Venture Kick looks back on a remarkable 2022 in its just-published annual report: the philanthropic initiative received 712 applications and supported 89 new projects from universities across Switzerland with a total of CHF 6.11 million, and Venture Kick alumni raised over CHF 1.6 billion from investors around the world. Despite the unstable economic environment, startups continued to impress with large funding rounds, institutional partnerships, world records and awards. In addition, 52 Venture Kick Alumni are among the TOP 100 Swiss Startups of 2022. "It is amazing to see that Venture Kick startups continue to raise record amounts from investors, grow their companies and create skilled jobs - despite the difficult times we are experiencing globally," comments Beat Schillig, Co-Managing Director of Venture Kick.

Venture Kick leads 15 years of Swiss startups to success

Since its launch, Venture Kick has received nearly 6,000 applications. For every CHF 1 in seed funding awarded by Venture Kick, other investors followed with an average of CHF 150. The survival rate of Venture Kick-backed startups is an impressive 86%. The startups that won the third phase of Venture Kick and received the maximum funding amount raised a total of CHF 3.5 billion in follow-on funding, raising an average of CHF 17.46 million. This contribution to the continued growth of Swiss innovation has been in november with a special anniversary event and the publication of a Anniversary publication celebrated.

Looking to the future with ambition

For 2023, Venture Kick has increased its budget to CHF 6.3 million and plans to support more than 90 new spin-off projects from Swiss universities. Pascale Vonmont, Delegate of the Venture Kick Strategy Board, has a strong vision for the future: "In 2027, we want to celebrate 20 years of Venture Kick together with 1,000 active Venture Kick startups - including several unicorns and global market leaders - and their 20,000 employees."

More information can be found in the Venture Kick Annual Report 2022: www.venturekick.ch/AnnualReport2022

There are huge differences between groups, committees and teams: Teams multiply their forceswhile groups just add them up. 10x10x10 is a different number than 10+10+10. True winning teams even manage to multiply their forces.

When teams are in fact groups...

Almost everywhere, however, there are more groups than teams. Everyone works on their own tasks instead of on common goals. I encounter this most often in management. This often consists of a collection of lone fighters instead of a real team. And since the management automatically has a role model function, this usually continues throughout the entire company.

Even if these companies have been reasonably successful so far, they could certainly achieve significantly more with more fun if they thought and acted more like a winning team in the future. Here are three ideas on how you can become significantly more successful by creating true teams:

Idea No. 1: Joint commitment to common goals

This is the most important characteristic of a team as opposed to a group: teams work together to achieve common goals. In a group, on the other hand, everyone fights for their own goals alone (see a team in sports versus a group of runners).

Of course, this requires that you define common goals in the first place. In my observation, however, this is precisely what is often lacking, especially in executive management. And even if there are common goals, individual goals often take priority.

Tip: Have everyone on your team (or in your group) write down their top three team goals individually and then compare them. This almost always results in a colorful mix of goals. Then determine the top three team goals together.

Idea No. 2: You can fully rely on each other

To what extent do the others step into the breach when I don't make progress? To what extent do we support each other, even without being asked? Conversely, of course, this also means that everyone in the team does "their job" and doesn't just switch because it occurs to them.

Because you can fully rely on each other, you can then also dare much more as a team. You can take greater risks and strive for greater success, which is precisely one of the reasons why teams can achieve much more than groups.

Idea #3: Mutual Challenge

You really only find this characteristic in true winning teams. There, people have no trouble challenging each other and also addressing deficits immediately if someone is not "doing their job.

Of course, this requires a certain self-confidence among the team members and the clarity of common goals, as well as strong trust. Interestingly, this mutual challenging leads to greater openness and more fun - in addition to better results.

Conclusion: We need more teams in this world, because together we can achieve much more. And you can contribute to this.

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

FernUni Switzerland is a university institute accredited under the Higher Education Promotion and Coordination Act (HFKG). It was founded in 1992 and recognized by the federal government in 2004. The Bachelor's and Master's degree programs as well as the continuing education programs in the faculties of law, economics, mathematics and computer science, history and psychology are recognized beyond Switzerland and internationally supported. More than 2,300 German-, French-, and English-speaking students complete their studies parallel to their professional, sports, or family life, thanks to the flexibility of distance learning.

