Markus Naef takes over the new management of SwissSign AG. He is to lead the company as a joint venture into a new era and tackle the next growth step. He brings over 20 years of experience in general management and business development, has held leading roles related to digitalization and transformation, and in the implementation of digital business models in the B2C and B2B sectors.

Most recently, Naef was CCO and Senior Vice President at Sunrise Communications AG. His experience in establishing and forming strategic partnerships, his expertise in complex financial issues and his legal knowledge, particularly in the areas of data protection, competition and e-commerce in Europe and North America, make him the ideal candidate for the tasks ahead.

SwissSign CEO remains

Swiss Post and SBB are very pleased that the current CEO of SwissSign AG, Urs Fischer, will continue to be available to the company and contribute his knowledge at the customer interface and in product strategy. Swiss Post thanks him for his great commitment in positioning SwissSign AG as an innovative provider of certificate services and trusted identities in Switzerland.

Unified digital identity

After SBB's investment in the postal subsidiary received the green light from the Competition Commission (WEKO) and the EU Commission in March 2017 (see media release dated March 24, 2017), the digital identity is to be launched in fall 2017 and made available to the first postal portal customers. SwissPass customers are to follow from 2018. The service will also be available to interested authorities and companies as early as autumn 2017.

With the unified digital identity, users will be able to access various online services via a single secure login instead of using a multitude of usernames and passwords and exposing themselves to security risks. Public authorities and companies will benefit from the qualitatively improved identity and will be able to expand their online services more securely as well as design them more efficiently. The top priority is full compliance with applicable data protection regulations.

www.swisssign.com

In its latest study, Robert Half asked over 23,000 employees in eight countries how happy they are in their jobs and what factors play a role in this? There is no universal happiness formula, but six universal factors directly influence employee satisfaction and should therefore receive management attention.

Loyal employees

Not all employees achieve a high level of happiness: One-third of the study participants plan to change jobs in the next six months. In a comparison of positions, those employees who hold a managerial position are happier.

So what can supervisors keep in mind to ensure that their employees enjoy their work and remain loyal to the company? "Happiness is, of course, a deeply personal emotion. Nevertheless, job satisfaction can be concretely influenced," explains Yeng Chow, Senior Manager at Robert Half in Zurich.

"Happy employees are more productive and creative, they are sick less often and remain loyal to the company longer. Reason enough, therefore, to devote serious attention to the essential aspects of happiness and to put measures in place." The majority of employees surveyed see the responsibility for happiness as lying with both the supervisor and the employees themselves.

Only 6 % expect the employer to mainly take care of the well-being at the workplace. One in five (19 %) think that each employee bears most of the responsibility themselves.

Six factors for more satisfaction

To be sure, every employee has different needs, goals and preferences. Nevertheless, the study results provide clear indications of some generally applicable factors that directly influence employee satisfaction. These six factors not only motivate employees, they also improve teamwork and thus simplify recruitment efforts as well as employee retention measures:

1) The right job

A thoughtful hiring process with detailed job descriptions and thorough interviews recruits employees who fit well with the corporate culture and who know what to expect. The right incentives and continuous readjustment help to influence employee satisfaction and thus loyalty to the company in the long term.

2) More responsibility

Only just under half of respondents (49 %) say they can exert influence at work or be creative (45 %). Decision-making authority and creative freedom, however, are essential aspects of professional happiness.

3) Honest appreciation

Regular constructive feedback and honest recognition of performance creates long-lasting moments of happiness on the job.

4) Feel the sense

Employees who do meaningful work are happier than those for whom it is "just" work. Employees who are also proud of their company are 2.8 times more likely to be happy at work. This makes pride the strongest driver of happy employees worldwide.

5) Experience fairness and respect

For women, this aspect is the most important happiness factor. Overall, fair and respectful interaction is the second most important happiness driver at work worldwide. Only 7 % of those who experience a high level of fairness and respect plan to change their job in the coming months.

