In 2018, Swiss companies and investors were extremely active in mergers and acquisitions, resulting in a record year for M&A deals. This is shown by KPMG's "Clarity on M&A" study. The number of transactions with Swiss participation increased by around a quarter compared to the previous year (+24.8%) and, at 493 deals, reached the highest level since the survey began in 2007. The transaction volume also increased markedly compared to 2017, from USD 101.5 billion to USD 132.9 billion (+30.9%), but fell short of the record figure of USD 188.1 billion set in 2014.

Particularly large number of M&A deals in pharmaceuticals and life sciences

M&A activity was particularly high in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sectors, the consumer goods industry and the industrial sector. With 88 deals, the latter sector recorded the most transactions. However, at just under USD 29.5 billion, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies achieved the highest transaction volume. The technology, telecommunications and media sectors (68 deals) and the financial sector (62 deals) were also very active. However, the transaction volume of both sectors totaling USD 15.7 billion was at a significantly lower level.

Consistent implementation of the transformations

"Swiss companies such as ABB, Novartis, Nestlé and Glencore were able to take further steps on their transformation paths and significantly advance or complete the reshuffling of their portfolios with significant transactions," explains Timo Knak, Head of M&A at KPMG. The deal between Novartis and the British pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) achieved by far the highest transaction volume: In order to be able to continue to focus on the development and growth of its core business, Novartis sold a 36.5% stake in a joint venture to GSK for USD 13.0 billion. Subsequently, the Basel-based biotechnology and pharmaceutical company acquired AveXis Inc. (gene therapies) and Endocyte (cancer therapies) for a total of USD 10.6 billion. ABB will sell its power grid division to Japanese industrial group Hitachi for USD 9.4 billion. Swiss food company Nestlé acquired the production capacity and brand and distribution rights of the consumer and foodservice products of US retailer Starbucks for USD 7.2 billion. Glencore sold its stake in the Russian oil company Rosneft to Qatar's sovereign wealth fund QIA for USD 9.3 billion.

Private equity deals reach all-time high

Private equity is playing an increasingly important role in corporate mergers and acquisitions, according to another finding of the study. The number of private equity deals reached 160 in 2018, the highest level since the survey began in 2007, and 2017 already recorded a striking increase of 32.2% in private equity transactions compared to 2016. The transaction volume in 2018 amounted to USD 35.6 billion, an increase of 96.7% compared to the previous year. The growing influence of private equity is supported by a persistently low interest rate environment with correspondingly favorable financing conditions, extended economic growth, and successfully executed fundraisings. "Against this backdrop, creativity is emerging in an oversaturated market. Diversification by sector or cross-border expansion is becoming increasingly important as private investors continue to look for interesting assets," Timo Knak adds.

Source and further information: KPMG

"There are several factors, such as the increasing tightness of the labor market and the enormous amount of data available, that influence the way HR professionals and talent acquisition leaders work," says Stefan Steger, Chairman Korn Ferry Switzerland & Austria, adding, "Thus, in order to succeed in attracting, developing and retaining top talent in the future, it is important to increase agility and become increasingly forward-looking."

Korn Ferry has identified eight trends in talent acquisition that will be of great importance to companies in the future. Some of these are described in more detail below:

Proactive search

Reaching potential candidates who take time off between jobs is no easy task. But there are approaches to reach such professionals: targeted proactive sourcing, talent communities, workshops, customized landing pages and microsites, or alumni networks for those who have left the company and might consider returning.

Strengthen diversity and integration

When it comes to increasing diversity and inclusion, the focus must not only be on the boardroom, but on all levels of a company. Attention must be paid to fostering diverse talent, including women, people with different skin colors, and also people with disabilities.

To measure this progress, many companies have begun using applicant tracking systems to find out what percentage of minority applicants were actually hired. Companies are working to expand their diverse candidate pool and use unbiased assessments to ensure that the most qualified individuals are hired. In addition, companies are placing an additional emphasis on retaining a diverse workforce. Many are using a "Diversity & Inclusion Diagnostic" to help solve the real problem: Why do employees leave and what can be done to keep employees loyal to the company?

Making artificial intelligence "smarter

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being relied upon in the search for qualified candidates. However, it is important that AI is properly vetted so that, for example, diversity efforts are not undermined. Even when resumes are anonymized by removing candidate names, AI can often figure out a candidate's gender by analyzing the phrases used. For example, "takes charge" is often associated with men, while "leads persuasively" is used by women.