Master program in English language

Now FernUni Switzerland is launching several new programs, including the new "Master of Science in Economics, Business and Data Analytics". This is distinguished by its focus on modern, data-driven applications of economics, according to the statement. Students receive in-depth training in the methods of modern econometrics and data analytics (such as machine learning) and apply these methods to analyze and solve current issues in economics ("Economics") or business ("Business"). This combination guarantees a university-based degree program that is theoretically sound while ideally preparing students for a variety of exciting and challenging jobs in their professional lives. "With this new Master's program, which is offered in English, the Faculty of Business at FernUni Switzerland is offering a comprehensive study program. This is a strategically important step for our institution," explains Dr. Damien Carron, Director of Academic Services. This new degree program will start in the fall semester of 2023, and registrations are already open.

More new CAS and continuing education courses

Furthermore, a "CAS Business Psychology - New Trends" is newly offered. This continuing education program focuses on the latest trends in work and organizational psychology. The core topics are the digitalization of the world of work, cyberpsychology, new work and newer concepts such as social sustainability, social change, new forms of employee coaching and branding as well as resilience at work and for health. Not only the latest empirical knowledge and approaches of the developments in the world of work are conveyed, but also how they can be successfully established in a company. Another "CAS Agile Transformation and Innovation" provides knowledge about the concepts and theories of agile transformations as well as concrete application skills for the design and management of concrete strategies and implementations for agile transformation.

FernUni Switzerland is offering two new continuing education courses in the areas of "Sport" and "Nutrition": The course "Sport Management & Ethics" systematically introduces the subject area of value and responsibility management in sport. And the continuing education course "La Nutrition au Féminin" is dedicated to the specifics of nutrition for women against the background of the menstrual cycle or menopause.

Source and further information

The building stock is a central key to realizing the energy transition. With the publication "Plusenergie & Klimaneutral: Politische Massnahmen für den nachhaltigen Betrieb des Schweizer Gebäudeparks" (Energy Plus & Climate Neutral: Political Measures for the Sustainable Operation of the Swiss Building Stock), the Buildings Division of the umbrella organization aeesuisse shows how the energy consumption of buildings can be halved, CO2 emissions in the building sector can be reduced to zero, and buildings can make an important contribution to Switzerland's energy supply. In the area of energy efficiency, older buildings in particular have impressive potential that can be tapped with a combination of different measures. Federal calculations show that the energy consumption of the Swiss building stock can be halved from 100 TWh to around 50 TWh per year. Furthermore, the building stock is currently still responsible for around a quarter of annual greenhouse gas emissions. By completely decarbonizing the heat supply with climate-neutral heating networks, heat pumps, biomass furnaces and solar energy, the CO2 emissions of buildings can be reduced to zero by 2050. Furthermore, the brochure of the Buildings Expert Group shows how up to 70 TWh of solar energy can be generated annually with the building stock in Switzerland. To realize the enormous potential of the building stock, building owners and the economy are needed on the one hand. On the other hand, politics is also required. "The building stock is a central key to realizing the energy transition. With our newly constituted Buildings Expert Group and the currently launched brochure, we are making a contribution to ensuring that the important and considerable potential in the building sector is addressed - also politically," says Stefan Batzli, Managing Director of aeesuisse. aeesuisse is the umbrella organization of the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry. It represents the interests of 35 industry associations and thus of around 35,000 companies in Switzerland. In its interests, aeesuisse is committed to progressive and sustainable energy and climate policy vis-à-vis the administration, politics and society. Source: aeesuisse The post Building stock: key to the energy turnaround appeared first on Organizer.

