Switzerland RepTrak, produced by the Reputation Institute, is the largest reputation survey conducted in Switzerland. In over 5,500 interviews over the past few months, Swiss people were asked about their attitudes towards selected SMI companies. The overall assessment is based on the general public's "emotional bond" with the company, which can be expressed in terms of "extent of trust," "admiration," "appreciation" and a "generally good feeling.

Reputation increased overall

In 2018, almost all of the companies surveyed (97%) suffered a decline in their reputation scores. For Switzerland, on the other hand, Reputation Institute notes an upward trend over the last five years. Apparently, respondents continue to place their trust in companies in Switzerland, even in a world that is becoming increasingly difficult to predict.

According to this year's survey, new recipes are needed to build and strengthen reputation. Mere brand awareness is no longer enough; quality and depth in customer relationships are needed. Companiesmen must create engagement with their target groups and a broad understanding of their role in society - and communicate this as far as possible via all available channels.

The 2018 Reputation Ranking of SMI Companies

The first-place companies, Geberit and Swatch Group, have a RepTrak Pulse of over 70 points, which is considered "strong." The third place on the podium goes to Richemont, with 69.7 points. The ranking in detail:

1. Geberit (76.2)
2. Swatch Group (75.6)
3. Richemont (69.7)
4. Swiss Re (69.0)
5. Swisscom (66.5)
6. Givaudan (65.7)
7. Roche (65.3)
8. ABB (64.5)
9. Sika (64.3)
10. SGS (64.3)
11. Swiss Life (63.2)
12. Zurich Insurance (60.9)
13. Nestlé (60.6)
14. Julius Baer (56.1)
15. Adecco (55.5)
16. Lonza (55.2)
17. Novartis (54.6)
18. Credit Suisse (52.2)
19. LafargeHolcim (50.2)
20. UBS (48.9)

Technology sector makes biggest leap forward

Across all industries, "Technology" shows the best score in 2018, 10.3 points above the Swiss average. Compared to last year, the techsector also made the biggest leap forward (2017: rank 7). The sector is apparently positioning itself successfully as an innovation driver for digitization and is consolidating its communication activities more and more effectively. The Consumer and Food & Beverage sectors follow in second and third place.

It is striking that there are sectors in which the difference between the companies is very large or very small. For example, both industry and retail show a gap of over 31 points between the highest and lowest scores. This is an indicator of how much upward potential the companies at the bottom of the rankings have. - but also how much the leaders can lose. In the pharmaceuticals and services sectors, on the other hand, the companies are closer together - a clear indication of having to think "out of the box" to stand out from the competition.

The depth and quality of relationships is crucial

However, the most relevant difference for communication is found in the comparison of customers versus non-customers. Existing customers give significantly better ratings than non-customers (75.2 points vs. 61.6 points). This leads to the conclusion that the depth and quality of the relationship, the so-called familiarity with the company, has the greatest relevance for reputation. The better the respective stakeholders know a company, the better they perform in terms of reputation scores. - up to 19 points better. In terms of content, therefore, companies must communicate more and better around the question "Who am I?" than around the product ("What do I sell?"). It also shows that there is no correlation between awareness and reputation alone. It is true that a high level of familiarity leads to a more robust reputation and thus smaller reputational risks. However, the key insight is that companies need to work on familiarity with their target groups and intensify engagement with their stakeholders if they want to gain reputation.

CEO and management have ever greater influence on reputation

Companies need to make sure they are getting the right content out there. According to the Reputation Institute, the strongest content reputation drivers in Switzerland across all industries and regions are "Products/Services" with 21% (the products meet genuine customer needs, are of high quality and are available at a reasonable price), "Governance" with 17% (the company acts ethically, fairly and transparently) and "Citizenship" with 16.4% (the company makes a positive impact on society). Thus, "Citizenship" overtook "Governance" within the top 3. Leadership" appears for the first time as the fourth most influential driver (12.8%), a trend that can be observed globally: CEOs and management have an ever greater influence on reputation as a whole. The number 4 from the previous year, "Workplace", is now in last place with 10.7%.

Multi-channel strategy leads to domino effect

In addition to content, the channel strategy and the corresponding budget allocation have a major influence on reputation. A multi-channel strategy, i.e., the use of all channels - Paid, Earned, Owned and Direct - can account for up to 20.8 points in the reputation measurement. Companies that reach their stakeholders via all four channels are therefore rated 20.8 points better on average.