One way to alleviate the problem is to provide the AI with nonpartisan data, such as talent assessment data, that identifies success factors. The AI needs to be trained to look more for the skills needed for a particular role, rather than focusing on subjective mode factors.

Personalized payment

Expectations for pay have changed over the years. Companies today work with four different generations that have different expectations for pay and rewards.

To find out what each generation actually wants, companies start listening. With this information, companies are then able to create reward packages that are more targeted. These packages usually include the following: different types of pay, flex time, paid time off, international assignments, or even student loan repayments. Thus, a company's compensation discussion is transformed into a 1:1 discussion with employees.

Rethink annual performance appraisal

The length of employment of employees is short these days. Whereas many employees used to stay with the company for years, younger employees in particular only stay for an average of just two years - if not less. Employees no longer need anniversary gifts, but much more constructive real-time feedback and ongoing performance discussions with their supervisors. Even if the employee doesn't have a long tenure, the ongoing feedback helps them learn, stay engaged, and create an employer value proposition to attract future employees.

How is the company doing?

For years, consumer goods companies and retailers have been surveying customers about their experiences with the brand. This practice is also increasingly becoming part of the recruiting process. Technology enables real-time feedback from candidates about their experience during the recruitment cycle. Berfragung tools seek feedback at all points in the process, providing recruiters and hiring managers with data-driven insights and information. With the data, they can change recruiting practices, including specific job requirements and interactions with candidates, to successfully hire the best people.

New job titles

"Chief Happiness Officer," "Data Wrangler," "Legal Ninja" - fancy job titles like these are emerging in many industries to reflect companies' changing strategies. For example, healthcare, finance and other companies are increasingly looking for a "chief experience officer." These companies recognize that the need for positive experiences at every touchpoint is greater than ever. Another emerging position is the "chief transformation officer," who is often tasked with change management initiatives in times of mergers and acquisitions. Some names are also popping up to attract younger employees. For example, "legal ninjas" are the new generation of legal officers.

Talent analytics just as important as business analytics

Traditionally, executives set strategy by analyzing business analytics to determine costs and operational effectiveness. However, experts say they may be failing because they are not finding the right kind of talent. That's why talent analytics, which look at the talent landscape in specific markets, are increasingly coming into play along with business analytics to create the most effective and sustainable approach.

Source and further information: www.kornferry.com

For ten sales job profiles, the current salary study by HR consultancy Careerplus shows the range of a standard market salary. The study also sheds light on the salary situation in Switzerland: Since 2016, the average annual salary for sales staff has risen significantly, by 17 percent. The most important factor for a higher salary is not training and further education, but professional experience.

Gross wage increased since 2016

Two things stand out in the Careerplus Sales Salary Study: the significant increase in annual salary and the importance of work experience. Since the last sales salary study in 2016, the average gross annual salary has risen by 17 percent. At the same time, according to the study, the median salary in Sales, at 100,000 Swiss francs, is almost 30 percent higher than the average for Switzerland as a whole. Among the factors that influence salary are foreign language skills, especially in higher positions: An account manager earns around 10 percent more per foreign language than those without such skills. Education and training are also relevant to salary. For example, a product manager with an apprenticeship diploma receives an average of 90,500 Swiss francs per year, while a master's degree from a university of applied sciences earns 130,000 Swiss francs. But professional experience is more important than anything else: The annual salary of a sales manager increases by up to 40,000 francs within 20 years. "Industry and product knowledge are often more important than official further training. Professional experience in sales is therefore decisive for the salary. We have been noting this in our salary studies for some time now," says Jana Jutzi, Managing Director of Careerplus, commenting on the study.

Study for wages in line with the market

The Sales Salary Study, which Careerplus publishes every two years, is based on 1665 data records. The study devotes a detailed double-page spread to each of ten selected sales job profiles: from office administrator and field salesperson to team leader, account manager, sales engineer, regional manager and sales manager. Various indicators are used to show how the industry, foreign language skills and further training affect the salary. As a practical plus, the study includes a form for calculating salary. This can be used to calculate individually for each salary level, professional experience, industry and region whether one's own salary or that of the employee is appropriate.

The current Sales salary survey is available as Download available free of charge.

