After the one-off special edition Swissbau Compact in May 2022 due to the pandemic, Swissbau will return with new formats and in its old size from Tuesday, 16 to Friday, 19 January 2024, according to Swiss Exhibition MCH. Around 800 exhibitors and partners are expected, as well as more than 80,000 visitors. As a multi-sector exhibition, Swissbau 2024 brings together decision-makers from the planning, construction and real estate sectors and promotes mutual exchange and collaboration. The Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects SIA and Bauen digital Schweiz / Building Smart Switzerland are represented as Leading Partners.

Swissbau 2024 sees itself as an interdisciplinary platform for architecture, planning and crafts, the real estate industry as well as owners and investors. The motto of the next trade fair is "Shaping change together". Innovations and solutions will be presented, discussed and developed - with the aim of meeting the social challenges surrounding globalization, digitalization and climate change as an industry, according to a statement.

New and proven formats at Swissbau 2024

With Swissbau City, a new trade fair concept with marketplaces and a wide range of presence options awaits the approximately 800 exhibitors. The three marketplaces are located in the thematic areas "Shell + Building Envelope", "Building Technology" and "Interior Construction". They offer the various interest groups a specific meeting point at Swissbau 2024. Around each marketplace are the so-called all-in counters, which exhibitors can use for their individual presentations. Each marketplace also offers catering facilities and a Speakers Corner for presentations and pitches.

The two collaboration platforms Swissbau Focus and Swissbau Lab are also to be brought even closer together in terms of content at Swissbau 2024, as MCH announces. The focus will be on imparting knowledge, with "discussing" (Focus) and "trying out" (Lab) being important cornerstones. Topics such as climate, energy, the circular economy, materials, collaboration and society will be highlighted.

With the new format Swissbau Inside in Hall 2.1, the trade fair is creating for the first time a platform all about interiors. Swissbau Inside offers suppliers of design products a stage for productions from the areas of kitchen, floor/wall/ceiling, lighting as well as office and contract furnishings. The Trend World Bathroom remains an integral part of Swissbau. Leading brands will be showing the latest products, concepts and designs for the bathroom of the future in Hall 2.2.

Needs-based offers for exhibitors

Anyone wishing to be present at Swissbau 2024 can choose from a wide range of participation options. The offers are deliberately modular so that exhibitors can plan their appearances individually and in line with their needs. For example, a presence over all four days of the trade fair is no longer mandatory. Instead, various offers can be booked by the day or even by the hour, for example for a customer aperitif. For exhibitors who want to give their innovation an additional boost, there is also a choice of a second appearance in the form of an innovation pitch or a presentation at a marketplace.

All participation opportunities are available at Swissbau Website to find.

On behalf of onlyfy by XING (formerly XING E-Recruiting, a NEW WORK SE company), the market and media research institute Forsa surveyed over a thousand professionals in German-speaking Switzerland at the start of the year about their professional situation and plans for 2023. The most important finding: The "desire for variety" is fueling Swiss professionals' willingness to change jobs.

Willingness to switch in Switzerland: The trend continues to point upward

The willingness of professionals in Switzerland to change employer remains high and has tended to increase slightly compared with the previous year. A total of 60 percent of respondents can imagine changing their employer in 2023, the highest figure to date. Of these, 16 percent already have concrete plans to change and 44 percent are open to a change without having already taken steps to do so.

In 2018, the willingness of Swiss professionals to switch was still at 51 percent, but since then the trend has been upward and is now around one-fifth higher. At 72 percent, the willingness to switch is particularly high in the youngest age segment of 18- to 29-year-olds and at 73 percent among 30- to 39-year-olds. In the 40 to 49 age segment, a good half (56 percent) are still open to switching, while the figure for the over-50s is slightly less than half at 44 percent. Compared with Germany, the willingness to switch is significantly higher in this country. In our neighbor to the north, 37 percent are open to a career change.

Willingness to switch increases despite high satisfaction

While the willingness to change jobs has increased over the past few years, satisfaction with the current job has remained at a consistently high level. According to the latest figures, 84 percent of professionals are somewhat or very satisfied with their job. This is the same number as in 2018. Accordingly, the data do not suggest that the increase in willingness to change jobs in recent years was triggered by a decline in satisfaction. Among young professionals between the ages of 18 and 29, the share of those who are very or somewhat satisfied is slightly lower at 79 percent. Full-time and part-time employees are virtually equally satisfied, at 83 percent and 85 percent respectively.