Despite the gloomy economic situation, the number of company mergers and acquisitions with Swiss participation reached a new record high in 2022 - there have not been so many mergers and acquisitions in over ten years, as the auditing firm KPMG notes. According to KPMG's analysis, 2022 even surpasses the previous record year of 2021: back then, there were 604 mergers and acquisitions with a volume of just under USD 170 billion. "The brisk activity on the Swiss M&A market shows that mergers and acquisitions are sustainably an integral part of many growth-oriented corporate strategies. The fact that private equity companies are in turn involved in around a third of all deals is also a sign of solid capital availability in the market," explains Timo Knak, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at KPMG. He also expects active M&A business in 2023: "Investor sentiment remains thoroughly positive despite ongoing supply chain problems, the Ukraine war, and rising interest rates."

Largest M&A activity in the technology sector

Almost half of all transactions were in the telecommunications and technology sector (TMT), industry, pharmaceuticals and life sciences. With 124 transactions and a deal volume of more than USD 14.5 billion, the TMT sector was the most active M&A market, followed by the industrial sector with 89 deals and a volume of USD 6.5 billion. In the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, 82 deals were completed with a value of just under USD 13 billion.

Swiss companies again bought up significantly more foreign companies in 2022 than vice versa: 283 acquisitions compared with 152 disposals. National transactions (Switzerland/Switzerland) accounted for around one-fifth of all mergers and acquisitions with Swiss participation (127 deals). Around 13% of all transactions were attributable to foreign transactions with Swiss sellers (85 deals).

Two major company mergers in the chemical and consumer goods sectors

The ten largest mergers and acquisitions accounted for just under 60% of the total volume in 2022, at around USD 81.5 billion. The largest transaction with a value of just under USD 21 billion is the acquisition of the fragrance manufacturer Firmenich SA by the Dutch Royal DSM, a leading global supplier of food additives. With a transaction volume of around USD 19 billion, this is followed by the acquisition of Swedish match and tobacco producer Swedish Match AB by Swiss tobacco group Philip Morris International.

Sustainability increasingly important decision criterion for acquisitions

According to a KPMG survey (the company interviewed 151 M&A specialists, mainly in Europe, 38 of them from Switzerland, on the topic of sustainability in the M&A business), 82% of market participants incorporate sustainability considerations into mergers and acquisitions. Thus, 40% of the respondents already regularly conduct ESG due diligence - compared to 28% of the companies surveyed that currently do not do so at all. Based on the survey, KPMG expects this figure to fall to 5% in the future.

"Sustainability considerations also affect the effective transaction price," says Florian Bornhauser, due diligence expert at KPMG. For example, half of the respondents are willing to pay a sustainability premium of 1-5%, 15% of the respondents would pay 5-10% more, and 3% of the respondents would even pay a premium of more than 10% if ESG criteria are met. "On the one hand, this has to do with the fact that buying companies are increasingly aware of ESG risks and their potential financial implications. On the other hand, there are also more and more investors who have realized that positive ESG performance is an indicator of professional management and thus has a direct impact on company value."

At the same time, there are still significant challenges in practice when conducting ESG due diligence. In particular, defining an appropriate scope of review, obtaining reliable data from the target company, and quantifying the results pose challenges for investors. In this context, the survey results also revealed how the most advanced investors - especially international financial investors - are proceeding in this regard to address these challenges.

Source: KPMG

Interiman Group, which claims to be the leading Swiss provider of staffing and recruitment services, reports revenue growth of 18 % compared to 2021. This result confirms its leadership role, especially as the Swiss market is only growing by 8% according to the Swissstaffing index. This success was achieved in a tight labor market through increased visibility on social networks and the main job portals, according to a company statement. Thanks to this presence, more than 480,000 applications were generated and almost 15,000 job offers were published in 2022.

"Following these excellent results, and in order to address the growing labor shortage resulting from the retirement of baby boomers and the aging of the population, we plan to expand further both in Switzerland and abroad through increased recruitment campaigns," commented Robin Gordon, CEO of Interiman Group. The group reported an increase in its internal workforce from 400 in 2021 to nearly 500 by the end of 2022, and also anticipated more than 30,000 temporary employees placed throughout the year, totaling more than 120,000 assignments.