A promising mobile future is emerging for logistics: warehouse managers communicate seamlessly with their warehouse staff and organize themselves better. They save a lot of time, in the preparation as well as in the follow-up of goods movements and inventory. In the process, mobile solutions also reduce the error rate and provide a more accurate view of process steps. This increases transparency. Because it is possible to track where the goods are at any time. Additional ecological benefits: Paper savings of up to 70 percent. However, these advantages of a mobile warehouse solution do not come automatically. The ERP manufacturer proALPHA has identified eight success factors for mobile warehouse management:

1. fully integrated instead of patchwork

In times of digitalization, no company can afford to establish new systems that create additional media disruptions or high-maintenance interfaces. Mobile apps must therefore be seamlessly connected to the leading system of all company processes. As a rule, this is an ERP system.

2. individual adaptability and expandability

Mobile applications must fit the context and the company processes, and these are very different in every manufacturing or retail company. In addition, processes in the warehouse are highly dynamic and change rapidly. A solution should therefore be flexibly expandable.

3. safety

Data protection and data security are top priorities in mobile solutions. A basic requirement here is to regulate the access options with an authorization concept. SSL/TLS encryption of the data connections between the mobile devices and the ERP system protects against unauthorized "eavesdropping". So that only those can access who are allowed to.

4. practicality

The solution should already be in use at other companies in the industry. This increases the likelihood that the requirements of the company's own operations will also be met. References can then also report first-hand on the stability and robustness.

5. user-centered design

A mobile application should be developed starting from the user. This means iteratively, using prototypes. So that inventory, goods receipt, transfer postings or picking processes run in all sub-steps exactly as the optimized process envisages. Because only interfaces and processes that employees can handle quickly and without a great deal of training ensure increased productivity.

6. hybrid and intelligent control

The easiest and fastest way to capture data is via scanner. If the environmental conditions, such as the distance to the label or a damaged label, do not allow scanning, it must also be possible to enter data quickly and easily via the keyboard. A mobile application should then recognize that a scanned number is a document number and directly start the associated process, for example, goods receipt.

7. full service

Nothing is more tedious than coordinating a wide variety of manufacturers, and in case of doubt, the others are always to blame when problems arise. Companies should therefore prefer to purchase a complete solution including the infrastructure, such as the mobile devices, and consulting from a single source in order to have a responsible contact person - even when it comes to future expansions of the solution.

8. internationally applicable

When it comes to scanning itself, language plays less of a role. However, time zones must be taken into account for time stamps in order to cleanly document transcontinental supply chains or warehouse movements. If warehouse staff also enter texts or quantities, both the mobile solutions and the connected ERP system must fully master various character sets, languages and number formats for international business.

Anyone who fulfills these eight points is well on the way to a successful solution, but not yet at the finish line. After all, the basic prerequisite for efficient warehouse management is the processes. "Processes must be as lean as possible and, above all, clearly defined," emphasizes Daniel Schüllner, Product Manager Usability and Mobile at ERP manufacturer proALPHA. "Paired with a future-oriented application that meets all of the above requirements, only then does it become the 'winning team,'" says Schüllner. Complex processes can be optimized and simplified via the ERP system. Thanks to proven scheduling procedures, companies are free to choose which storage type they want to work with. The range includes the classic fixed bin organization, dynamically changing or mixed storage bins, and special warehouses.

More information: proALPHA

Better nutrition, more exercise, education and training, quitting smoking, more time for the family - many people know these New Year's resolutions, but far fewer actually put them into practice. It is no longer a secret that self-control is a decisive factor. People with a high level of self-control are better able to resist spontaneous temptations and focus more on their long-term goals. Psychologists have sought numerous explanations for why this is so, including that people with high self-control have stronger habits that support goal achievement. Michail Kokkoris of the WU Institute for Marketing and Consumer Research, together with Olga Stavrova and Tila Pronk, has now found another explanation: People with high self-control choose their goals differently: they are more likely to set them according to their personality.

Staying true to yourself pays off

The researchers were able to identify two decisive factors for success: First, it was found that the subjects with high self-control were more likely to achieve their goals because they set them in such a way that they corresponded to their "true selves." That is, their resolutions focused less on how the goal they set would affect the external environment and what other people would think of it, and more on ensuring that the goal was in line with their self-image and corresponded to their values. "The importance of authenticity, i.e., being oneself, has long been emphasized by philosophers and has also been empirically researched in science in recent decades," Kokkoris said, "Now we see that this is also important in goal achievement."