In today's multi-channel world, it is also crucial to take advantage of the domino effect of the multi-channel strategy. The use of channels must be coordinated and strategically planned. For Switzerland, it can be seen that the owned channels (owned media) have the greatest impact. The paid media channels with the greatest reach should therefore be used to direct stakeholders to the company's own channels. These, in turn, should emphasize the most relevant core messages so that these are picked up by the paid channels.

Source and information

IT vulnerability management is one of the most important topics in IT security. Reports of damaging attacks on companies are increasing dramatically. No industry is spared, supposedly well-protected companies are hit just as hard as small businesses, and the waves of attacks do not seem to be abating.

What is a cyberattack and how does it work?

A cyberattack is a targeted electronic attack, exclusively in virtual cyberspace, which takes place via a network connection. As a rule, an attack is directed against individual computers or entire IT systems. The attackers' goal is usually to make money. How big the company is does not matter.

There are several types of cyberattacks. Recently, there has been an increase in the use of ransomware. These malicious codes enter systems via contaminated links or security holes. Once the malware has entered, it encrypts all existing files and the cybercriminals can extort a ransom, hence the name.

How can you minimize the risk of a successful attack?

"In recent years, we increasingly noticed that small businesses were not aware of the threat of cybercrime. They often thought they were too small to be attacked anyway, until there was a rude awakening," says Pascal Mittner, CEO of First Security Technology. This company offers a comprehensive vulnerability solution for medium and larger enterprises. Through its optimized FS Cyber Control solution, the Swiss company aims to meet the needs of small businesses with 10 to 50 employees, which usually have a smaller budget and knowledge for IT security.

With FS Cyber Control, the IT infrastructure is protected from unauthorized access by identifying and collecting IT vulnerabilities. The audit of the internal IT network and external access from the Internet is carried out regularly, comprehensively and fully automatically. The resulting reports are easy to understand for all recipients, regardless of business level and IT knowledge, so that the right measures can be taken quickly to minimize risks.

More info: www.first-security.com.

The transformation from an employer market to a candidate market, new platforms, the way new employees are recruited and retained, or the prevailing shortage of skilled workers are all challenging Swiss companies and their HR departments. This also includes new technologies such as artificial intelligence, chatbots or augmented reality. In order to survive in this fast-moving environment, organizations must constantly realign themselves and at the same time integrate innovation, creativity and the courage to do the unusual into everyday HR.

Recognize forward-looking HR projects

Against this backdrop, HR experts from Deloitte Switzerland, SAP Switzerland, NZZ and the University of St. Gallen, are launching an award for innovative HR projects and initiatives in Switzerland. Its primary goal: to identify and spotlight individuals and teams who are pioneering new and creative HR projects, and to promote exchange among HR professionals. The means to this end: the inHR Awards ("innovative HR"), which will be presented once a year in the future for outstanding HR achievements. "With the inHR award, we want to give a face to the working world of tomorrow and, above all, a platform to the creative and innovative people who are doing pioneering work in the HR sector. Because there are many of them! But this requires a new definition of what it means to shape the future of work. Some, but not all, companies are already addressing the challenges and opportunities that the working world of tomorrow holds. It is important to recognize these forward-looking initiatives in this context," says Matthias Thalmann, Partner in Human Capital Consulting, Deloitte Switzerland. And Enrico Palumbo, HR Director and Member of the Executive Board, SAP (Switzerland) AG, adds: "The current developments are exciting and challenging: digitization is not only changing business models and processes, but is also having an impact on how we understand leadership and what employees expect from talent management. Those who make a difference here with fresh ideas and new approaches deserve to be in the spotlight."

Three categories

The inHR awards are presented in three categories:

• Talent, Diversity & Inclusion honors ideas, measures and projects for future-oriented talent management,
• New work distinguishes practices, processes, and programs that reshape work, the work environment, and collaboration,
• HR (R)Evolution distinguishes approaches and initiatives that expand and redefine the role and self-image of human resources.

Prof. Dr. Antoinette Weibel, Director at the Research Institute for Work and Working Environments, University of St. Gallen expresses the following about the motives of the new award: "We want to honor the everyday HR heroes. HR teams that have the courage to push open the door to the future of work. Whether they are driving inclusion, supporting agile working or cutting the old braids of an industrialized HR programmatic. Above all, we are looking for HR teams that boldly rethink HR management, because we are convinced that Resourceful Humans need the right framework to flourish."

