For once, on June 20, 2022, Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, the prestigious building for "high culture," belonged entirely to the HR world: The fifth New Work Experience, or NWX22 for short, attracted around 2,000 visitors to the banks of the Elbe. As a meeting place for the New Work community from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, it took place this year under the motto "Celebrating Work // Pioneering Culture". The line-up of more than 100 speakers provided a total of 14 hours of programming in various formats ranging from discussions and keynotes to small-scale sessions. As a result, NWX22 may have been the largest networking event in the German-speaking world to date for the HR world. "The corporate culture revolution is in full swing. So much inspiration and expertise on the future of work has not been gathered in one place for a long time," said Petra von Strombeck, CEO of the New Work SEthe operator of the online network Xing and the employer rating platform kununu, and the event's organizer.

The "Great Resignation

It was by no means a "self-congratulation event" for the HRM industry. On the contrary, NWX22 was able to highlight the major challenges that employers and employees are currently facing. The fact alone that at the beginning of 2022, around 37 percent of employees in the German-speaking world were thinking out loud about changing jobs and then actually doing so must make companies sit up and take notice. The main reason for this wave of resignations, the "Great Resignation," is seen as the increasing lack of corporate culture. But the all-encompassing answer to the question "How do I create a working world I like?" does not yet seem to have been found. The fact that all that glitters is far from gold when it comes to "New Work" came to light more than once in presentations and panel discussions.

Work less, but (have to) work longer?

Philosopher Richard David Precht, for example, put his finger on the sore points in the current working world. He noted that the topic of "new work" has now become relevant not only for the "upper third of society," but for everyone. "We are experiencing the end of work as we knew it. We are evolving from a work society to a society of meaning. In the past, it was only reserved for the aristocracy to do what they really wanted to do. Today, everyone is allowed to do that," says Precht. With reference to the increasing automation of work and the criticism of the same, Precht also became clear: "We have now arrived at a state like in the GDR, where work preservation is more important than productivity." Precht also locates a contradiction in the current discussions surrounding the safeguarding of pension systems. In Germany, as in Switzerland, there is talk of raising the retirement age in connection with pension reform. However, technological progress means that we should actually be working less and less - in some companies, the four-day week is even already a reality. "Should we artificially work more to safeguard the pension systems?" wondered Richard David Precht. His proposed solution to this dilemma: tax machines and introduce an unconditional basic income.

Sense and nonsense of "Purpose  

Corporate anthropologist Jitske Kramer also wowed guests with her keynote on "Work has left the building" - and the changes brought about by the "Corona culture shock." She believes that the foundation in the relationship between employers and employees needs to be rebuilt. Not only was the keynote by psychologist and best-selling author Stefanie Stahl about creating meaning in the job, but also the panel "Too much nonsense with meaning? The Value of Purpose in Work" with Petra von Strombeck (New Work SE), Petra Scharner-Wolff (Otto Group), Prof. Dr. Ingo Hamm (business psychologist at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and author of the book "Sinnlos glücklich") and Prof. Dr. Heike Bruch from the University of St.Gallen. Ingo Hamm critically questioned the concept of "purpose," especially the much-cited "corporate purposes" à la "We move you" or "Connecting People." Rather, he said, the moral and psychological side of purpose should also be discussed. According to Hamm, it should be morally permissible to work against company principles if this results in a higher meaning.

Traditional vs. modern work   

The participants in the panel "How much 'new' does work need?", in which Trigema CEO Wolfgang Grupp met with work researcher Prof. Dr. Jutta Rump and Nina Zimmermann, CEO of kununu, were extremely eager for discussion. While for the successful old-school entrepreneur it is primarily traditional values and rules that make for an attractive corporate culture and he values formal interaction, the positions of Nina Zimmermann and Prof. Dr. Jutta Rump could not have been more contrary. "Employees today want to have a say more than ever. No one wants to be told what he or she has to do anymore," says Nina Zimmermann. Jutta Rump, on the other hand, sees the future of leadership no longer in the role of individuals, but in teams.

In addition, committed participants discussed concrete practical topics of the working world in more than 40 sessions - how do companies get good employees faster (New Hiring), how do they retain talent longer (Employee Engagement)? What is good leadership in a world of uncertainty? And how do job seekers find companies that are a good cultural fit for them?