Better self-control enables faster goal achievement

On the other hand, the results of the study show that the decision to set goals that match one's own self-image also means that self-controlled people also make faster progress in achieving their goals. "You can see quite clearly how important it is to really set your goals for yourself and not for your social environment. People with high self-control achieve their goals not only because they are better at suppressing some needs and resisting temptations. They achieve them because they choose goals that suit them. They may then find it easier to persevere because it feels authentic," he says.

Comprehensive study design

The study authors arrived at the results through several research methods. Among other things, students were asked to keep a diary for one week. At the beginning of the project, the students had to set their goals for the coming week and then evaluate and reflect on them according to a wide variety of criteria. Individual self-control was also examined in their own surveys. One week later, students were asked about progress toward their goal. "The next time you set goals, remember: the secret of people with high self-control is that they know which goals are paramount, they choose their goals according to their own values, and they find them personally valuable and meaningful - that is, they don't have goals imposed on them from the outside," Kokkoris appeals.

Source and information about the study

On January 9, 2019, the St.Gallen New Work Forum took place for the second time. This event is organized annually by HR-Panel New Work of the University of Applied Sciences St.Gallen. The HR-Panel New Work accompanies companies and employees on their way to New Work. The content of the forum consists of the presentation of the annual HR-Panel New Work study, keynote speeches and workshops, whereby the latter are submitted by call and selected by the HR-Panel New Work.

The participants of this year's New Work Forum were welcomed by RAIffi, a humanoid robot from Raiffeisen Bank St. Gallen, with the words: "I think it's great that you're daring to take a look at the future of the working world. At the forum, 200 professionals and experts from business, government or educational institutions discussed whether satisfactory collaboration between humans and machines was a utopia or achievable. This question was derived from the first HR Panel New Work study, in which respondents attributed the greatest and, in some cases, undesirable potential for change to digitization. In the second study, presented on January 9, 2019, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Cloots, co-leader of the HR-Panel New Work at the University of Applied Sciences St.Gallen (FHS) and responsible for the forum, and her co-leader and rector of the FHS Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wörwag, investigate what employees expect from digitalization. As it turned out, these are both fears and opportunities.

Digitization triggers concerns in the work environment

The fears are expressed by the fact that only half of the respondents, and thus half of the employees, are looking forward to digitization. At the same time, the majority of respondents consider digitization to be an opportunity. Location-independent working is mentioned as a positive development, while the increase in performance pressure or the routinization of work, for example through more documentation, is mentioned as a negative aspect. Changes, according to the respondents, will mainly be reflected in terms of efficiency thinking, rules and technologization. Only 12% expect more humanity as a result of digitization, i.e., that routine activities can be handed over to the machine and employees can focus instead on people, customers, guests, work colleagues or partners. While the skeptics are mainly to be found among employees over 46 years of age, those just starting out in their careers are also skeptical about individual aspects: the young see a danger in the substitution of people, i.e., that jobs will be eliminated.

Technology, Michael Baeriswyl, Head of Data, Analytics and AI, Swisscom is certain in his keynote speech, will have a very big impact on the world of work. "Everything you can imagine is technically possible and everything that is technically possible will eventually be made possible." The truism that nothing is as constant as change proves true here as well, and as Luzia Schuler of workingwell emphasized in her workshop, a learning culture, flexibilization and networking are central to successfully dealing with digitization as an aspect of New Work. This in turn requires new, adapted leadership. However, as the HR Panel New Work study found, there are many skeptics among management. Accordingly, it is not surprising that only 18% of the respondents recognize a change in leadership behavior. In view of all these aspects, the HR Panel New Work study authors formulate a central request: "We need to communicate well about the benefits, the approach and the scope of a digitization strategy honestly and transparently," said Cloots during the presentation.

Artificial intelligence and automated processes also do work

Sandra Hutterli, Head of corporate training at SBB, showed in her workshop what such communication can look like: A video made for the employees shows the positive aspects of digitalization. Although Hutterli did not introduce this by saying that the video is intended to take away fear, this nevertheless resonates in statements in the video such as "we all want to be digital for a strong SBB". Likewise, SBB's head of education emphasized that artificial intelligence and automated processes also get work done. Therefore, she said, they are not evil, but can make a significant contribution so that SBB can fulfill its mission. These statements explain the benefits of digitization and arose in the context of SBB's claim to prepare and qualify all employees and managers for digitization in order to ensure the organization's future viability.