Expert knowledge from consulting, technology, research and communication

A jury judges the projects entered according to four criteria. In addition to the degree of innovation of a submitted project, its benefits for the organization and its relevance for wider circles are assessed on the one hand, and its concrete implementation and accompanying accompanying measures on the other. The description and presentation of the entered project form the fourth criterion. The jury consists of the circle of initiators. Thus, expert knowledge from consulting, technology, research and communication is represented in the jury. Petra Feigl-Fässler, Head of HR and Member of the Executive Board, NZZ Media Group: "We need confident HR teams that use innovative and effective approaches to help shape the working environment in their companies in such a way that employees and organizations face change positively, meet requirements and can develop their full potential. The inHR award will recognize these teams while providing a platform for other HR teams to learn and develop ideas."

Application deadline until July 31, 2018 - Award ceremony in October

HR projects from companies and organizations based in Switzerland are eligible for the competition. The application period runs from now until July 31, 2018. Application forms and further information about the inHR award are available at www.inhraward.ch. The inHR awards ceremony will take place on October 25, 2018 in Zurich. In addition to the award ceremony, the event will focus on networking among guests and learning from each other. The prizes awaiting the winning teams are also in this spirit. In addition to a joint impulse day for exchanges with topic experts, each winning team will receive a customized design thinking workshop to discuss organization-specific challenges and issues.

Source: Deloitte

Employees play a central role in IT security: they must not click on links indiscriminately, they must come up with strong passwords and memorize them, they must recognize phishing e-mails, they must not log on to dubious WLAN hotspots, and if they allow their smartphone with company data to be stolen, they may endanger the existence of their company. In short, corporate end users are a risk factor, and it would be best if only trained security experts were allowed to do the job.

Employees overburdened when it comes to IT security

"An employee simply wants to do his work as quickly and conveniently as possible. Whether that is then always security-compliant remains to be seen," explains Günter Junk, CEO of Virtual Solution AG in Munich, an internationally active security specialist. The company develops and sells the SecurePIM application and the SERA framework for iOS and Android devices. "But it's not the employee who should worry about that, it's the company." In fact, employees are now hopelessly overwhelmed with their role in IT security, even more so with the proliferation of mobile systems that often operate in insecure environments. At the same time, users are faced with cyber criminals who have almost limitless resources, great know-how and now years of experience.

Needs of the end user come up short

"When responsibility for IT security is shifted to the employee, the balance is no longer right," Junk continued. "Instead, companies need to provide their employees with tools that they can work with comfortably while still being secure and privacy-compliant. However, we are still a long way from that." Employees need tools for their work that they can't do anything wrong with under normal circumstances. Otherwise, Junk believes, they should not be blamed if something goes wrong. Companies usually focus on functionality and cost when making IT decisions, while the needs of their end users fall short. Even supposedly secure
Solutions ultimately do not bring security if their usability is so poor that when users want to do their jobs effectively, they try to bypass them and write down passwords on pieces of paper, for example.

User-friendly solutions instead of user bashing

"Security experts in particular like to rant about the 'human risk' and paint the shortcomings of users in all colors," Junk says. "This user bashing is very convenient and saves thinking about solutions that finally take the responsibility away from the employee effectively. Security and usability must be united. Working with secure tools must also be fun and convenient, otherwise security will ultimately fall by the wayside as well," concludes Günter Junk.

More information: www.virtual-solution.com

The fact that the General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) will come into force on May 25, 2018 and that preparations must be made in companies has been on everyone's lips for weeks. The most important points of the GDPR as well as the upcoming changes regarding data protection, which the regulation brings with it, should have been understood and registered by now. On the central concept of user consent, Ekaterina Tyurina from Tradelab in the following interview and recalls in which respects the EU GDPR has an impact on digital marketing and adtech.

What length of time do you recommend ad tech players conserve personal data collected on behalf of advertisers?

Ekaterina Tyurina: The law does not prescribe a period of time, but nevertheless enforces that the storage of personal data must be limited to a strict minimum, with respect to the data processing intentions defined by the company. In short, in fact, each company itself must take the responsibility to define and justify the period of data processing. I am in favor of an automatic data erasure routine. In our company, Tradelab, we limit data preservation to six months.

Are you afraid that many users do not want to disclose their personal data and thus do not give consent to data processing?