However, the program not only included questions that are currently being hotly debated in the world of work, but also a look beyond the end of one's nose. Thus, the monk and leading master of the "Shaolin Temple Europe" Shi Heng Yi explained in his lecture the meaning and behavior of Buddhist philosophy for people in today's working world. And Tatjana Kiel (co-founder #WeAreAllUkrainians) spoke with Markus Diekmann (founder of Job Aid Ukraine) about the aid work with people in and from Ukraine.

Capitulation to the future?

Fortunately, the war in Ukraine did not remain the dominant topic at NWX22, but the fact that two European countries are waging a conflict against each other by force of arms still shone through from time to time. Richard David Precht, for example, was optimistic that this war would not succeed in stopping our values and progress in technology and society. On the other hand, the remarks of Thomas Sattelberger, member of the German Bundestag for the Bavarian FDP, could be understood as a counterpoint. He spoke of the beginning of a new Cold War ("Cold War 2.0") and the danger that Maslow's pyramid will be reversed: Instead of self-fulfillment, the focus in the future will once again be on simply securing existential needs.

Thinking about the future is important and also necessary. Futurist Ben Hammersley is convinced of this. In his keynote speech, he noted that today's models for the future, which can be depicted in exponential curves, no longer work. Even discussions around pro or contra home office, digitalization, AI and the like would go in circles because it has become impossible to think about the future with previous patterns. "We can't go back to the past, we have to start over," Hammersley said. "Re-invent the future," was his message. One or the other listener may have wondered at this vote: Is even a futurist capitulating to the future here?

NWX22: Work is culture - culture is work

One thing is certain, however - and this is the conclusion of NWX22: The future of work begins now. Those who do not proactively face up to the changes will lose out. Many challenges will not be overcome with patent remedies. Nevertheless, the event offered many opportunities to "celebrate work", true to the motto "Celebrating Work". Numerous live musical acts, such as the Hamburg electropop band Hundreds, the Cologne surf pop band Planschemalöör or the star pianist Alexander Krichel with his interpretation of Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", provided the right atmosphere. This also made it possible to return to the venue: the Elbphilharmonie as a temple of culture - even if for once it was mainly about corporate culture(s).

The Entrepreneur Day on July 6 is dedicated to the current topic "Leading in Instability". Among those appearing at the largest conference for entrepreneurship in the Principality of Liechtenstein region are Joe Kaeser, one of Europe's best-known managers and current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy, top manager Monisha Kaltenborn (Racing Unleashed), economist Peter Bofinger, Liechtenstein's Minister of Economic Affairs Sabine Monauni, the two entrepreneurial personalities Katharina Lehmann and Markus Kaiser, and moderator Mona Vetsch.

Marco "Büxi" Büchel as closing speaker

A special closing speaker has now been engaged on the topic of "Leading in instability". Ex-ski racer Marco Büchel will be appearing at the 17th Entrepreneur Day and dedicating his talk to the topic "Stand up, straighten your crown, carry on". In his 20-year career, "Büxi" achieved four World Cup victories, 18 World Cup podium finishes and won the World Cup silver medal in the giant slalom in Vail in 1999. Since his retirement from top-level sport, Büchel has gained a foothold in the world of communications and media, including as a ski expert for German television ZDF. He also coaches athletes on their way to the top of the world.

Info and tickets at www.unternehmertag.li

The global economy is under pressure, payment morale is declining and insolvencies are becoming more frequent again as a result. Fast and simple debt collection procedures are critical for companies in this tight economy. Allianz Trade, a market leader in credit insurance, has ranked 49 countries in terms of collection complexity. Payment practices and court and insolvency procedures in each country were evaluated. "Switzerland has well-functioning mechanisms," comments Jan Möllmann, co-CEO ad interim Allianz Trade Switzerland. "This is not the case in other countries. Especially in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, it can be much more complicated for companies to get their money."

Europe is the easiest place to collect debts

The experts analyzed over 40 indicators around local payment practices, court and insolvency procedures. The resulting ranking ranges from a score of 0 (low complexity) to 100 (very high complexity). The result shows: In Europe, collection procedures are the simplest. Eleven countries with the lowest complexity scores are in Europe, followed only in twelfth place by New Zealand, the first non-European country. The countries with the easiest collection procedures are Sweden (score of 30), Germany (30) and Finland (32). Bringing up the rear globally are Saudi Arabia (91), Malaysia (78) and the United Arab Emirates (72). Complexity in these countries is almost three times higher than in Western Europe.