If digitization brings freedom, as Roman Büchler from BSG Unternehmensberatung AG emphasized in his workshop, the question arises as to which prison employees are currently in, what they are currently missing out on because this cannot be experienced in a prison, and ultimately also how people will relearn how to deal with freedom. These aspects are also reflected in the HR Panel New Work study: While, as mentioned, location-independent working, or a general flexibilization of work in terms of location, time and portfolio, is seen as an opportunity, at the same time there are fears of rules that restrict or complicate the freedom that comes with flexibilization. This brings us full circle to the fact that digitization as an aspect of New Work requires new management behavior that is characterized by trust - which, however, is in contradiction to the skeptics in management already mentioned.

Employees are also digitization drivers

The study also shows that the employer is not necessarily the digitization driver, but that private individuals in particular are also drivers. They already use many opportunities for digitization more frequently in their private lives than in the work environment, mentioning information gathering via blogs, forums or websites, the use of cloud services such as Dropbox or the use of instant messaging services such as Whatsapp. But even if the private individual is the driver and the majority of respondents see digitization as an opportunity, the skeptics should still be taken seriously, according to Alexandra Cloots and Sebastian Wörwag, so that they can be identified so that they can be addressed in the implementation. If digitization primarily triggers concerns in the work environment, they say, this can be countered with (quick) wins whose benefits and progress are emphasized. There are always opportunities for such development steps, because, as Wörwag emphasizes, digitization is an eternal process in which a higher level of maturity can be achieved, but which will never be finished.

More information

The average employee spends around three hours a week in meetings and rates two-thirds of all meetings as unnecessary and a waste of time. This equates to a global cost of around $541 billion per year, according to the Doodle Meeting Status Report 2019. Some 76 percent of workers surveyed clearly prefer face-to-face meetings to calls and video chats. On behalf of Doodle, 6528 employees in Switzerland, Germany, the UK and the USA were surveyed and data from 19 million meetings organized via Doodle were also analyzed.

Making phone calls and writing messages at meetings as a no-go

More than one-third (37 percent) of respondents consider unnecessary meetings to be the biggest cost driver in the organization, and one-third said they have no input into most meetings. But what makes a bad meeting? For more than half of survey participants (55 percent), talking on the phone or writing messages during a meeting is a clear no-go. A clear objective is the main factor for a successful meeting for a majority of respondents (72 percent).

Swiss particularly fond of meetings

Many employees (70 percent of respondents) prefer meetings between 8 a.m. and noon. The study also found that Swiss employees spend significantly more time in meetings (five hours per week on average) than in the US, UK or Germany (three hours per week). Gabriele Ottino, Managing Director of Doodle: "Many companies suffer from the sloppy organization of meetings. In particular, this also affects around 25 percent of employees who attend an average of five or more meetings per week. Through this report, we want to better understand what constitutes a bad meeting and how it affects the workday."

Source: Doodle

In the present three-year comparison by Grass & Partner AG for the period 2016-2018, a rethinking with regard to new orientations and succession arrangements is becoming apparent, particularly among SME management and board members. The reasons for this lie in the current changes on the labor market. Structural change, economic influences and, above all, digitalization are leading to new requirements in terms of skills and culture. More diversity, primarily in the sense of educational, talent and age diversity, is in demand. Those affected are therefore increasingly using professional support for career development and outplacement. The three-year survey by the company, which is one of the leading outplacement providers in Switzerland, is based on a survey of around 700 management employees and specialists from a wide range of industries.

Increasing pressure increases demand for outplacement services

The current study shows that the pressure on employees with staff and management functions has increased further. The rate rose from 23 percent in 2017 to 30 percent of those undergoing reorientation in 2018. The reasons for this lie largely in economic and technological developments, which are also confronting management levels with new requirement profiles.

The more stable economic situation overall last year had a positive effect on the industrial sector. Here, the current three-year survey by Grass & Partner AG records a decline in those in the new/outplacement process from 22 percent in 2017 to 11 percent in 2018. The care rate in the retail sector decreased from 10% in 2017 to 7% last year. The public sector also recorded a decrease in separations. The rate decreased from 11% in 2017 to 7% in 2018. Both the services and IT sectors came under pressure last year. They recorded a significant year-on-year increase in separations from 5% to 12% and from 11% to 16% respectively. There was also an increase in the use of outplacement services in staff and management support functions: The share there has increased from 23% in 2017 to 30% in 2018.