It's our job to be transparent and, accordingly, honest with users. We must give them the opportunity to choose the data they share. Ever heard of the term "sensitive data"? That's personal data that needs to be protected even more than others. This includes religious and political views, sexual orientation, or health. These characteristics can lead to social discrimination. The GDPR introduces such differentiation between sensitive data and personal data, which could be an opportunity to protect users' privacy without degrading the user experience. So, personally, I'm not afraid of opt-outs. I'm much more confident that a balance will be struck between users and advertisers.

Digital advertising without cookies or data processing: Is it possible?

Yes, it is possible. However, the quality of advertising and the level of personalization are much lower. An alternative that does not collect user IDs is the "DoubleClick for Publishers" initiative. In this case, however, the user is shown advertising that no longer has much to do with his personal interest. Conclusion: Without cookies, the user experience is damaged.

Is the GDPR useful or harmful for the digital world?

I definitely feel it is important. The digital area is regulated EU-wide, especially with regard to data protection, and you no longer have to think back and forth between different national regulations. The rules of the game for the digital sphere are now uniform and clear, and everyone has to make the best of it.

Do you have one last tip before the General Data Protection Regulation comes into force?

The most important thing as a digital advertising player is to be transparent with the user. Privacy must be respected, but I believe that many Internet users will give their consent to the processing of personal data if you are honest and explain to them what the data will be used for. It is also important to let them know that their consent can be revoked at any time. If you act transparently at this point, it may well lead to digital advertising acceptance on the part of the user.

In the face of digitization, more and more SMEs are throwing a lot of money at it: kick-off events with great speeches and presentations but no real content, innovation days with all the hoopla, visits to Silicon Valley ... The range of ideas on how SMEs want to successfully tackle digitization is wide. In the end, however, the same thing almost always happens: no one really makes any decisions for all the events and pleasant talk without a goal. Responsibility for digitizing the company continues to move from department to department, from executive to executive, like a misdirected package without a return slip. Or everyone is responsible for it and, as a consequence, no one is.

That's because SMEs often focus their well-intentioned digitization efforts on their executives, whose work, however, is traditionally designed for effectiveness. And in the end, the company is surprised when the digital plan goes awry.

I'm not saying that you as an SME should completely abandon the idea of digitization - absolutely not, you can't go that far. The only question is: Where do you really need to start?

With a new start

In my opinion, the great opportunity of digitization is not to make your management more effective. What digitization can do, on the other hand, is increase efficiency in your company. From this perspective, you can also see that management is the wrong place to start. Because efficient work is the domain of management.

Your managers are the ones who install processes, develop key figures, manage and control processes. Management is the Definition of planning, organizing and controlling a system. Always with the noble goal of efficiency. And yes, you can very well digitize this work.

Because managers work at system and maintain it. In a digital future, this activity can certainly be performed more quickly by a program or software - without lengthy meetings and with real transparency about figures, targets and so on, simply at the push of a button. That's why I think: Yes, you can digitize your managers - but not your executives.

The human being in leadership

Of course, numbers and processes also form the basis of managers' work, but they do not reflect the purpose of good management work. Managers work at system. That's why leadership in the digital age means more than ever taking a serious interest in people and working with them in a goal-oriented way.

At the threshold of digital transformation, executives have the task of creating the space for the new development. Only people can meet this challenge. No computer or robot can reliably assess which strengths your employees bring to the table, where they can optimally contribute them, or where further development is still necessary. No software can convince your team to implement changes or expand their skills.

That's why I don't want digital leadership for SMEs, and I certainly don't want CDOs and the like. Instead, I want highly human managers who lead their people through change in a goal-oriented manner. And then we can dispense with the managers and "digitalize" them away.

About the author: Antje Bach is the owner of the management consultancy lead to Performance AG.
"Welcome, dear problem!" - Antje Bach goes through life with this conviction. The author and coach likes to put her finger in the wound - hard, but equally honest and empathetic. She is convinced that every private or professional development begins with an obstacle. So it's all the nicer that people don't have to change. They are allowed to complement each other.

www.antjebach.de

Experts get company succession off to a flying startThe second stop on this unique tour will be in Zurich on Thursday, May 31, 2018. The succession bus will stop at the Kunsthaus, Heimplatz 1, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For one day, entrepreneurs and potential buyers will have the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information about business succession. The initiator of the "Succession Bus" is Carla Kaufmann, owner of Companymarket AG and succession expert.