"Desire for something new" at mid-career most important motivator for change

When looking at the reasons for a possible change, the top reason (41 percent) is that the salary is too low. In second place, at 32 percent, is a general desire for variety in working life. A too high stress level is in third place (30 percent), followed by dissatisfaction with the direct manager (26 percent) and a lack of promotion opportunities (23 percent). The desire for variety is particularly pronounced in mid-career. At 41 percent, the "general desire for variety" among 40- to 49-year-olds is the main driver for the willingness to change jobs. For companies, this means that they can promote the loyalty of their employees to the company by creating targeted opportunities for a varied career structure.

Cohesion among colleagues important criterion for job choice

A higher salary also tops the list of wishes for a potential new employer, at 57 percent. At 56 percent, good team spirit among colleagues is practically equally important for Swiss professionals. In third place, with 53 percent, is the ability to flexibly organize one's working hours. This means that work culture factors have practically the same importance as monetary aspects when looking for a new employer.

Meaningfulness and good corporate culture become more important with age

There are clear differences between the age groups when it comes to the criterion of meaningfulness. While 33 percent of the youngest age group (18 to 29 years) attach importance to a meaningful job, this figure is 51 percent for 30 to 49 year-olds and 56 percent for those over 50. The situation is similar when it comes to corporate culture. This is an important factor for 38 percent of young employees. Among 30 to 49-year-olds, 45 percent attach importance to a good corporate culture, and among the over-50s, the figure is 53 percent. According to the data collected, the high value placed on work culture and meaningfulness is therefore not primarily an issue for younger generations, but an aspiration that can be found in all age groups.

Source: onlyfy by XING

Triggers of low morale and unsatisfactory results are often found in a leader's feedback culture. If team members only receive feedback on their work to date during the famous annual review, criticism about inadequate performance hits them particularly hard. Clear areas of responsibility and accountability are lacking here. A results-oriented assignment of tasks (EOA) establishes both. The following thought experiment illustrates how it does this.

Hit the bullseye

A female archer is given the task of shooting a bull's eye. Thus, her task is to fire arrows. She sets herself the goal of hitting the center of the target. If the archer pursues her endeavor with perseverance and focus, she achieves the result that the arrow is stuck in the center of the target.

With this scenario in mind, it quickly becomes clear why working through tasks has little effect. If arrows whirr through the air without an end point, they land meaninglessly on the ground. Setting clear intentions, on the other hand, brings visibility to achievements. If employees know how their performance will be judged, they can tell early on whether they are on the right track.

Thought is half done

The distinction between goal and result seems small, but a change in thinking leads to smooth workflows. Most often, people formulate their goals in the future tense: "I'm going to shoot the arrow in the bull's eye." With a results orientation, however, the person goes on a mental journey to the point in time when he/she has delivered the desired result: "The arrow is in the bull's eye." If employees only look at the goal that is in the far distance, the path to get there seems arduous and riddled with difficulties. In contrast, teams in which all participants have already reached the end of the journey in their minds generate a kind of pull. In joyful anticipation of feelings of success, members develop solutions out of their own motivation in order to circumvent unexpected obstacles. In our understanding, being results-oriented means "focusing on the part of the results I can influence and becoming the best I can be there."

Three letters with great effect

Leaders record all of these findings in a comprehensible results-oriented task description that is accepted by the other person. In this description, managers record which measurable result is considered achievable in which period of time for precisely this person. If the end lies in the distant future, intermediate steps serve as small motivational boosters along the way. Formulated areas of responsibility reveal potential overlaps. Planners can also identify gaps and use the opportunity to close them ahead of time. Another advantage is that, in the event of vacation or sickness, those helping out have access to a detailed list of the status and next steps of the project.

Author:
Boris Grundl is the founder of the Grundl Leadership Institute. With face-to-face and online seminars, books and a training platform, the GLI, which employs a good 20 people, provides further training and bundles scientifically validated findings on the topic of responsibility in the "Responsibility Index". More at www.grundl-institut.de and www.verantwortungsindex.de or also here.

Historically low unemployment, reluctance to change jobs and increasing localization of production are exacerbating the shortage of skilled labor and the search for qualified employees. For these reasons, employers must be willing to pay high wages for the best candidates. They must also encourage new employees and offer wage increases to existing employees who are most affected by inflation.