"We are proud to have become number one in the Swiss market in 2022. However, this new leadership role also brings with it a great responsibility, both to our employees and to our customers and partners. For this reason, we will take care to defend and support all operators, in particular by communicating their concerns to the political authorities. Among the most important challenges is the issue of recruiting workers from abroad, who are necessary for the smooth functioning of the Swiss economy," said Raymond Knigge (paid article), president and founder of Interiman Group.

Source: Interiman Group

If brand managers consistently focus on the needs of their target group and successfully pass on these expectations to their team, they lay the foundation for a successful customer journey. The following five key learnings show the conditions that must be met for employees to excel in customer communication and drive up customer lifetime value over the long haul.

1. create a stable basis

Trust defines a healthy connection between customer and company. No trust, no purchase. Sales professionals build here on the little basics of good relationships: Respect, empathy and proactive communication. In addition, attentive listening strengthens customer loyalty and stabilizes the customer base. If a customer concern lies outside an employee's area of expertise, this disrupts the further development of the relationship. "If such a case occurs, those affected should at best forward the client to expert colleagues and thus actively support him in finding a solution," advises Alexander Friedrich, Head of Business Development at Glückliche Kunden GmbH.

2. authenticity lasts the longest

Entrepreneurs who generate long-term customer satisfaction unerringly meet consumer expectations. The road to success is paved by detailed analyses of customer needs based on precisely tailored questions. Honesty and authenticity characterize customer dialog - empty promises, on the other hand, cause trust to crumble and lead to customer fluctuation. In addition, carelessness quickly has a negative effect on the relationship: In a car repair shop, for example, the one-time unauthorized refilling of the wiper water, which is associated with costs, leads to an immediate loss of trust, restoration questionable. Those who make do instead of spill the beans optimally provide over-delivery and exceed the expectations of their clientele. The result of this better performance is a disproportionate increase in satisfaction levels and sales through recommendations.

3. competence well dosed

In sales talks, employees primarily shine through their specialist knowledge. "A sure instinct is required," says Karolina Friedrich, Managing Director of the consulting firm Glückliche Kunden GmbH: "Anyone who overburdens potential buyers with incomprehensible terms quickly causes annoyance and, in the worst case, assumes ignorance. A competent purchase consultation, characterized by transparency and appreciation, wins perspective the loyalty of the clientele and increases the recommendation ratio."

4. ensure accessibility online and offline

If an unexpected problem arises, customers usually want to see it solved as quickly as possible. The key here is to understand pain points and resolve them quickly. A high level of solution orientation that meets consumer expectations is a key factor in ensuring customer satisfaction. At the point of sale
there must be clarity about who assumes responsibility in the event of a complaint. Online, experienced customer service employees avoid response times of several hours in support chats. The rule of thumb for waiting times in telephone hotlines is six seconds until the call is answered.

5. feedback as a success control

Positive and negative customer feedback helps companies to reflect on their own products and services and to identify blind spots in their service portfolio. If customers express justified criticism in personal conversations, employees must respond to it objectively, professionally - and, last but not least, with gratitude. For service hotlines and chatbots, Karolina and Alexander Friedrich recommend automated, easy-to-understand grading systems that use an AI tool to request evaluations from the clientele and then evaluate them.

The positive effect of customer communication

As part of customer relationship management, successful customer communication strengthens customer relationships and loyalty. It increases the reputation and awareness of a company or brand. Customers grow up to become fans, act as recommenders and ultimately acquire new customers free of charge.

Source: Happy customers Ltd.

On January 24, 2023, the Swiss Employers' Association presented the current SAV Employment Barometer. This is based on current economic data from the KOF economic research institute, BAK Basel and Seco. Accordingly, the initial situation is as follows: With a value of 92.2 points in December, the KOF economic barometer is still well below the longer-term average. At the end of 2022, it rose again by three points for the first time in several months. The domestic economy continues to have a stabilizing effect on the economy, in particular due to continued robust private consumption. The situation is more difficult in parts of the export-oriented industry, where economic difficulties are being felt in the sales markets. The global energy crisis, weakening domestic demand as a result of declining purchasing power and continuing supply bottlenecks are still causing problems for companies in these countries. At the same time, the catch-up effects resulting from the Corona pandemic are gradually leveling off. In the MEM industries in particular, lower exports to important sales countries are having a negative impact, and high energy prices are causing problems for energy-intensive companies in particular. According to the KOF economic forecast, Switzerland's gross domestic product (GDP) will still grow by 0.7 percent in the current year despite the global economic slowdown - in contrast to other European countries, whose economies will actually shrink.