How does a succession work? What do I have to prepare? What is the value of my company? How do I find a successor for my company? Am I a suitable successor? The 12 experts on the succession bus in Zurich are available to answer these and other "burning" questions for SME owners. This will take place in personal 1:1 conversations as well as at an information booth and at the concluding aperitif.

Short presentations and panel discussions with representatives from regional companies and politics provide current supplementary impulses.

Program successor bus Zurich 

Location: Kunsthaus Zurich, Heimplatz 1

10.00 - 16.00: free one-on-one meetings with succession experts for entrepreneurs (sellers and buyers)

2:00 p.m.: Greeting from Cantonal Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh

14.15 h: Panel: Company succession in the family. 5 questions from succession expert Richard Jauch (KMU Diamant AG) to: Natalie Spross Döbeli (CEO Spross Holding AG) and Franziska Müller Tiberini (Owner Family business.ch AG)

from 15.00: Table fair: Experts are available to talk and answer questions:

• Financing: How do I value my company? What is the relationship between business valuation and real estate? ...
• Family business: How do I avoid conflicts in the family during succession? - What does a "fair" distribution in the family mean? ...
• Selling a company:Is every company for sale? - How does a sales process work? - Do I need help? - Who can accompany me? ...
• Buying a company:How to "mutate" from a manager to a successor? - How to professionally search for companies to buy? ...

17.00: Speeches: Company succession - the deindustrialization of Switzerland due to unresolved successions

• Reto Rüttimann - Head of SME Corporate Succession, Zürcher Kantonalbank
• Hans-Ulrich Bigler - President of the Swiss Trade Association and National Councillor

5:30 p.m: Panel: Company succession in practice - wishful thinking and reality with Reto Rüttimann, Hans-Ulrich Bigler, Yves Süess (Partner Businesstransaction AG), Hans-Peter Ruepp (Owner Ruepp & Partner AG), Dr. Jean-Luc Cornaz (Owner Citecs AG)

from 18.30: Apéro

More information and tour dates: www.nachfolgebus.ch

Peter Merz, you are currently training to become a transformation coach at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). Why?

Peter Merz: Everyone is talking about digitization. But how do companies manage the digital transformation? A group of Swiss Microsoft partners has tackled this question. Together with the FHNW, the initiators developed a methodology that enables SMEs to develop their own digital strategy. The participating IT solution partners therefore launched the cooperation "dig:it now" (www.digitnow.ch).

What exactly is this cooperation about?

With a simple methodology, we give our existing and potential customers the confidence to start the necessary digitization of their processes. On a personal level, I would like to contribute my many years of experience in management positions in companies. In addition, I started my professional career in consulting.

What do you mean specifically by supporting digitization processes?

In fact, the first step is to look at an organization as holistically as possible. The procedure supports the definition of focal points so that we can proceed in a targeted manner. As soon as these goals have been defined, implementation begins. IT plays an important role in this, although it is only ever a means to an end.

What are the primary topics covered?

The methodology provides for the creation of a digital roadmap for companies in three phases. At the first one-day workshop, we therefore pursue two goals:

• First, raising awareness and inspiring a company's cadre to open up to digital opportunities.
• Secondly, a maturity and motivation analysis of the company. This analysis includes the entire organization: marketing, sales, production, finance, IT and other areas.

From this, we derive focus areas. These are then explored in greater depth in a second workshop, which lasts two to five days. In this workshop, we develop the plan of action for the digital transformation.

• Thirdly, it is about the actual transformation, i.e. the concrete implementation of the roadmap.

What benefits does the training bring to your customers?

Digitalization means a change in processes. As an IT service provider in the areas of SAP/ERP and product development (PDM/PLM), we have always worked together with our customers to optimize processes. By training as a Transformation Coach, I hope that we will be able to identify new focus topics in a scientifically sound manner that will create added value for customers.

Will you now conduct workshops for customers and advise them?

That is the intention. We are holding four free impulse workshops in Oftringen this year, open to customers and other interested parties: on June 6, August 22, September 26 and November 14. During two hours, participants will learn what the driving forces of change are, which methods are applied and how they enable barriers to be overcome. Registration is done through the website www.gia.ch/events.

What further steps is GIA planning in connection with digital transformation and "dig:it now"?

We make our contribution to the expansion of the "dig:it now" network. In particular, this includes recognizing our own opportunities. As already mentioned, digitization projects encompass far more than just IT. GIA will by no means cover everything. However, a wide range of competencies are available in the network. We will use these in a targeted manner and offer our customers the best possible service.