Inflation boosts wage expectations

The study shows that executives and senior managers in the banking and financial services sector receive the highest wages. The five positions with the highest wages are:

The study also shows that the salary expectations of candidates and employees are rising. These increased expectations are mainly due to inflation. This shows the need for wage increases for the lower wage brackets, which are most affected by inflation. Yannick Coulange, Managing Director of PageGroup Switzerland, says: "Wage increases at the lower end of the pay band send a strong message about a company's values."

Where wages rise the most

The job categories with the largest pay increases are positions in IT (+5 to +10 %), engineering (+5 %), and financial accounting (+3 to +5 %). In IT, wage increases were most notable in developers / DevOps and cybersecurity. In other occupations, the increase was strongest at the lower and middle management levels, where demand was greatest.

The study forecasts a positive outlook for the Swiss labor market in 2023 as well, despite concerns about a European recession. In Switzerland, the number of advertised jobs increased by 8.5 % between December 2021 and December 2022. The categories with the largest growth between December 2022 and January 2023 are insurance (+5.0 %), skilled trades (+4.0 %), and information technology (+3.7 %).

Further training and development opportunities are of great importance

According to the study, the most important benefits for attracting employees are retention and opportunities for further training and development. 70 % of candidates indicated that this was an important factor in choosing their employer. Yet, only half of employees said this issue was addressed during the recruiting process. In addition, the most frequently cited reason for quitting is the lack of professional development opportunities.

Source: Michael Page

After the Covid 19 pandemic made it very clear what digitization can do, the challenging aspects of "pure digital" are now also becoming apparent. While euphoria prevailed in part in last year's edition of the Mobiliar DigitalBarometer, the current 2023 results show that the Swiss still rate digitization positively overall, but at 44 % somewhat lower than in the previous survey (see 54% 2022). In addition to the topics "Digital data," "Digital opinion forming," "Cybersecurity," "Future of education" and "Metaverse," "Future of work" is a focal point. The most important findings of the Mobiliar DigitalBarometer 2023 study are summarized below.

Digital balance: THE challenge for the future

The study shows that employees are highly willing to change. Employers have a responsibility in this regard: Specifically, 50% of all Swiss employees stated that they wanted to adapt their own behavior to the changing world of work, for example with further training. Just under three quarters of respondents see the responsibility for adapting the working world(s) to the development of digitization as lying with employers.

Another finding is the need for digital balance: In times of advancing digitization, the desire for "offline" in private and professional life is very great. Almost half of all respondents would like to be offline more often in their day-to-day work (digitally unreachable, more analog contacts). For the private context, as many as 70 % express this need.

Metaverse largely unknown

62 % of all respondents have never heard of the metaverse or have no idea what the metaverse is. So it seems that here a term is currently overrated by the media.

However, attitudes toward digital health data have increased. Last year, only around a quarter of the Swiss population saw the use of health data as an opportunity for society. This year, the figure was already 38 %.

The DigitalBarometer also shows a downside to digitization: For example, the digital discussion culture is still perceived as a major threat: 54% of respondents see it this way. 73 % of respondents state that they themselves are responsible on this issue. Target group-specific measures are needed to enable reflective information and communication in the digital space.

Between automation worries and flexibility euphoria

The respondents see working independently of location and time as a clear opportunity. As in the previous year, however, there is a high degree of ambivalence on the subject of automation. There are also clear differences depending on the industry in which the respondents work. For example, significantly fewer opportunities from digitization are seen in manual occupations, such as construction, agriculture and forestry, or in trade and transport than in other sectors. There are also significant differences in the perception of opportunities between people with a high level of education and those with a lower level of education. It seems important to address the possibilities of the new world of work and to identify different industry-specific options. While location-independent working is not possible for all industries, new leadership skills, for example, may become more important in the industries mentioned above. At the moment, this raises questions about which skills will be needed in the future and which jobs will continue to exist or change and how. What would it mean if certain jobs were (partially) automated?

Caution against individualization trend in continuing education

Just under half of those surveyed in the DigitalBarometer (45 %) associate opportunities with personalization and individualization of training. Fifty % also see opportunities in time- and location-independent learning. In contrast, education experts stress the need to exercise caution and not to forget the relevance of social interaction. They recommend thinking carefully about which learning processes should take place in groups or be supported by teachers on site, and which can also be carried out online at one's own pace. The qualitative interviews conducted by the study authors revealed a discrepancy between the needs of young adults in initial education and the recommendations of experts. While young people strongly praise the advantages of location- and time-independent training and in some cases see hardly any advantages in face-to-face instruction, experts point out the dangers of this development. While it seems to make sense to offer certain learning modules online and to support independent learning, it remains important to maintain physical exchanges.