Continued positive trends for older employees

Another trend on the labor market can be seen in the area of older employees. Here, the current three-year survey reflects a strong increase in the number of over-50s and over-55s. Thanks to successful professional support, their chances for professional reorientation have improved significantly. Based on all of last year's newplacement mandates, Grass & Partner was able to reduce the time it took for the individuals concerned to start a new job from 6 months in 2017 to 5.6 months in 2018. The current high demand for experienced employees and know-how carriers in the booming SME environment has certainly contributed to this development. For this clientele, the focus is increasingly on succession planning, shareholdings and company takeovers.

Women grab their chances

The current figures on the presence of women in the executive floors of Swiss companies are on the decline. This is matched by the fact that Grass & Partner is recording a steady increase in female executives who receive targeted support in the area of career development or initiate it themselves. This is certainly also with the intention of proactively counteracting this trend. The next three-year survey may provide information on further developments in the Swiss labor market in this regard.

Grass & Partner conducted the first study of this kind for the years 2005 to 2007. Since then, the company has been conducting the three-year surveys, providing relevant information on the labor market situation in particular to members of management bodies as well as at cadre level.

Source and further information: www.grassgroup.ch

Another recent article on the topic of outplacement services can be found at here.

The outplacement consultancy von Rundstedt was founded in 1985 and is now a leading outplacement provider in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. von Rundstedt works with companies in all sectors in the event of staff reductions and redundancies and supports employees affected by redundancies in their professional reorientation. The company regularly publishes a labor market barometer based on findings from current outplacement consultations. The statistics recently published in January 2019 present an interesting picture of the mood in the labor market across Switzerland in 2018, with the key findings summarized as follows:

"Less economic pressure, but more layoffs due to structural change"

Various data indicate that overall, terminations in 2018 were characterized more by structural pressure than by cyclical necessity. For example, the financial sector in particular, which is undergoing major structural change, saw a sharp increase in terminations, from 22% in 2017 to 32% in 2018. In the pharmaceutical sector, which has historically been subject to major structural pressure due to its project nature, the rate of terminations also remained high, according to von Rundstedt (at 24% in 2017; 27% in 2018). Traditional industry, on the other hand, experienced a significant decline, which can be explained by the economic recovery and better macroeconomic conditions. After accounting for 29% in 2017, layoffs in industry account for only 22% in 2018. The justification for the layoffs also go in this direction. For example, downsizing measures have fallen sharply from 26% to 20%, while restructuring terminations have increased at the same time (from 40% to 46%). This trend can also be traced in the functions affected. In 2018, for example, there was more turnover among managers (increase from 33% to 36%) and cadre employees (increase from 21% to 28%), while relatively fewer terminations were made among specialists. After 25% in 2017, there were only 17% here in 2018. This also indicates greater structural change, rather than cyclical pressure.

Ü50: Situation remains tense

While in the last two years the over-50s were affected by layoffs to roughly the same extent as other age groups, there was a slight increase in 2018. Thus, 34% of the dismissals under review now concerned older workers aged 50 and over. This figure is slightly higher than the reference value of 30%, which corresponds to the proportion of 50 and over in the total workforce.

Older workers aged 50 and over continue to find it more difficult to find a job than their younger colleagues. The average search duration of 6.8 months for the over-50s deviates significantly from the overall average of 5.3 months. The decisive factor here, however, is that the statistical variance within the Ü50 group is much higher than in other groups. This means that many over-50s find a new job very quickly, but many also have to search for a very long time. It can be concluded from this that there is no general age discrimination in the market, but that the conditions vary greatly from one individual to another and are strongly influenced by other aspects.

Vacancies are being advertised more and more frequently

More and more clients of outplacement consulting find their new job based on advertisements and online job postings on the open job market. In 2018, 24% of von Rundstedt's clients obtained an officially advertised job (in 2017, only 20%). At the same time, search successes via the hidden labor market decreased from 52% to 41%. The hidden labor market thus still remains by far the most successful search channel, but the trend is nevertheless clear and significant. This is primarily due to the fact that more and more employers are using the digital possibilities of online job advertising (webpage, social media, application platforms) and that these can be optimally managed in terms of cost and effort. The newly introduced job notification requirement (MEI implementation) will further strengthen this trend in the future, believes von Rundstedt.