More information: www.digitnow.ch, www.gia.ch

In 2018, Great Place to Work recognized the best employers in Switzerland for the 10th time. The ranking is based on a study with comprehensive employee surveys and culture analyses. These two tools form the basis for measuring and continuously improving workplace culture. The ranking is divided into small, medium and large organizations, as well as a category for the healthcare and social services sector.

Ranking "Best Employers in Switzerland 2018″ - Top 3 per category

Large companies (250+ employees)

1. 1st place: Cisco Systems (Switzerland) GmbH, Wallisellen
2. Place: IKEA AG, Spreitenbach
3. 1st place: McDonald's Suisse, Crissier

Medium-sized companies (50-249 employees)

1. Place: UMB AG, Volketswil
2. Place: AWK Group AG, Zurich
3. 1st place: Scout24 Schweiz AG, Flamatt

Small companies (20-49 employees)

1. Place: Rackspace International GmbH, Zurich
2. Place: Mundipharma Medical Company, Basel
3. Place: SAS Institute AG, Wallisellen

Health and social services

1. Place: mediX Group Practice, Zurich
2. Place: Swiss Mountain Aid, Adliswil
3. 1st place: Rehaklinik Dussnang AG, Dussnang

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, multiple award-winning organizations were also honored. Not expected by everyone and impressive: McDonald's Suisse has faced the comparison with the best employers the most times and was awarded 9 times.

XING Switzerland also awarded a special prize on the topic of "Employability". This went to SAP (Switzerland) AG. Employability stands for concepts and activities that are designed to ensure the long-term employability of employees (for example, further training, flexible working hours, home office, and health promotion measures). The award criterion is the cultural analysis by Great Place to Work and further interviews by XING.

Compensation forms the basis - sense and trust make the difference

The results of the Great Place to Work 2018 study show what the foundations of a good workplace culture are: Credibility, respect and appreciation, fairness (including compensation) and team spirit. Also very important are pride in the job and the company. When it comes to the perception of an appropriate salary, there are large differences between the companies (79% positive perception at excellent vs. 38% at non-awarded organizations). What is striking here is that perceived fairness and perspective are more important than the absolute wage level. Here, even companies without high wages often achieve a better perception than industries with high, but unfairly perceived wages.

However, more is needed to awaken creativity, to be able to react quickly to changes, and to inspire employees to make a special commitment. The importance of a sense of purpose and trust in the company are often underestimated. Yet it is precisely these points that prove to be decisive for a special commitment on the part of employees. It is important to integrate employees in decision-making and to assume social responsibility together. Today, it is more important for employees to make a valuable contribution to society.

According to Michael Hermann, CEO of Great Place to Work in Switzerland, "Employees will only be particularly committed to their work if they see a purpose in it and have confidence that their efforts will be appreciated and not abused."

Award-winning companies offer sustainable employee satisfaction

The other study results show considerable differences between award-winning organizations and the rest. For example, approval of the promotion of work-life balance is significantly higher in award-winning organizations at 77% than in non-award-winning ones at only 44%. The best employers also manage to meet expectations of the company. After more than two years of service, satisfaction remains fairly stable at 81%, while non-award-winning employers are disappointing more and more employees (approval drops to 65%). With a good workplace culture, employees and managers also succeed in pulling together and experiencing their environment in a similarly positive way (with values for both groups above 80%). It is important for this that employees can contribute ideas and opinions without worrying about making mistakes. In non-award winning organizations, this often shows two groups working against each other with large differences in satisfaction (63% for employees vs. 82% for managers).

Matthias Keller from UMB AG confirms that a good workplace culture is essential for companies. "As an excellent employer, we find it easier to attract talent and inspire our team. This leads to the best possible service for our customers."

More information and rankings: www.greatplacetowork.ch/beste-arbeitgeber/schweiz/2018/

If positions remain unfilled for a longer period of time, the strain on other employees increases. First and foremost, employee morale suffers (25 %). In addition, a limitation of business growth (23 %) and productivity losses (20 %) are among the strongest consequences of long-term unfilled jobs. This was reported by 200 Swiss HR managers surveyed as part of the latest labor market study by personnel services provider Robert Half. "On the one hand, companies are having difficulty filling open positions quickly due to the shortage of skilled workers. In the meantime, tasks are being distributed among existing employees," says Sven Hennige, Senior Managing Director at Robert Half.