Sources and further information: www.risiko-dialog.ch

The new man at the helm of Roth Gerüste can draw on many years of management experience at a major Swiss construction company for his post: for 18 years, Philippe Wingeier held various management positions at the Frutiger Group, most recently as a member of the Executive Board. "I consider myself fortunate to be able to be at the forefront of a new trade and environment and to face the challenges that lie ahead," says the new CEO. In doing so, he says he wants to build on what has already been achieved, but also set targeted accents to lead the company into the future. He sees particular potential in the areas of digitization, logistics, and process optimization, says the passionate recreational athlete.

Reaching and inspiring young people

Philippe Wingeier considers the most acute challenges to be the highly competitive market, falling market prices and margins, and the shortage of skilled workers, which has long since affected the construction industry. In the area of human resources in particular, he says the strategy pursued to date is still the right one. "We invest a lot in our employees: progressive working conditions and a wide range of career opportunities are a matter of course for us," emphasizes Wingeier, who completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and later trained as a wood and industrial engineer FH. The 65-year-old company is also well positioned in terms of equality, with two women in top management.

Although the company currently trains 25 apprentices in various professions at several locations, there is a need to catch up in terms of new recruits. Training in scaffolding is still little known among young people and demand is correspondingly low. Wrongly so: "Once you've got a foot in scaffolding, you can't shake off your passion for this versatile profession," says Philippe Wingeier with conviction.

At work with passion

Walter Fankhauser, CEO for 26 years and now Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, also attaches a central role to the employees. "We give everyone a chance who really wants it," he says. A commitment that was also recognized by the consulting firm EY with the prestigious "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 2009. Despite cost pressure, Roth Gerüste AG invests a lot of time and money in the training and further education of its employees, the jury noted at the award ceremony.

Walter Fankhauser, who joined the company in 1996, has accompanied the company's constant growth and led Roth Gerüste into the profit zone. The company has grown organically; with its own people and its own values, he said. "We have always aligned ourselves with the clientele and their needs," says the long-standing CEO and co-owner, outlining the strategy of the last three decades. Walter Fankhauser, who will reach retirement age in April 2023 and therefore hand over the management of the company to new hands, can look back on 10,000-plus projects that he has realized together with 700 employees at last count. Although each of these projects was quite different in scope and planning, there was always one common denominator: "100 percent passion went into every single job," says Walter Fankhauser.

Source and further information

To advance topics around the successful interaction of the genders, PostFinance launched a new event series on January 26, 2023. "With the RealTalk series, we want to stimulate a discussion so that genders are equally heard, seen, respected and valued," says Bernadette Koch, member of the Board of Directors of PostFinance, explaining the launch of the new event series. This is in line with the values and corporate goals of PostFinance, which promotes diversity in all facets and with a focus on gender equality. At the events, which will take place three times a year in different parts of the country, exciting personalities will give an insight into how they live teamwork in their private lives and in their work, what the challenges are and what significance money has for achieving gender equality.

The courage to demand money for experience and skills

The event kicked off with a discussion on the taboo topic of wages. "It still happens that women systematically and across the board earn less than men," said actress Susanne Kunz last Thursday evening at the first "RealTalk" on the topic "Wage gap - why money makes the difference". She speaks from her own experience and of wage differences in show business of up to 50 percent. "The taboo subject of wages must be broken," she emphasizes. Her recipe is open discussion among teammates and the courage to demand money for one's experience and skills. "We need to talk about our wages within projects and negotiate better."

In the band of stress a woman receives the highest salary

Her podium partner Andres Andrekson, aka Stress, also has zero understanding of wage inequality. As the employer of his band, it's clear to him: "It's not about whether it's a woman or a man. It's about me filling the jobs with the best." In his band, which counts 5 musicians with him, for example, one of the two women receives the highest salary. Even though he himself cannot identify any wage differences between women and men in his environment, he considers it important that wage inequality is addressed - as well as the division of roles between women and men. "Switzerland is a very rich country, but very conservative. That amazes me."

Things are moving too little fast

Openly and honestly, the two talk guests at Labor5 in Zurich, moderated by Viola Tami, exchanged their experiences with wages and wage differences in show business. What they all agree on is the fact that too little progress is being made quickly on the issue of equal rights and equal pay. According to the 2020 Swiss wage structure survey, the wage gap between men and women in Switzerland is 13.8 percent.