6) A positive working atmosphere

Good workplace relationships make for more fun, innovation and better collaboration - across team boundaries. Managers who succeed in establishing a good atmosphere and a climate of mindfulness and friendliness can count on motivated and productive employees.

"What increases the well-being of employees? How can a high level of employee satisfaction be ensured in the long term? These are critical questions to which Swiss companies should find answers. Employees with a high level of commitment and strong attachment to the company and its values are highly engaged in their workplace," Yeng Chow sums up. "Employees are happy and motivated when they feel their skills and experience fit the job. Companies need to examine this intensively during the recruitment phase and determine it again and again afterwards. After all, career paths are not set in stone. If companies proactively implement these measures, they will see a noticeable improvement in their productivity and profitability."

More details on this Robert Half study can be found at this Link

The first report on the situation for Swiss start-ups counts 120 pages and statistics. It shows data basics on high-growth companies. This data also paints a positive picture of the Swiss startup ecosystem in international comparison. Switzerland is one of the countries with the best framework conditions for entrepreneurial activities.

However, starting a new business is less perceived as a good career opportunity in Switzerland than in other innovation-based economies. The slightly lower Swiss startup rate in an international comparison results from rather few startups out of necessity - this is partly due to the high labor force participation, comparatively low unemployment and good earnings opportunities in many occupational groups.

Capital challenges

The Federal Council states in its report that financing for start-ups remains a challenge. Overall, the venture capital market is functioning, is active and is strongly networked internationally. In terms of venture capital investment as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), Switzerland ranks second in Europe behind Finland in 2015 at 0.044 percent, but is well behind leading countries such as Israel (0.383 percent) or the USA (0.284 percent).

In addition to the wide range of private and cantonal financing offers, there are also offers for companies at the federal level with the trade-oriented guarantee system, the Swiss Society for Hotel Credit (SGH) and the Technology Fund, which facilitate the taking out of loans or credits.

Optimized training programs

The Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI promotes the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with a training program and accompanies young company founders with professional coaching. The Federal Council therefore sees no need to launch a public funding program to support start-ups at the present time.

Digital "one-stop store

By the end of 2017, StartBiz will be replaced by the "One-Stop-Shop", which in the longer term is to include different official procedures without media discontinuity at federal, cantonal and municipal level. After completion of the project at the end of the legislative period, the "One-Stop-Shop" will be continuously expanded. Such a "one-stop store" should be available to companies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and be equipped with an electronic identity or corresponding access authorizations.

Central to this approach is that it builds on the services offered electronically by individual agencies and connects them via a virtual one-stop store.

The Federal Council will continue to examine further improvements in the future so that Switzerland can maintain its attractiveness for fast-growing companies and start-ups.

Further data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) on high-growth companies, i.e. startups, can be found at this Link

The Michael Page Swiss Job Index highlights that some director buyers can even match salaries in the finance industry. While demand for procurement and logistics profiles remains constant among both SMEs and multinationals,
Michael Page is increasingly helping clients recruit highly qualified candidates with planning (supply and demand) experience to
drive the integration of the supply chain.

Required qualifications

Nicolai Mikkelsen, Director and Board Member at Michael Page: "With few exceptions, candidates are generally expected to speak at least one or two local languages. Trilingual profiles (French, German and English) are still highly sought after by local companies, while English remains important for multinationals."

Wage differentials

With regard to salaries, location plays an important role: there are often significant wage differences between large cities and
the rest of Switzerland (approx. 10%) and between the German-speaking and French-speaking regions (approx. 10%). Senior executives can draw a salary of over 200,000 Swiss francs and also have the opportunity to receive 10 to 30 percent in bonuses (see table below). In addition, top candidates for coveted positions can expect offers from several employers.