SAV employment barometer shows chronic shortage of skilled workers in certain sectors

Analysis of the KOF survey, which provides an important basis for the SAV Employment Barometer, shows that the majority of companies surveyed still assess both the business situation and employment positively, albeit somewhat less euphorically than in the second half of 2022. With regard to employment in particular, companies in many sectors indicate that they expect to expand their workforce in the future. This is particularly true of the service sector. However, according to the SAV Employment Barometer, assessments of employment trends in the MEM industries show that the proportion of companies expecting to expand their workforce decreased in the last two quarters of 2022. Nevertheless, the challenge of finding suitable staff remains: A logjam of job openings has built up in the post-Corona pandemic period, and demographic trends and the exit of the baby boomer generation from the labor market are contributing to the labor shortage. The major shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector is almost described as "chronic". According to the KOF survey, around one in two companies say that the lack of suitable staff is having a negative impact on their earnings situation.

Better exploitation of domestic labor potential

Even if there are signs of a cooling of the economy and this leads to a normalization of the labor market, the problem of the lack of skilled workers is not off the table. To alleviate the situation, priority must be given to better exploiting the labor potential available at home, but labor market-oriented immigration remains indispensable on a subsidiary basis, even though our neighboring countries are also suffering from an increasing shortage of skilled workers. Hendrik Budliger, founder and head of the Demographics Competence Center, has conducted an in-depth study of population trends in Switzerland and the most important immigration countries. He concludes that the scenarios assuming constant or even increasing migration are too optimistic. According to his calculations, the number of employed persons in Switzerland will decline from 2025 onward, despite immigration. Employers see this as all the more confirmation of their efforts to strengthen the domestic workforce potential. According to Roland A. Müller, Director of the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV), a comprehensive package of measures is needed. For example, he calls for an increase in working hours and work volume. On average, the working population is working almost 14 days less than 10 years ago, Müller said. "To counter the shortage of skilled workers, we need to increase the volume of work instead of thinking about further reductions. Especially mini-staff positions below 40 percent need to be addressed." Second, he said, work must become more rewarding again, including through tax incentives. The "marriage penalty", i.e. the unequal tax treatment of married couples compared to individuals, should be abolished and individual taxation introduced, continued Roland A. Müller. And thirdly, Müller calls for investment in childcare so that it is also easier for mothers or fathers to increase their workloads if they so wish.

Source: Swiss Employers' Association 

Since December 23, 2022, Bank CIC (Switzerland) has been managed on an interim basis by David Fusi. Now Livia Moretti becomes the new CEO. She has a solid and extensive international management, banking and financial expertise. For the last ten years, she was a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, where she acquired extensive knowledge of international banking strategy, practice and regulation. In this capacity, she managed multicultural teams spread across several countries. Livia Moretti is a Luxembourg national and started her banking career with a private banking group in Luxembourg, where she worked for eight years in various functions. In addition to English, she is fluent in French, German and Italian. She holds a Master's degree in "Economy of Financial Institutions and Markets" from the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan. She lives with her family in Basel. Livia Moretti will step down as CEO on February 1, 2023, at which time David Fusi will return to his client service responsibilities at Bank CIC (Switzerland) Ltd.

"The best way to predict the future is to shape it yourself," says Livia Moretti of her new role. "I am convinced that through the commitment and professionalism of our teams, we will achieve our ambitious goals." Éric Charpentier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank CIC (Switzerland) Ltd, emphasizes, "With her many years of experience in the international financial sector, Ms. Livia Moretti is the ideal person to take on the responsible role of CEO. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors of Bank CIC, I wish her every success and pleasure in her new position."