Close last gaps

PostFinance is also committed to fair wages and therefore regularly reviews wage equality. Even if the current equal pay analysis based on salary data from October 2020 shows that the inexplicable pay gap between men and women at PostFinance is rather small at only 2.3 percent to the detriment of women, PostFinance wants to close the gap further with targeted measures. Because as Ron Schneider, Head of Human Resources at PostFinance writes in his assessment of the analysis: "Every unexplained wage percentage is one too many."

The next RealTalk dates:
Lausanne, June 15, 2023, Topic: Wage gap - why money makes the difference (in French)
Bern, October 26, 2023: Topic: Housewives and househusbands: provision, earnings and prejudices.

Source: Postfinance

Solid-state batteries are considered the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, offering many advantages over liquid electrolyte batteries. However, they are not very common due to the cost of current manufacturing standards.

Cost-efficient coating technology

eightinks' novel multilayer curtain coating technology simplifies battery cell manufacturing. The cost-effective, high-throughput production method reduces production costs by up to 30% compared to current methods and is compatible with existing production infrastructure, paving the way for widespread adoption of solid-state lithium-ion batteries.

Given the projected growth of the electric vehicle market, eightinks is responding to rising global demand for lithium-ion batteries, which is expected to increase by 10% in this decade alone. The startup's technology, patented by ETH Zurich, also enables cell recycling and increases charging speed. While liquid electrolytes are flammable, solid-state electrolytes are not and thus also offer a significant safety advantage.

Investment in scalability

The startup will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in building its own facilities and expanding its team to scale its technology and accelerate business development.

The founding team consists of Dr. Paul Baade (CEO), who developed the technology as part of his PhD thesis as a Pioneer Fellow at ETH Zurich, Leon Baade (CBO), who has extensive experience in developing engineered products and working with automotive manufacturers, and Dr. Christina Sauter (CTO) and Dr. Karl-Philipp Schlichting (COO), who specialize in battery technology and nanoscience for energy technology, respectively. "The Venture Kick program was a great experience that helped us sharpen our strategic focus and develop our go-to-market in detail," says eightinks CEO Paul Baade. "With their insights into several deep tech ventures, they were able to identify critical issues very quickly."

Sources: Venture Kick / eightinks

For the Global Blueprint for Inclusion and Diversity study, more than 3100 HR leaders and C-level representatives with responsibility for D&I initiatives were surveyed at the end of 2022 about their motivations, activities and progress in the areas of diversity, inclusion and belonging. The survey, conducted by Workday and Sapio Research study was implemented in 23 countries - including Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Diversity: also a question of technology

The results show that positive progress has been made on diversity. However, areas with significant room for improvement also emerged, including the need to measure business impact and use data to track progress more effectively. The following points can be noted as key findings from the survey:

• Technology is becoming increasingly important for D&I initiatives. In Germany and Austria, 33 % of respondents additionally use software solutions to increase employee engagement, while in Switzerland, 39 % rely on e-learning offerings.
• More needs to be done to value diversity. Overall, more than a third (36 %) of the participants are convinced that diversity is recognized, valued and promoted in their company. In Germany, 34 % share this view, in Austria 32 % and in Switzerland 25 %.

Lack of data slows down D&I initiatives

Although a majority of companies already have a strategic D&I approach, this is not yet the case for as many as 39 %. Accordingly, it is difficult for these companies to define and achieve D&I goals. Particularly striking in this regard is the Asia-Pacific economic region (APJ), where 52 % of respondents reported having only a rudimentary or nascent D&I strategy. The comparative picture is better in Australia and New Zealand (35 %), Europe (39 %), North America (34 %) and South Africa (22 %).

In Switzerland, 12 % of the participants indicated that they appreciate a strategic approach to the D&I topic. 37 % do not have a clearly outlined strategy and have not taken steps to develop one (Germany: 17 % and 46 % respectively, Austria: 15 % and 50 % respectively). Around a third of respondents (32 %) said that moving forward would require a clear commitment on the part of top management, as well as the commitment and willingness of employees. This view is shared by respondents in Germany and Austria, who, with 33 and 26 % respectively, would also like to see more committed employees leading relevant initiatives.

