once again shows that salaries in the ICT sector are higher on average than in other industries. Adjusted for value, the median 2020 salaries for the skill levels Junior are CHF 80,000, Professional CHF 104,000 and Senior CHF 126,000. In addition, the rising number for all agile job profiles proves a trend that is already recognized by many in the everyday environment. For example, companies are increasingly hiring product owners instead of project managers. "ICT organizations/organizational units are constantly developing their employees and converting structures in favor of agile ways of working," adds Christian Hunziker, managing director of swissICT. "The continuing well-attended events of the swissICT Lean, Agile & Scrum specialist group are a further indication of this."

More ICT service provider

246 companies participated in the salary survey. They reported 33,493 salaries. "This is not a matter of course," says Christian Hunziker. "At the start of the survey, Switzerland was in lockdown. However, despite or perhaps because of Corona, we can now report a new record in the number of salaries named. That's a nice sign and shows the anchoring of this annual benchmark of ICT salaries."

If we look at the sector distribution of the participating companies, we can see changes. For example, there was a decline in the number of participating retail companies and in the number of insurance companies. However, the number of salary nominations in these sectors remained constant. The number of ICT service providers increased. They are largely responsible for this year's growth in the number of mentions.

The cut-off date for the data collection was May 1, 2020. The salaries were evaluated on the basis of "ICT professions," which covers salaries for a total of 50 professions. A new addition is the occupational profile of the mediamatician in the also new field of application informatics (AWI).

Differences in top specialists

A look at the standard evaluation of the swissICT Salary Survey 2020 shows the spread of salaries of comparable functions. In Switzerland, a "senior" application developer earns roughly between CHF 118,000 (lower quartile, 25 percent threshold) and CHF 135,000 (upper quartile, 75 percent threshold). This means that in each case, the salary is lower than CHF 118,000 and higher than CHF 135,000 for a quarter of the mentions. This occupational profile is one of the most frequently mentioned, with 1990 mentions.

A look at the more detailed analysis shows that the spread is even greater for top specialists and senior management functions. For the "senior expert" project manager, for example, the difference between the 25 percent and 75 percent threshold is already over 40,000 francs. These detailed evaluations are only available for companies participating in the study.

The statistical deviation of the wage ranges varies greatly at the different levels of competence, with the upper management levels in particular sometimes exceeding the average statistical deviation for the fixed wage components by more than 200 percent compared with the operating levels.

SwissICT Salary Study 2020 purely digital

This year, for the first time, the salary survey is being published exclusively in digital form. The PDF or Excel versions enable customers to carry out their research more flexibly and from any location, thus supporting modern working methods. In this context, the edition appears in a new look and with a slightly adapted and simplified price list.

More information: swissICT

Losing a job is difficult - emotionally and economically. In a time of crisis like the current one, even more so. The economic impact of the Corona pandemic is creating uncertainty. After a layoff, many therefore find it difficult to look positively into the professional future. Zerrin Azeri, Associate Director at the personnel service provider Robert Half in Zurich, gives tips on how to succeed in the job search even in difficult times.

Even if the dismissal comes suddenly, in most cases employees still have a few days or weeks left in the company. How should they best behave in this situation?
Zerrin Azeri: Even though it may be difficult, terminated employees should use the remaining time to say goodbye in a professional manner. This means handing over projects in such a way that others can continue them well and remaining friendly toward superiors and colleagues. Even if the termination has already been completed, one should leave a positive impression. In the best case, colleagues will then provide contacts that lead to a new job. Or there is a chance of reemployment once the economic consequences of the Corona pandemic have been overcome.

From many job coaches, you hear the advice to also see the layoff as an opportunity. What do you think of that?
For an affected employee, a termination has little positive impact at first, and the feeling of low esteem for one's own work or even one's own person quickly prevails. Especially when older employees are affected, it is difficult to see this end as an opportunity for a new beginning. But once the initial shock has been digested, it helps to think about whether the new situation might not be a good opportunity for career change. One should ask oneself what career ambitions one has and what is missing to achieve them. Perhaps you can use this time to take the step into self-employment or to rebalance your work-life balance in the future.

If the answers aren't obvious - what's the best way to go about figuring out if and what you want to change?
Job seekers can talk to either professional coaches or personnel service providers for a professional reorientation, but also to friends and business contacts. Assessing strengths and talents from different angles can provide new impetus for a new career start and sharpen the profile.

What tips do you have for the job search - especially now in times of Corona?
Candidates have various options for advancing their job search - even if the number of suitable job ads is low right now. It is important that the documents are professionally structured and that the applicants present themselves convincingly. In addition, they should be familiar with the new, largely non-contact methods in application processes that have found their way into everyday working life with the pandemic. Job seekers should not bury their heads in the sand and remain motivated despite possible frustration. They should realize that the job loss is not a result of a lack of skills, but was caused by an economic crisis. One advantage may be that other employees who are actually willing to change jobs are currently playing it safe and staying with their employer for the time being. This reduces the competition for qualified applicants for open positions.

The personnel service provider Robert Half gives further tips

The Internet Service Provider (ISP) iWay turns 25. Matthias Oswald and Markus Vetterli founded their own company in 1995. They recognized the potential of the World Wide Web early on and wanted to help shape the new era and, as a first step, develop websites for companies.

Internet service provider with 24000 customers

Meanwhile, the range of services expanded very quickly, as just one year after the company was founded, they landed the first major contract for Newtelco (later Sunrise) to set up the Internet backbone. Important milestones were the purchase of Dolphins Network Systems' provider business in 2004 and the acquisition of Easynet's residential DSL customers in 2008. Finally, in 2017, the company was sold to St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke (SAK). "The partners have always made a significant contribution to our success," says iWay Managing Director Matthias Oswald. In the meantime, indirect sales account for more than half of total sales (29.2 million Swiss francs in 2019). Today, more than 50 employees manage services from the areas of Internet access (fiber optics and DSL), TV, telephony, hosting, cloud, domains and data centers for more than 24,000 customers throughout Switzerland. Oswald and Vetterli will celebrate the 25th anniversary together with all employees at a big employee party on September 10, 2020.

Still a pioneer today

In the last five years, growth has been dominated by business with fiber-optic networks. With the start of marketing the fiber-optic network offerings of various city networks, such as those of Bern (ewb) and Zurich (ewz), iWay was able to strengthen its name as an Internet service provider and raise its profile. Readers of the business magazine Bilanz have already voted iWay the best provider in various categories in the annual Telekom Rating. Today, iWay is still one of the pioneers of the Internet, having expanded its offering with bandwidths of up to 10 Gbit/s just in time for its 25th anniversary. iWay is thus the first of the independent Swiss ISPs to offer the latest generation of Internet technology with the best possible bandwidth throughout Switzerland.

Freedom of choice for customers

25 years after its founding, iWay continues to differentiate itself from its market competitors out of conviction: "We want to convey our joy in technology to customers and partners - with high-quality products that are based on the latest generation of technologies and can be individually adapted to customers' needs," says Oswald. This is also evident in the super-fast Internet subscription: Unlike the bundled subscriptions offered by many other providers, the 10 Gbit/s subscription can be combined with all services (telephony, TV, etc.) in a modular fashion, just like all iWay services. "We believe that our customers should be free to put together their subscription with the speed that suits them," says Oswald, summing up the company's philosophy 25 years after its founding.

Source: iWay AG