Bank CIC (Switzerland) was founded in 1871 by Basel entrepreneurs to meet the financial needs of businesses. It currently employs 430 people at ten locations in Switzerland. Today, the bank is a subsidiary of the French Crédit Mutuel Group.

Source: Bank CIC (Switzerland)

The year 2022 will go down in history as one of the most moving in recent times. It has raised numerous questions that have upended society's relationship with business and politics. Technology is no exception to this upheaval and faces major challenges of its own - from security issues to accountability to growing sustainability and regulatory requirements. Joe Bauley, CTO of VMware, has compiled the most important trends or IT priorities.

1. Even by chance, people become more sustainable: The pressure to improve an organization's environmental sustainability continues to grow. With the acute rise in energy costs, everyone - consumers and businesses - are looking to cut costs. For some consumers, what is the hot water bottle, for companies it is issues such as running data centers on renewable energy. With the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), decision makers are beginning to prioritize reducing overall energy consumption and using tools that ensure accuracy and accountability in meeting sustainability goals.
2. Companies are defined by the way they operate: The battle between the proponents of office presence and those of flexible working continues. Regardless of our personal preference, trying to direct employees in one direction or the other will determine a company's IT strategy and thus its future. Business leaders must agree on the next steps, because the company's reputation depends on it.
3. Cloud-first was yesterday, cloud-smart is the order of the day. According to the VMware Multi-Cloud Maturity Index, the cloud has become chaotic and complex for many, which is slowing its development. The most successful organizations will not build their strategy on the cloud, but on developing powerful distributed applications (including edge), as these will drive differentiation in the market. It will then be up to their IT infrastructure and architecture teams to determine which multi-cloud approach will provide them with the capabilities they need to develop and sustain these applications, as well as the customer and employee experience.
4. In search of the ultimate "Metaverse" app: The Metaverse, or some version of it, has been on everyone's trend list for the past decade as big brands promise to deliver a world-changing virtual reality experience. Unfortunately, it still hasn't materialized and people are losing confidence. The potential for revolution would be there, but we have yet to find the critical use case that really captivates and changes people.
5. The end of the super app dream: Instead of the development towards a super app, a stronger fragmentation of the market is taking place. Similar to the rise and fall of many a social network, many users were waiting for the rise of the super app. But Europe is not China, and therefore it is unlikely that a European version of WeChat will catch on. Super apps won't catch on in this country; people want apps that perform certain tasks and do them well. If anything, we will probably see even greater fragmentation in 2023.
6. Using off-the-shelf hardware to overcome supply chain issues: In a world where things change by the hour, waiting more than six months for specialized equipment is not an option. Some companies have already started to get around this problem by buying off-the-shelf hardware that is more readily available and then investing in specialized software to deliver the functionality they need quickly and efficiently. This focus on Software-Defined and Enabled will continue.
7. Blurring boundaries between telecom and cloud providers: Telcos have been building clouds for years, but as the trend toward distributed applications, choice and a highly flexible environment continues, more cloud companies will move into networking, infrastructure and customer site management. The already blurred lines between the two will become even more blurred.
8. AI will be used for better decision making: The use of AI to support more informed decision making will undoubtedly continue to grow. But with increasing regulation and governance, and a better understanding of AI bias, its use will have to be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to when and for what decisions it is used, and - on what data sets those decisions are based. With the release of exciting tools like ChatGPT, AI is also getting more and more into the hands of people who are not techies.
9. Expansion of interaction between man and machine: Robots are leaving factories to interact with humans - with mixed results and much criticism. In 2023, we will take stock of the vast amounts of data collected from human-machine interactions. We are still a long way from full integration of robots and humans, but progress is being made.
10. Focus on transferable technical skills: Rather than focusing on platform- or technology-specific skills and capabilities, there needs to be a greater emphasis on capabilities that are fundamentally transferable between existing and emerging technologies, building on the years of experience we have already gained.