Switzerland in 6th place - also thanks to good payment practices

Switzerland ranks among the top 10, in 6th place (score of 33), with good payment morale, fast legal proceedings and a clear legal situation. Good accounts receivable management is nevertheless an imperative: "The biggest challenge is when customers become insolvent," Möllmann explains. "For small and medium-sized companies in particular, failure to make payments can quickly threaten their very existence. Companies would fundamentally do well to check credit ratings and hedge against payment defaults."

Major differences among Swiss export partners

If we look at the rating for Switzerland's export partners, we see major differences. Switzerland supplies most goods and services to Germany. There, it is easy for companies to collect outstanding receivables (score 30). In second place among the most frequent export destinations is the USA, which has a score of 55, a very high level of complexity. Things also get difficult for defaulting customers in Italy. Switzerland's southern neighbor is the third most popular trading partner. Collection procedures are somewhat easier than in the USA, but are still comparatively complex (score 49).

Source: www.allianz-trade.com

When choosing a continuing education program, it is important to keep the goal in mind. What competence enhancement should be aimed for? The demand for compact courses is growing all the time.

Sustainability as a decision-making factor

Training providers know this: Continuing education courses should impart as much knowledge as possible in as short a time as possible. If you want to build up additional knowledge on a particular topic, seminars and courses lasting one or more days are certainly the right choice. However, if you want to familiarize yourself with a new specialist area or acquire well-founded competencies, especially operational competencies, longer training courses are recommended. These are more sustainable, because important contexts are taken into account, the material can be "internalized" and what is learned can already be implemented in the company during the in-service training - a win-win situation for employers and employees. There is a sustainable expansion of competencies with practical relevance.

It is precisely with this focus that edupool.ch develops offers for SME employees with HR management and project planning tasks.

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Even more attractive after complete revision! This continuing education conveys sound basic knowledge along the most important personnel processes. The edupool.ch diploma with HRSE Equivalency is recognized in the admission to the professional examination.

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These two, independent continuing education courses have been revised to better meet the needs of the payroll field.

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This one-semester course provides comprehensive expertise for the successful implementation of small projects - from initialization, planning and control to controlling and closing.

Quality label for continuing commercial education

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If warning signs indicate that a key employee wants to quit, his or her boss or supervisor should have a stay-put conversation with him or her. Such a discussion has three goals:

• explore whether the assumption is correct. If so,
• find out how far the employee has already distanced himself mentally from the company. and whether he can still be "retuned". And again, if so,
• motivate him to stay.

Invite to a lead conversation

Never casually extend the invitation for a lead interview. If possible, when alone, ask him to talk to you in person. If he asks, do not state the occasion. Instead, say, for example, "Nothing bad, but I'd like to talk about it with you in private." Make an appointment for this - also so that you can prepare yourself. Ask yourself before the conversation, for example:

• What could be possible reasons for the employee's intention to change? And:
• As a leader, what might I have contributed to this?

For example, if you have (unconsciously) promoted the intention to change through your behavior, this will influence the atmosphere in the conversation.

Conduct the lead interview in a place that guarantees peace and confidentiality. And take your time, because such conversations often take an unexpected course. For example, if the employee tells you things that you did not know before.

Enter the conversation with I-messages

At the beginning of the conversation, briefly share your thoughts and fears with the employee. After all, he or she does not yet know what the conversation is about. Avoid long introductions and get straight to the point. Start the conversation with a first-person statement, for example:

• "I have had the impression recently that you are withdrawing. That's why I'm afraid you're mentally saying goodbye to us." Or:
• "Our company is currently in a state of transition. Therefore, I'm concerned that you may feel your job is insecure and look for an alternative job."

Afterwards, express your regret if your fears were true: "I would find that a pity, because I value you very much as a person and employee and would therefore like to keep you." Then wait for the employee to respond. Listen patiently to what he or she has to tell you. Ask questions of understanding at most.

The possible employee reactions

There are four possible employee responses to your push.