The strong year-on-year growth is due to Swiss companies' profit margins coming under pressure and the excellent stability of the national supply chain. The occupational groups in logistics, purchasing and supply chain with the largest job growth (March 2016 to March 2017) were:

• Logistics specialists: +51 percent
• Inventory planning specialists: +42 percent
• Purchasing specialists: +19 percent

(Source: Michael Page Swiss Job Index)

The majority of all 14,000 commercial apprentices have found a follow-up solution four months after completing their apprenticeship. At the same time, the number of those who have left the company and are taking on another challenge immediately after the final exam is increasing. Language stays and further training are in high demand: 90% of all leavers are planning further training. 70% of graduates of the "classic", dual KV apprenticeship enter regular employment four months after graduation.

4% are doing an internship and 21% are doing something else; i.e., starting further education, going on a language study trip, traveling, or doing military service.

Continuing education high on the agenda

Nine out of ten respondents plan to continue their education after their apprenticeship. A quarter of KV graduates had already started further training in November after completing their apprenticeship, and another quarter will start by the end of 2017. The high rate of further training is not new, but a majority of people are now completing their further training full-time and are therefore focusing on it completely.

The CT graduates justify their further training plans, among other things, with the fact that education is particularly important nowadays, out of self-interest or to expand competencies for the desired position. In addition, more than 90% of the respondents are of the opinion that the commercial apprenticeship imparts important basics and serves as a stable foundation for later working life. However, further training must be completed in order to have opportunities on the labor market in the future.

In this way, the young professionals would also have internalized the debate about digitization and know what is important for them in the future working world.

Career and development opportunities

Development and career opportunities are an important criterion when looking for a job. 28% of respondents cannot imagine staying longer at their current company. Nearly one-third of respondents do not believe they have development and career opportunities there. Respondents in a large company are more likely to see career opportunities and consequently can imagine staying longer at the company than respondents who work in an SME. (Source: Commercial Association)

Andreas Kyburz is taking over the trade association in a unique position as its new managing director and is looking forward to his new role. His goal is to continue the well-functioning association in an orderly manner and to strengthen its attractiveness from the perspective of members and customers. Among other things, this means recognizing professional trends and their effects and integrating them into practice-oriented educational offers and member services.

After graduating as a business economist HWV in Olten, Andreas Kyburz worked for Möbel Pfister AG for twelve years, several years as a product manager, and most recently as Head of Logistics, Organization & IT. He then moved to the paper industry as Head of Purchasing and Logistics and was appointed Managing Director there in 2014.

Andreas Kyburz has been working his way in as designated Managing Director since November 2016. The handover of the baton will take place at the General Assembly on May 18, 2017 at the Hotel Bellevue in Bern. Officially, Kyburz will bear responsibility for the association's activities together with his team from June 1, 2017.

The human relationships that are elementary in the association network are close to his heart. "It is crucial for procure.ch to expand its thought leadership and pioneering role. We thrive on mutual exchange, and we want to gain more members who will contribute and thus secure the necessary edge for us."

The human relationships that are elementary in the association network are close to his heart. "It is crucial for procure.ch to expand its thought leadership and pioneering role. We thrive on mutual exchange, and we want to gain more members who will contribute and thus secure the necessary edge for us."

 www.procure.ch

Careerplus shows how managers deal with part-time work. Flexible working time models make it easier for women to reach management positions and for men to work part-time. Although the need for flexible working time and location is undisputed, corresponding working time models are only being accepted in a few companies. Only just one in five employees in management or with a supervisor function worked part-time in 2015 - women almost five times more often than men.

Prejudices in circulation

Prejudices, old role patterns and traditional leadership ideas prevent women and part-time positions from gaining acceptance at management level. "The hurdles often lie in the minds of those in charge," says organizational consultant Julia K. Kuark. If you don't work full time, you're not one hundred percent committed to the company, is a widespread belief. On the other hand, various studies show that flexible working time models are worthwhile for companies in many ways.

Not only does their introduction increase job satisfaction, motivation and productivity of employees, they also increase the attractiveness of the company on the labor market and reduce fluctuation costs and absenteeism. What exactly does a company need to consider if it wants to promote flexible working hours? The white paper contains practical examples and tips, as well as study results and links to helpful websites.