Source: VMware

In the wake of crises, the economy, society and politics are at the beginning of a new normal. This was also the focus of this year's Rheintal Economic Forum. With former Federal Councillor Kaspar Villiger, Sulzer Chairman of the Board Suzanne Thoma, Corps Commander Hans-Peter Walser and Johannes Gutmann, owner of Sonnentor Kräuterhandels GmbH, the conference was again extremely prominent. The speakers provided the numerous audience members with a lot of food for thought. The surprise musical guest was Alexander Frei from Balgach, known by his stage name Crimer.

Democracies with homegrown problems

At almost 82 years of age, 20 years after stepping down from the Federal Council, Kaspar Villiger is still a wise observer of politics and a sought-after advisor. He proved this in an eloquent manner at the Rheintal Economic Forum. He reminded the audience that liberal democracy is not an innate form of government, but requires constant care because of its vulnerability. Many of today's problems in democracies are homemade, he said, especially because the popular rather than the necessary is often pursued. According to Villiger, "even the best democracy needs a living civil society that defends it tooth and nail and actively lives its values. It is particularly important to remain resilient by democracies doing their homework, defending themselves militarily, standing together and finding ways to coexist with autocracies.

War and peace

Corps Commander Hans-Peter Walser, head of training for the Swiss Armed Forces, outlined the new security landscape in the wake of Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine. Today, he said, no clear line can be drawn between war and peace. Cyberattacks by an aggressor are as much a part of it as targeting the weakest and economic targets. Walser cited the example of China, which deliberately creates dependencies in the West with its economic holdings. If there is a military attack, it takes place on several levels, including cyberspace, outer space and information space. But wars would still be decided militarily on the ground. From the point of view of young Swiss people, Walser's obvious conclusion is that it is still worthwhile to do military service and to continue their education there.

A praise for sobriety

Suzanne Thoma, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Sulzer, spoke about the challenges facing the economy and corporate management. She also emphasized the importance of resilient development. She sees the Swiss economy under more pressure on a global level "than we would like," especially due to Switzerland's strong export orientation. Deglobalization will make things more uncomfortable in the coming years, she said. There is only one solution left for companies: "We have to come back to a certain sobriety."

Economy of the common good as a recipe for success in the new normality

Sunshine into the Aegeten sports hall was brought by Johannes Gutmann, owner of Sonnentor Kräuterhandels GmbH from Austria. In 1988, he pioneered a small organic farm in the Waldviertel region on the Czech border, together with three farmers. This has grown into a company with 500 employees today and 900 products from around the world. Gutmann told the story of his company as a story of farmers who wanted to become free. He cited a number of success factors that can probably also make life easier in the new normal: Empathy, with an eye on the common good, appreciation combined with value creation, maximizing meaning instead of maximizing profit. And above all, "I wanted balance and a good life."

Prize of the Rheintaler Economy

Traditionally, the prize of the Rheintaler Wirtschaft is also awarded on the occasion of the Rheintaler Wirtschaftsforum. This year, Sterngarage in Heerbrugg wins this award. From the hands of jury president Klaus Brammertz, the couple Klara and Bruno Bischofberger, the patrons of the family business, were able to receive the prize sculpture. The garage with its 70 employees is distinguished by innovations and exemplary employee management, according to the tribute.

The next Rhine Valley Economic Forum will take place on January 26, 2024.

More information: www.wifo.ch

Von Rundstedt's Labor Market Barometer 2023 covers the whole of Switzerland and is based on information from 1,866 employees affected by a dismissal and from 192 companies from various sectors that had to make redundancies in Switzerland in 2022. It thus provides a representative picture of the Swiss labor market as a whole in 2022, from which a number of interesting findings can be derived.

Economic and labor market slowdown imminent

"Since mid-2022, more layoffs have been announced again and first downsizing projects and restructurings have been announced. There will be more layoffs again in the near future," says Pascal Scheiwiller, CEO of Von Rundstedt. After significantly fewer layoffs were announced in 2021 and the first half of 2022, an increase in layoffs has been noticeable again since mid-2022. Given the large number of vacancies, this is not as significant. On the other hand, there is again more fluctuation and the conditions on the labor market seem to be slowly returning to normal, according to the outplacement specialist. Reference is also made to the observation that at the end of 2022, more downsizing and restructuring projects had again been announced. In total, 76% of the terminations in 2022 would have taken place against the background of a downsizing or restructuring measure. This compares with only 67% in the previous year. This indicates that companies are again making more structural adjustments and are not only looking for new staff, but are also releasing staff and adjusting the organization at the same time. This does not yet point to a recession, but to a kind of normalization of the labor market.