31 % of respondents from Switzerland see more effective data use and analysis as the most important measure to move forward with their D&I initiatives. Weaknesses in data collection and reporting are another reason : Globally, 60 % indicated that measuring success is a challenge and that new systems and software are needed to effectively support D&I strategies and implementation. In Switzerland, 73 %s describe collecting the necessary data as difficult, followed by 63 %s in Austria and 60 %s in Germany.

Source: Workday

The KMU Swiss Symposium will take place on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the Trafo in Baden - in halls 36/37. The event deals in the broadest sense with perceptions and realities in business, society and politics. Is what we see and hear true? Do we reach the limits of perception? How important is trust? Questions about questions, which should be partially answered at the symposium. This also includes the actualities of the world-political tensions coming up to us and the continuous, negative reports of the last years.

Family atmosphere and an entrepreneurial award

The Swiss Entrepreneur Award will be presented for the first time at the symposium. This was initiated by the publishing house Editorial AG in collaboration with KMU Swiss. A jury of executives from various industries have selected a manager with excellent entrepreneurial qualities. This person will be awarded a prize during the symposium.

Between 300 and 500 participants are expected with illustrious personalities from business and politics. "In addition to the informal atmosphere, the participants appreciate the high practical relevance of the presentations," says Armin Baumann, initiator of KMU Swiss. The symposium allows some exhibitors to present themselves during the networking breaks.

Power of trust or: manipulation versus trust?

In B2B business as in personal everyday life, trust is one of the most important factors for building a sustainable relationship. Trust is often exploited to harm or manipulate others. In everyday life, this requires checking the accuracy of information on an ongoing basis so that decisions can be made. Among others, topics such as cybercrime, leadership, intelligence, communication will be presented by renowned speakers.

Based on trust, business and relationships can lead to faster and thus more flexible action. Therefore, the secret of success is also trust. In communications, information is used purposefully to achieve trust and credibility. Unfortunately, such information is also used to manipulate people.

Renowned speakers from business and politics

The presenters on March 23, 2023 are:

• KKdT Thomas Süssli, Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces
• Ivano Somaini, Security Analyst Compass Security Schweiz AG
• Andreas Seonbuchner, CEO Citizen Talk
• David Fiorucci, CEO LP3 AG
• Monique Bourquin, Multi-Administrator and President of Promarca Association
• Thierry Burkart, Member of the Council of States for Aargau and President of the FDP Liberals
• Christof Moser, Co-Founder Republic

Once again, Hugo Bigi will be the moderator.

Tickets and more information: www.kmuswiss.ch/symposium

Over the past year, companies around the world have faced many challenges - including economic uncertainties, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, and skills shortages. Audit and advisory firm Deloitte surveyed more than 2,000 chief operating officers (CxOs) in 24 countries, including Switzerland, in 2022 about their perceptions of climate change and their companies' responses to it.

In Switzerland, climate change ranked third among the challenges: 40% of respondents named it as one of the top three priorities within a year, compared to 42% of global respondents. On their list of priorities, Swiss CxOs ranked only supply chain issues (44%) and economic uncertainties (44%) higher than climate change.

Investments for the climate increased

When it comes to investment decisions, however, climate change appears to be an important factor for Swiss companies: Overall, 75% of companies (the same as globally) have increased their investments in sustainability. 28% (globally 19%) even say their investments in this regard have increased significantly (i.e., over 20%) (see chart 1). Climate change has had a negative impact on the company in question for almost all respondents in the past year. Swiss companies feel the scarcity of resources, the costs of mitigating climate change, the regulation of emissions, and pressure from shareholders and civil society more strongly than the global average.

"There continues to be a big gap between what companies do and what they end up achieving. When it comes to embedding sustainability into the core of their strategy, products and services, operations and culture, Swiss companies are still too slow," criticizes Liza Engel, Chief Sustainability Officer and member of the Executive Board of Deloitte Switzerland. "In Switzerland, many executives are skeptical about whether society can avert the climate crisis. For far too long, they have focused on making existing business more sustainable instead of completely turning business models upside down, fully embracing sustainability and thus benefiting from the opportunities that are currently still great. Whoever succeeds in doing that owns the future."

Executives doubt seriousness

When asked about the seriousness with which the private sector is addressing climate change, only 12% of Swiss executives answered "very seriously" - globally, the figure was 29%. And in this country, only 20% rated the actions of government agencies as "very serious" - globally, the figure was 28% [see chart 2]. Similarly, on the questions of whether the worst impacts of climate change can be prevented and whether economic growth and achieving climate goals are compatible, the affirmative responses from Switzerland were significantly lower than globally. While Swiss companies feel pressure from a wide range of stakeholders to do something about climate change - the scores are lower than globally in all categories. The stakeholder groups identified by Swiss companies as most influential are the authorities, civil society and their own board of directors.