• Reaction 1: The employee credibly assures you that your fears are unfounded. Then the conversation is actually over. Nevertheless, you should take the opportunity to put your employee relationship on an even firmer footing. For example, by saying: "I'm pleased about that. Nevertheless, I would ask you to talk to me in the future if something is bothering you. Because as I said before, you are important to me as an employee."
• Reaction 2: The employee emphasizes that your fears are unfounded. But you don't believe him - for example, because of his body language. This is often the case, because employees who are willing to change are usually reluctant to talk to their boss about their intention until they have an alternative job. Even then, you should emphasize that you are pleased about this because the employee is important to you. Afterwards, you should continue the conversation like a normal appraisal interview, for example by saying: "Irrespective of this, I would be interested to know how satisfied you are with your work - after all, things have been quite turbulent at our company recently (for example, due to Corona or as a result of the Ukraine war or due to digitization or thin staffing levels)." The goal here: to explore the potential reasons why the employee might be considering a change of employer, and then possibly resolve them.
• Reaction 3: The employee says he is considering changing employers. Then you should first thank him for his openness and express that you consider this a sign of trust and will handle the information accordingly. After that, you should inquire in detail about the motives for the contemplated change before asking him, "What can I or the company do to make you stay? Because as I said before, you are a valuable employee."
  As the employee's boss or supervisor, you can record the employee's wish list and comment carefully if one aspect is impossible to fulfill. Practice shows that a lack of appreciation, a poor working atmosphere and a lack of satisfaction at work are usually bigger problems than the salary when it comes to retaining highly qualified employees in particular.
• Reaction 4: The employee says he is determined to change employers. Even then, you should first thank the employee for his or her openness and explore his or her motives for the change. Sometimes there are personal reasons: For example, an employee has fallen in love and therefore wants to move to another city. In that case, you can really only wish him all the best. It's different when an employee says, for example, that a family member has become a caregiver, which is why he can no longer do his challenging job or no longer wants to. In that case, the only alternative is usually to let him move or to explore with him what alternative work arrangements or job alternatives are available in his own organization.

The situation is different again if the planned change is due to the current work situation. For example, the poor working atmosphere, the high workload, the poor pay or the low promotion prospects. Then, when an employee openly says "I'm leaving" even though he or she does not yet have a new job, a lot of frustration has usually already built up in the employee. It is correspondingly difficult to persuade the employee to stay. Nevertheless, you should try it with valuable employees - even if you then have to reckon with massive criticism of your management style and behavior, because dissatisfaction with the supervisor is a frequent reason for changing employers.

Exploring the conditions for rethinking

Listen to the complaints calmly, and then say, for example, "I notice you have a lot of resentment built up." The employee will probably reply "yes." You can then reply, for example, "I'm sorry that I didn't register this earlier and talk to you about it. Because you are a valuable employee to me, and I would therefore like to continue working with you. Under what conditions could you imagine reconsidering your decision?"

So after the employee has let off steam, try to steer the conversation into calmer waters - among other things by signaling your appreciation to your counterpart. Then you should try to work out with the employee under what conditions he or she could imagine remaining loyal to the company and to what extent these conditions can be met.

Arrange a follow-up appointment

It is often not possible to reach an agreement on this in a meeting - either because you still have to discuss with colleagues or superiors the extent to which certain wishes can be fulfilled. Or because the employee does not yet know the answer to your question about the conditions under which he or she could imagine staying. Then, toward the end of the conversation, you should first record as a positive result: "Fine, we are both still willing to talk." After that, they should jointly define in a results protocol who will do what by when and with what goal, and agree on a date when they will sit down together again.

It is not uncommon for employees who are willing to change employers to be persuaded to do so and also to become emotionally attached to the company again - especially if they sense genuine appreciation on the part of their employer or supervisor during the stay interview and a genuine effort to fulfill their personal wishes as far as possible. After all, they know that there are always risks associated with a change of employer. That is why such an attempt is worthwhile, because every unplanned termination results in high follow-up costs for a company - and not only because of the then necessary search for a new employee and his or her induction. The so-called "chaos costs" are often much more serious, because a (key) position is usually vacant for a longer period of time.

The notice of termination is already on the table

You can still hold a retention meeting with employees even if their resignation is already on the table. In this case, however, you usually have to offer the employee significantly more than if he or she has not yet found a new job, so that he or she will reconsider his or her decision. Rightly so, because then you have not recognized the change signals in advance. Otherwise, the termination would not be unexpectedly on the table.

Authors:
Klaus Doll is the owner of Klaus Doll Organisationsberatung, Neustadt an der Weinstraße (www.doll-beratung.de). His wife Nikola Doll works as a business coach, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. (www.doll-coaching.de).

Editor's note: The following shows how a company can prevent unwanted waves of layoffs this article.

On June 16, 2022, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) surprised the public by raising its key interest rate by half a percentage point from -0.75 to just -0.25 percent. Many commentators see this as an extraordinary event: "This is the first time in 15 years that the SNB has raised the key interest rate," says Benjamin Manz, CEO of moneyland.ch, a Swiss online comparison service for banks, insurance companies and telecoms. Does this key interest rate increase automatically mean less negative interest on savings and business accounts?