"The culture change at the highest level"

Opening up to flexible working time models as a company is a continuous process that must first be initiated by the top management. Only if awareness and acceptance of the changed work requirements are created at the highest level can corresponding efforts bear fruit.

Careerplus advises employers to first rethink the corporate culture before moving forward with steps such as workplace design, employee training or technology updates. "Culture change needs to be exemplified at the highest level," says Jacqueline Scheuner, co-managing director of Careerplus. Learn how leading part-time works at Careerplus in the white paper.

The white paper "Career despite part-time? Flexible working time models in management" (free of charge) can be found at here

The FMH statistics underline the fact that a total of 36,175 physicians were employed in this country in 2016. Men still make up the majority of the medical profession with 58.7 percent. But the proportion of women has increased by 37.9 percent since 2010.

A majority of 51.1 percent of physicians work in the outpatient sector - 47.3 percent work in the inpatient sector. 23 percent of physicians have a specialist title in general internal medicine, followed by psychiatry and psychotherapy (10.1 percent) and pediatrics and adolescent medicine (4.9 percent).

Doctors of retirement age

The average age of physicians in Switzerland was 49.2 years in 2016, with physicians in the outpatient sector (54.6 years) being more than ten years older on average than their colleagues in the inpatient sector(43.2 years). This is due in particular to the fact that further training up to the award of the specialist title takes place predominantly in hospitals.

If residents are excluded from the consideration of average age, the average age of physicians working in the inpatient sector increases to 46.0 years.

Compared to 2008, it appears that primary care providers working in outpatient settings were significantly more likely to be working past retirement age in 2016. There may be several reasons for this: First, succession planning for a practice is likely to remain difficult, but second, physicians also want to work beyond retirement age regardless of succession planning.

Proportion of foreigners continues to rise

In 2016, 11,900 of the working physicians in Switzerland have a foreign medical degree. This corresponds to a share of 32.9 percent of the total physician workforce. In the inpatient sector, the proportion is 38.4 percent. Most working foreign physicians come from surrounding countries: Germany (53.6 percent), Austria (10.8 percent), Italy (9.6 percent) and France (3.0 percent).

A look at continuing education shows that 44.2 percent of physicians who earned a federal medical specialty degree in 2016 hold a foreign medical degree.

For more information on the "FMH Physician Statistics 2016", please visit this Link  

With the "ICT Security Expert", ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz is creating a highly positioned and recognized diploma qualification. Protection against cyberattacks on corporate and administrative networks is becoming an increasingly crucial success factor for companies and administrations. Finding suitable specialist personnel is not easy.

ICT Security Experts reduce the organization's information security risk, identify any gaps in the security strategy and develop measures to close these gaps.

Digicomp as an education partner

In its new position as the first education partner of ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz, Digicomp provides a modular education offer for interested parties who want to prepare for the Federal Diploma Examination "ICT Security Expert". In the course package "Exam Preparation ICT Security Expert with Federal Diploma", seminars have been compiled that cover a large part of the official guide. As part of this package, participants solve sample exams and receive valuable tips for the exam. The required competencies can also be booked individually on a modular basis.

Jörg Aebischer, Managing Director of ICT Vocational Training Switzerland, is positive about the new degree: "I am delighted that after a long period of preparation, things are now getting underway and that the first highly qualified and federally certified ICT Security Experts will be available in Switzerland from 2018. It's great that we have found an established education partner in Digicomp, which competently prepares interested parties for the federal exam."

You can find out more about the ICT course and the information evening (May 17 in Zurich) at this Link

Automation also brings benefits for companies. Productivity and speed increase, processes become more efficient. But there are also controversial points: What does digitization mean for employees - new opportunities or job losses? The 100 CFOs from Swiss companies surveyed by Robert Half primarily see benefits for employees. Specifically, these include:

workload reduction, for example through less data entry, and the opportunity to acquire new skills more quickly due to digitized processes. And this is already a reality, they say: 78 % of finance managers say that the new technologies and digital processes are already helping their team to do their jobs better. What's more, one-third of respondents (34 %) believe that automation is even improving their work-life balance.