No more moral protection for Ü50

It seems that before the current labor market situation, the "grace period" for older employees has expired. Pascal Schweiller: "Currently, the dismissal rate for the over-50s is significantly higher than for the other age groups. The many vacancies apparently legitimize companies to increasingly dismiss older employees without activating special protective measures." The figures prove: in 2022, 39% of the terminations affected the Ü50 age group. This rate is significantly higher than the previous year (31%) and the Ü50 employment rate of 32%. In recent years, it has mostly been close to the employment rate (30-32%). So in 2022, relatively speaking, many more Ü50 have been laid off. Apparently, the good market environment for job seekers and the many vacancies mean that employers are no longer very worried about those affected, nor are they afraid of negative press and reputational damage in the event of Ü50 terminations.

More difficult profiles also find a new job more quickly again

But still, the situation for job seekers cannot be described as dramatic. "The duration of the job search has decreased once again. Especially for people over 50 and for difficult profiles, the search duration has significantly shortened," says Pascal Scheiwiller. The average job search duration across all categories was 5.2 months in 2022, down from 5.3 months in 2021. However, the situation has improved significantly, especially in the over-50 category. Within two years, it has fallen from 8.3 months (2020) to 6.9 months (2021) and now 6.1 months (2022) - a positive development. In general, the range between supposedly easy and difficult profiles has become smaller. In 2020, the average search duration for difficult profiles was still 11.8 months. In 2021, the search duration of this category has already been reduced to 9.2 months and in 2022 to 7.3 months. Thus, according to von Rundstedt, all categories are currently benefiting from the shortage of skilled workers and are finding a new job much faster.

Good opportunities with publicly advertised positions

In recent years, the hidden job market and personal networks have long been the secret recipe for success in getting the really exciting jobs. This has become somewhat relative over the past year, according to another of Von Rundstedt's findings. In 2022, only 27% of job seekers found their jobs through the personal network (2021: 37%). Most new jobs in 2022 were found through public job postings (48%). This success rate is significantly higher than the previous year (34%). This is due to the fact that more and more jobs are also advertised publicly. The selection of advertised jobs is currently very large. Recruiters and headhunters are becoming relatively less important. They can look back on two good business years due to the recruitment wave of the last two years. Nevertheless, their relative importance is declining. In 2022, only 3% of job seekers found their new job through a recruiter. This is a large decrease compared to previous years (2021: 9%).

Continued high industry mobility

Another finding is that although many companies still stick to industry experience in recruiting, the willingness to hire candidates from outside the industry has increased sharply over the past two years. In 2022, 48% of job seekers were able to make a successful industry switch. This is a testament to the increasing flexibility of employers and once again highlights the pressures of the skills shortage. Much less mobility is observed in the function of a job seeker. In 2022, only 24% of candidates were able to change function. Especially with regard to the Digital Transformation and the upcoming structural changes, a higher functional mobility would be desirable. If at all possible, companies only hire candidates who already have experience in the same function.

Salary development stable and positive

"Thanks to the shortage of skilled workers and inflation, salaries are tending to rise. Nevertheless, the development seems quite stable compared to other countries," says Pascal Scheiwiller about the development of wages. In 2022, 40% of job seekers would have been able to achieve a higher salary in their new position after being laid off, the analysis of the data shows. Only 21% had to accept a lower salary. Indexed, this results in an average salary increase of 2% in this category. Thus, the development is in line with inflation and can be considered stable. It should be noted that companies are happy to wave good salaries in the case of critical profiles and direct poaching. The salary development for this category is 13%. This confirms the thesis that the shortage of skilled workers in specific areas is clearly boosting salary development.

Source: Von Rundstedt