Swiss executives perceive much less pressure from activist employees or from banks than international respondents. "Companies should not underestimate the importance of the financial sector for the transition to net zero: Banks, insurance companies and asset managers are increasingly required to report in detail how many greenhouse gas emissions are associated with their financial products. These obligations increase the pressure on companies in the real economy," explains Reto Savoia, CEO of Deloitte Switzerland. "In addition, companies also rely on loans and need stringent business plans to manage the transition."

Combating mistrust and leveraging technology

When asked about the measures they have already taken, Swiss companies most frequently stated that they use energy-efficient machines (63%), generally increase energy efficiency (59%), train employees on the subject of climate change (53%) and reduce air travel (53%). Liza Engel advises companies to invest specifically in technological solutions: "Climate technology of all kinds will play a crucial role in the future. Companies need to continuously evaluate which technologies they invest in and how to use them effectively. The longer companies wait to make appropriate investments, the more expensive it will be for them in the end."

Organizations can also do something about the widespread mistrust and often expressed suspicion of greenwashing. "Companies need to ensure that relevant and reliable data is published on the measures they are taking - and that they are always up to date on regulatory requirements. Public support for policies on climate change and enforcement mechanisms against greenwashing and fraud also builds trust with customers and the public," explains Liza Engel. She further recommends involving the board of directors and ensuring that its members acquire the necessary expertise. In addition, Engel advises executives to "Influence and empower all your internal and external stakeholders. This includes, not least, suppliers."

Concern and fatalism as a wake-up call

"The concern of executives about climate change and the fatalism sometimes noted are a wake-up call for me. We must consistently continue on the path we have taken and incorporate sustainability considerations into all corporate decisions at all levels. I am convinced that the Swiss private sector has the necessary knowledge as well as the technical and financial capabilities. Thanks to our strong and innovative economy, excellent Swiss educational and research institutions, and international networking, we are ideally positioned to do so," says Reto Savoia.

Source: Deloitte

Since 2013, New Work SE, the parent company of the XING job network among others, has been honoring groundbreaking ideas and projects on the future of work with the New Work Award. A top-class jury of leading figures from society, business and research, led by patron Thomas Sattelberger, and a subsequent public online vote decide on the winners. "It makes us proud that back in 2013, when the term 'New Work' was still in its infancy, we launched an award that we have been able to establish over the past 10 years as one of the most prestigious awards in the New Work scene," says Petra von Strombeck, CEO of New Work SE.

New Work Award 2023: The categories

This year, individuals and companies have a total of three different categories to choose from for award submissions:

1. New Work - Better Work: Awards are given to individuals or teams in start-ups, companies, organizations or institutions whose activities and actions contribute to a better working world, with the aim of improving the future of work.
2. New Work - New Business: The award honors companies, organizations and individuals that are not only committed to a new work culture, but also realign their work and contribute to the emergence of new business models. New Work is not an end in itself, but an innovation driver for new business models.
3. New Work - New Society: Awards are given to companies, organizations and individuals who understand New Work as a vision of new framework conditions and modes of action for work. New social and sociopolitical forms and processes of work become possible through their initiative, collaboration, research and visionary concepts.

Renewal and innovation as drivers

The focus of the New Work Award 2023 is to promote public discourse on new economic models and future societies with the aim of shaping the future of work. "The future has become the task of the present. Therefore, with NWX23 and this year's tenth New Work Award, we are pursuing the goal of focusing on the power of innovation through new work models," says Petra von Strombeck.

Award ceremony at the New Work Experience on June 14 

The award ceremony for the New Work Award 2023 will take place on June 14, 2023 in Hamburg at the New Work Experience (NWX)the leading event for work and the future in the German-speaking world. Under the motto "Work Forward," this unique festival with conference format will bring together talents, designers and thought leaders. The focus will be on the major challenges facing the economy and society and their impact on the working world of the future. Visitors to NWX23 can look forward to a diverse program consisting of varied master classes, exciting sessions and inspiring workshops by and with renowned speakers.

More information about the New Work Award 2023 and application procedures are available here: www.nwx.new-work.se/award