Trend towards self-employment

The figures express that self-employment is becoming an increasingly common option for people in a professional reorientation. In 2018, for example, 12% of von Rundstedt's clients newly decided to become self-employed and set up a business field themselves. This increase is enormous, according to outplacement consultants. After all, this self-employment rate was only 5% in 2017. There may be two reasons for this development: First, they say, there is a general trend toward the downsizing of corporate structures and the increasing fragmentation of supplier markets - in other words, once again, a structural change. The sharing economy, gig economy and freelancer trend are seen as the driving forces behind this development. Secondly, there is also a pragmatic reason: Self-employment is often the only way to stay in the labor market, especially for older workers with a difficult profile and lower employability.

Zero Gap: Employers can still afford to recruit without compromise

Zero Gap means that employers show little tolerance for deviation from the perfect desired profile in recruitment and stick to the perfect requirements profile. Thus, it is still not easy for clients to move to a new industry or function. In 2018, only 25% of the clients advised by von Rundstedt succeeded in changing industries, and the figure for changing functions is also 25%. Zero Gap thus continues to be an obstacle for people who need to reorient and reposition themselves due to structural changes. This presents great difficulties for many of those affected, especially against the backdrop of digitization.

Signs of the arc career are visible for the first time

The arc career has long been written about in theory. It is said to be an effective concept for protecting older employers over 50. Nevertheless, it seems to have had great difficulty in working in practice. However, salary trends of outplacement clients by age group now show an interesting development for the first time. For example, von Rundstedt 2018 found a significant negative salary trend (-12%) for Ü50 in the case of job changes due to termination, with a simultaneous positive salary trend for younger workers (+9%). On the one hand, this illustrates the increasing pressure on the Ü50 group, but on the other hand, it also shows that the wage cost hurdle for Ü50 can apparently be overcome with flexibility on both sides (employer and employee) and that the market also seems to function via wage flexibility. This is a good testimony to a functioning labor market. Thus, the arc career concept seems to be slowly working in practice.

Source: von Rundstedt

The online B2B marketplace "Wer liefert was" (wlw) is also on a growth course in 2019. 2018 was the most successful year in the company's history so far. The company wants to build on this: The overriding goal is to expand its position as the best research tool for trade between companies in the DACH region, the company writes in a statement to the media. Collaboration with subsidiary Europages will be further strengthened to drive the company's international expansion and establish wlw as the European market leader in the B2B segment, it added. "We will make searching on wlw.ch even more attractive in 2019 and place data quality at the center of our efforts," said Peter F. Schmid, CEO of Wer liefert was. "We want to become the largest B2B marketplace in Europe as a central data hub that manages the product and company data of European companies," he explains.

New technology for even better online search

Various technical innovations in the search and search results display are to ensure an even better online search. And the online B2B marketplace is also making additional investments in new employees and the further training of existing teams, the media release continues. "There are currently around 40 vacancies to be filled, primarily in the areas of web development, business intelligence and sales," says Peter F. Schmid. "We need to fill these positions as quickly as possible, which is why we are recruiting across Europe," Schmid said.

Top search terms 2018: "EURO pallets" and "industrial PC

Once again in 2018, over 37 million search queries were made via the country domains wlw.ch, wlw.de and wlw.at. That is over 100,000 search queries per day. The most frequently used search terms for product searches were "EURO pallets" and "industrial PC". The top search term of 2017 "aluminum profiles" was thus displaced to 3rd place. In the category search, "mechanical engineering" was again at the top, followed by "packaging machines". The category "food" made it to third place. The most curious search terms include "baobab", "chastity belt" and "credit card destruction equipment".

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18 years of consistent training quality and more than 1,500 top satisfied graduates: This calls for expansion of resources. The steady and increased demand for the training to become a company mentor FA was the reason for the job advertisement: The company was looking for seminar trainers with a degree in coaching SCA and/or company mentor FA. A good coaching practice as well as several years of experience as a trainer were also part of the selection criteria. 30 applications were finally received by Coachingplus. "We are very happy about the numerous applications," reports company founder and owner Urs R. Bärtschi. "On this basis, we can competently expand our top trainer team."

Two new trainers

As of now, the team of trainers is expanded by Claudia Edelmann and Gabriele Schwieder. Dr. Claudia Edelmann supports specialists and executives in their personal and professional development and accompanies teams and organizations in change processes. The owner of Worklife GmbH holds a doctorate in business administration, is a certified coach SCA and a recognized mentor according to bp-mentor.ch. In addition, she lectures at various educational institutions. She is currently completing further training in change management and organizational development. From 2019, Claudia Edelmann will also take on tasks as an examination expert for the Betrieblicher Mentor FA.