Robert Half asked 100 CFOs about their agreement with the following statements:

- "The increasing reliance on technology and digital processes is having a positive impact on the finance department." (92 % Agree)

- "New technology and digital processes have been implemented in my company's finance department to help my team do their jobs better." (78 % Agree)

- "The management and executives of our company are fully behind the digitization of the finance department." (79 % Agree)

Source: Robert Half, Labor Market Study 2017, Respondents: 100 CFOs in Switzerland

Insecure employees

Finance employees themselves, on the other hand, are skeptical about the changes. As 69 % of CFOs state, employees perceive their jobs as less secure due to increasing digitization. However, the employees' concerns are unfounded, as the majority of the CFOs surveyed (73 %) confirm that automation will require a significant adjustment of the necessary skills, but that this will not result in any job losses in the finance team. "Automation, digitalization and artificial intelligence will significantly change our workplaces. The concerns and worries of many employees are understandable," explains Yeng Chow, Senior Manager at Robert Half in Zurich.

"But digitization also brings benefits to employees. More efficient processes and the automation of routine tasks mean more time for innovative projects. In the future, repetitive tasks will be taken over by machines, and people will be able to bring their creativity, innovative and decision-making power to work."

End-to-end digitization culture

The automation of the finance department thus brings many positive changes for companies and employees. That is why it is particularly irritating that one in five CFOs (21 %) cannot count on the full support of their management and executives when it comes to driving automation forward in the company. "Younger executives have recognized the need for digitization. But among some top managers, there are apparently still skeptics regarding the innovations," explains Yeng Chow. "This is all the more unfortunate because the necessary skills already exist in companies and could be used." After all, 74 % of those surveyed say the finance department is well trained and adept at using new technologies.

You can find out more about the Robert Half labor market study or about the study "Finance 2020 - Planning the future" under this Link

The Randstad Work Barometer shows something astonishing: Switzerland is below the global average in terms of digitalization level. In many other countries, digitization already has a greater weighting. Globally, 84 % of participants are convinced that every company should have a digital strategy, and 59 % confirm that their employer does.

So there is a clear need for action for Swiss employers - either to develop a digital strategy or to inform their employees about the existing strategy.

Unused opportunities

Jonathan Isenring, co-founder of the Digital Festival in Switzerland, sees various possible factors influencing the study results for Switzerland: "In Switzerland, there is still a tendency for some industries and companies to be in a comfort zone when it comes to digitization. Perhaps they have too little pressure to develop a digital strategy. Another factor is probably the rather reserved, understatement attitude of the Swiss, who rate themselves lower and less optimistically than other countries and cultures do."

Swiss employees

The digital world of work requires different skills than are currently available - 63 % of all Swiss survey participants agree with this statement. In contrast, only half of all Swiss respondents believe they need to acquire more digital skills to ensure their future employability.

Is this assessment due to Switzerland's progressive educational landscape? Toni Schmid, business economist FH and managing director of FH SCHWEIZ, the national umbrella organization for graduates of Swiss universities of applied sciences, assesses the study results as follows: "Particularly at universities of applied sciences, where practical application is very important, the topics of digitization have always been present and they are constantly being deepened. This happens within the departments or, in the meantime, with specialized departments or cooperations. Graduates are therefore well prepared for the job market. This is also confirmed by the very low unemployment rates when students enter the workforce. In this respect, this performance in the lower ranks should be seen as the highest honor."

Male digital natives

Swiss men tend to feel they need to acquire digital skills more than Swiss women. At the age of 18 - 24, the difference is extremely strong. At 77 %, male digital natives are convinced that they need more digital skills to still find a job in the future. Among female digital natives, this figure is only 47 %.

For more news about Randstad studies (such as the Mobility Index), visit. www.randstad.com