Key interest rate increase greater than expected

The move was basically to be expected, but the SNB intervened surprisingly early, as analyst Felix Oeschger of moneyland.ch says. In addition, the increase was larger than many market observers had initially expected.

The increase in the key interest rate favors a further rise in interest rates for many different financial products. These include medium-term notes and mortgages. However, the interest rate turnaround has already taken place for these products: Interest rates have been rising since the beginning of the year. The situation is different for savings and private accounts, as Oeschger explains: "So far, nothing has changed in the interest rates on bank accounts. If the SNB maintains its course, however, interest rates on savings and private accounts can also be expected to rise."

Less negative interest

The comparison service moneyland.ch has asked various banks how they are reacting to the SNB's decision. Several banks confirm that they will reduce the negative interest rates. UBS and Credit Suisse, for example, say they will also adjust the negative interest rates for both private and corporate customers by half a percentage point. Raiffeisen Switzerland also recommends that all Raiffeisen banks charge only 0.25 instead of 0.75 percent for negative interest in the future.

It is true that the SNB's interest rate change will already apply from June 17. The adjusted fees for private customers, on the other hand, will not come into effect at many banks until July 1, 2022. However, there are also exceptions: Zürcher Kantonalbank is reducing the negative interest rate at the same time as the SNB. At Postfinance, the adjustment is to be implemented for all private and business customers by July 1, 2022 at the latest. Large and institutional customers will be affected first.

Further interest rate hikes expected

The banks' answers show: Even if the charges are not yet history, customers affected by negative interest rates will be asked to pay significantly less in the future. However, negative interest will continue to be charged on banks' sight balances at the SNB if they exceed the exemption amount. "So the banks can still justify negative interest on customer accounts now - but if the SNB takes further interest rate steps, this argument no longer holds water," says Oeschger.

And it is safe to assume that this will not be the last interest rate hike by the SNB. Thomas Jordan, President of the SNB, already indicated when the current interest rate hike was announced that more could soon follow. Oeschger also believes that this is likely: "Because it is questionable whether inflation in Switzerland can be kept in check with today's key interest rate hike alone."

Source: moneyland.ch

Many companies in Switzerland and other developed countries give high priority to the inclusion of queer employees - and this has an overall positive impact on the workplace. This is according to a study by Deloitte entitled "LGBT+ Inclusion@Work". It surveyed 600 people in the LGBT+ community from 12 countries. No one from Switzerland was surveyed, but the situation is comparable.

Visible support important

The study provides a snapshot of the lived experiences of LGBT+ employees. More than 70 percent of them are more likely to stay in their current employment because their organization takes an active approach to LGBT+ inclusion, according to the survey. This is all the more significant in light of the current severe shortage of skilled workers, according to the study authors.

Respondents cited visible support from other employees (so-called "LGBT+ allies") and promoting internal networking and visibility as important prerequisites for an inclusive culture. Despite these efforts, 42 percent of all respondents reported experiencing non-inclusive behaviors and discrimination in the workplace.

Safe outing must be possible

"Many companies around the world have taken steps in recent years to improve LGBT+ acceptance and increase mutual tolerance. And the queer community appreciates this as well. The efforts should be integrated and strategically supported in the general efforts for diversity, equal treatment and inclusion," explains Liza Engel, Chief People Officer at Deloitte Switzerland. "However, companies globally and in Switzerland need to do much more to fully embed LGBT+ in their everyday culture. They need to go beyond individual programs to create a truly respectful culture where non-inclusive behavior is not tolerated. All employees must be able to safely come out in the workplace."

Around 80 percent of respondents in the survey said that their company has introduced measures and initiatives for LGBT+ inclusion. Ninety-five percent of them believe that this has led to meaningful support for LGBT+ employees in their respective companies. The vast majority (93%) of respondents working at global companies (55%) believe that company-level communication and LGBT+ inclusion measures also empower LGBT+ in their home countries.

Discrimination against LGBT+ still takes place

As noted above, more than two-fifths of respondents still experience discrimination in the workplace. Unwanted sexual remarks or jokes (33%), hurtful comments about gender identity (25%) or appearance (23%), and unwanted physical contact (21%) are among the most frequently cited discriminatory behaviors. Of those affected, nearly three-quarters reported their experiences to the company, and six in ten were satisfied with the response.

Many still choose not to share their sexual orientation or gender identity with the majority of their colleagues. One in five people (19%) do not talk about their sexual orientation with anyone at work, while one third (34%) at least discuss it with their closest environment.