Worst case: dismissals of overworked employees

"Redistributing work may allow operations to continue seamlessly for a period of time, but managers often underestimate the strain it places on employees. Just a few weeks of extra work can result in frustration and overwhelm. In the worst-case scenario, there are resignations if the work-life balance becomes too imbalanced," explains Hennige. How the study "Secrets of the Happiest Companies and Employees" by Robert Half in 2017, a poor work-life balance is one of the strongest drivers when an employee decides to quit. Only a lack of team cohesion, the feeling of having to pretend at work, and a lack of pride in one's own work have a more negative effect.

Declining morale

The following table shows the consequences that longer unfilled positions can have on the working atmosphere and the economic situation of a company:

Source: Robert Half, Labor Market Study 2017, Respondents: 200 HR managers in Switzerland

Avoid permanent stress

To prevent a position from remaining unfilled in the long term, HR managers should analyze the so-called time-to-hire, i.e. the duration from the advertisement to the filling of a position. If the recruiting process regularly takes longer than planned, there is a need for action.

The reasons for a long time-to-hire are manifold: cumbersome recruiting processes, a lack of willingness to make decisions in the companies or too high demands on the candidates can be responsible. Sven Hennige recommends: "A significant change or shortening of the recruiting process can usually not be realized so quickly. Managers should involve the team, openly address the personnel bottleneck and try to find consensual solutions. Temporary employees can also help bridge the time until the open position is filled again."

Source: Robert Half 

The approximately 200-page book entitled "Reinventing Business. The St.Gallen Concept Practically Implemented" consists of a reading section and a work section. The two book covers contain fold-out cheat sheets to help the reader think. Working papers on deciding the question "Reinvent or optimize?" are available for download online.

Special attention is paid to the construction plan for a management house. The idea for this came about when the author, Dr. Christian Abegglen, heard about the dynamic space concept: erect an office building quickly, expand it at any time, downsize it, move it to another location or even return it. Nine room modules represent topics such as constitution, organization, understanding of leadership, processes and actions. Silos that cause stagnation are a thing of the past. Everything meshes smoothly here - like the gears of a Fidget Spinner with nine gears.

Having reached the end of the book, the reader has made decisions and worked out answers for himself about the development of his company or business unit. "The St. Gallen School is now definitely suitable for everyday use," says the publisher. The author reasons, "A lot has been written about it, what was missing was a book that gives readers a powerful result at the end." That's why he helps his readers identify goals from three perspectives (space, time, people) to get there. The book is aimed at executives who want to shape corporate strategy actively, rather than reactively. Suitable for companies of all sizes.

Information:
Company Reinvent
The thinking and working book against organized standstill
The St. Gallen concept put into practice
204 pages + digital working papers
ISBN: 978-3-96251-005-3
Publisher Frankfurter Allgemeine

"Internet users today are used to the customer experience of big brands. That's why their expectation of the customer experience online is now very different from what it was just a few years ago," said Jennie Hagen in her presentation at SOM on April 18 and 19 in Zurich. By constantly developing and using the customer data they collect, the Internet giants are able to predict customer needs more and more accurately. Keeping pace here is a key task for digital marketers, she said. According to Jennie Hagen, help is offered above all by the actual harnessing of various data sources, which in reality are often collected but rarely used to target and refine campaigns. But it is only through the use of correct data that machine learning and automation become truly relevant and create more efficiency and relevance for users, for example through personalized addresses.

Despite Machine Learning: Expert Knowledge Still Necessary

But even if the use of data and machine learning increases the degree of automation, this does not mean that the expertise of experts is no longer needed, emphasizes Jennie Hagen. This awareness is also widespread in the industry: In fact, "just nine percent of campaign managers were worried about their professional future." Especially in the analysis of data and the resulting consulting, specialists continue to be indispensable. In the future, they should broaden their expert knowledge in order to be prepared for closer collaboration with data scientists, for example, recommends Hagen.

From metapeople to Artefact

SOM is the trade fair for eBusiness, online marketing and direct marketing, which took place for the tenth time this year. Jennie Hagen is Head of Paid Media at the international digital performance agency Artefact. Until the beginning of the year, the agency operated under the name metapeople and was part of the Netbooster Group, which merged with the French digital agency Artefact in 2017.

Source: www.artefact.com