Dr. Gabriele Schwieder worked as an HR consultant, headhunter and unit manager before becoming self-employed. As the owner of Schwieder GmbH Career Coaching & HR Consulting, she has been accompanying experts and executives in her capacity as a coach and consultant since 2011. With a doctorate in linguistics and cultural studies, she is a regular lecturer in adult education. Gabriele Schwieder is also a federal company mentor FA.

The willingness for continuous development is mandatory at Coachingplus: Each new seminar trainer has already undergone an internal on-the-job training, which will continue next year. Urs R. Bärtschi makes his coaching knowledge and training expertise available to the three new recruits.

Proven team

The existing coaches will continue to work for Coachingplus: Thomas Kümmerli has been a part-time seminar coach at Coachingplus since 2014. Now he is expanding his workload and training program with team coaching as well as career coaching. As a trainer, the SVTS business technician draws on his experience as a supervisor, consultant and project manager. The head of HR and certified coach SCA is the owner of Coaching Kümmerli GmbH and a recognized mentor according to bp-mentor.ch. Ruth Bärtschi has been a permanent member of the training team since 2006. The experienced lecturer is founder and director of the Academy for Individual Psychology AFI, certified Individual Psychological Consultant RDI, consultant in the psychosocial field with federal diploma, supervisor and teaching supervisor SGfB. And Urs R. Bärtschi (coach with federal diploma) as founder and owner of Coachingplus GmbH has the overall management and teaches the 10-day study course for applied coaching, as well as various modules in the training to become a company mentor.

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Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike analyzed large amounts of security-related data from 2018 in its latest report, the Cyber Intrusion Casebook. In it, it summarizes the challenges organizations and businesses face and how they can better prepare for the next wave of attacks. Four main trends in cyberattacks and attack methods can be identified:

1. e-crime actors are using increasingly creative techniques to monetize their attacks.

The innovation of attackers and the sophistication of e-crime actors is not diminishing. The hostile ecosystem continues to evolve, and actors who used to work discreetly and in isolation are now working in a coordinated manner and joining forces. In 2018, for example, users of business email addresses felt this repeatedly. The report came across cases that went far beyond simply reading emails: Stakeholders could watch live as the emails were written and sent.

2. attackers strike quickly and deeply

Attackers are patient when it comes to achieving their goals: they get into systems quickly, become active quickly, but when it comes down to it, they muster enormous patience. State attackers are particularly persistent and resourceful in their search for high-value data in the target organization.

As in previous years, uncritical reliance on legacy tools provided attackers with the opportunity to linger in the systems for an extended period of time. Often, for example, companies thought the case was solved. But the attacker continued to hide or was quickly back.

Often, organizations migrated their data to the cloud with the expectation that the cloud services providers would have security mechanisms and controls in place. Whether the providers configured and applied the controls correctly, they had no way of knowing. Simple misconfigurations and misunderstandings of access controls allow hackers to gain access to an organization - simply through the cloud provider.

3. commodity malware is often a precursor to a highly disruptive attack

Access gained with commodity malware (malicious code that affects software used on a variety of devices) is increasingly sold to other actors. They then deploy ransomware, steal intellectual property, or initiate cryptomining, fraud, and extortion. For example, attackers were observed using a malware family called TrickBot, only to pass on the access gained with it to other hostile groups, who then launched extortion attacks. This method has even been observed in small to medium-sized businesses. A company's vulnerability to commodity malware can ultimately be an indicator of the effectiveness of its overall security strategy.

4. attackers hide in plain sight and pose as legitimate users

The fastest and most damaging attacks are still those in which attackers impersonate legitimate users. They often occur when user credentials are unchecked, misconfigured, or bypassed. Once access is gained, the organization is fully exposed. Incorrectly configured and ill-conceived use of access controls often gives organizations a false sense of protection.

In view of these trends in cyberattacks, it is also apparent that security is not just an issue for the IT department, but affects the entire company and must be considered strategically. The golden rule is the time target of the "1-10-60 rule". On average, companies or organizations should allow no more than one minute to identify a threat, ten minutes to investigate it and 60 minutes to resolve it. Companies that act with this in mind increase their chances of staying ahead of the enemy and preventing an attack.

Source: CrowdStrike