Three central elements for inclusive culture

For LGBT+ organizations to be sustainably inclusive, leaders must focus on three critical elements, according to one conclusion from the study: Making sure all employees feel they are doing their best at work; creating an environment where non-inclusive behavior is not tolerated by anyone; and promoting and communicating visible support. Those who implement this consistently may, after successfully passing an assessment, be awarded a label by the Swiss LGBTI Working Group. The label is awarded to companies and organizations that, in a "holistic management of diversity & inclusion, have anchored the diversity dimensions of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender characteristics in their organizational culture through systematic measures and live openness and inclusion in their daily practice." Deloitte, which conducted the study mentioned here, also recently received this label.

Source: Deloitte

Hiring and retaining employees amid the big wave of layoffs has been a hot topic in many companies lately. The sectors currently seeing the most layoffs are the technology and healthcare industries, where workers between the ages of 30-45 are leading the trend. To attract new employees, companies need to be more flexible than ever and demonstrate that they are willing to evolve in a changing work environment, but also value their current workforce. Just as important as hiring new employees is taking care of the needs of the existing workforce, because a company with a good reputation and satisfied employees is more attractive to job seekers.

Retain employees despite wave of layoffs

According to experts at Hogan Assessments, a provider of consulting and assessment solutions, the wave of resignations has reached a peak. Employers therefore need to take a data-driven approach to find out why employees are choosing to quit and which ones in their organization are at the highest risk of turnover. In addition, he said, there are the following five tips for recruiting and retaining employees. These allow companies to present themselves in the best possible light when filling positions and building the best possible team.

Tip 1: Determine the goals of the applicants

During the hiring process, it is important to focus on each potential applicant's goals and how they fit with a company.
62 % of HR managers believe that employees need to improve their existing skills or acquire new ones at least once a year to maintain a competitive edge in the global labor market. Offering employees the opportunity to develop their skills means investing in their future. Companies must be willing to make this investment and provide new employees with the support and training opportunities they need to advance their careers.

Tip 2: Perceive flexibility in the workforce

The pandemic has shown that people can be just as productive working from home as they are in an office environment. Two out of three employees are now looking for flexible working conditions because they believe it will make them more productive. 30 % of employees worldwide said they would quit their job if they were not offered a long-term flexible hybrid work model. To be competitive in the hiring market, it is important to be responsive to employee preferences and adapt company models to this new world of work. Introducing more flexible working hours will not only make a company more attractive to new applicants, but will also help to meet the needs of your current workforce.

Tip 3: Ask employees for contacts

A pool of well-trained employees who are already working successfully in the company can be an advantage, as they have a network of contacts. Try asking your current employees if they have connections and involve them in the hiring process by asking what they would look for in new candidates. This approach will have a positive impact on employee retention and help engage the workforce in the hiring process.

Tip 4: Show advantages for employees

Many employees feel that management is out of touch with the concerns of the average employee, with 54 % of the general workforce feeling overworked and undervalued. Potential applicants are more inclined to accept a job if they feel the company cares about them and their families. It is important for any company to highlight employee benefits and additional support. Benefits such as mental health care, childcare support and paid time off are just a few examples of how a company can improve employee satisfaction and distinguish itself as a company that values its employees, making it more attractive in the highly competitive HR market.

Tip 5: Emphasize and highlight the purpose of your business

Although benefits and salary are important to potential hires, many employees want to work for a company whose goals and values align with their own. It's important to impress potential hires with what a company does and how it wants to operate. Sustainability strategies, a diverse workforce and programs that support women in the workforce can help set a company apart from others that focus only on the bottom line. It's important for employees to believe in what a company stands for or is trying to achieve, especially in hectic or difficult times. Aligning your hiring strategy with these values will help you find loyal employees who are willing to work hard for the company's vision.

Integrate personality tests

The drive to build a more diverse workforce and attract new talent can be supported by the proper integration of personality testing into the hiring process. According to Hogan Assessments, both sides benefit: Applicants learn more about themselves and experience firsthand how serious a company is about learning about an applicant's individuality. And the companies reduce unconscious prejudices and also offer a contract to those who may not have the "right resume" but still bring with them the best prospects for success.

Source and further information: Hogan Assessments

In the modern working world, it has long since ceased to be just about pay, location, personal career opportunities and similar traditional benchmarks. Factors such as a good work-life balance, good interpersonal relationships and a positive corporate culture are increasingly becoming hard currency in the labor market. In short, today's employees want a job that makes them happy and a company with a suitable corporate culture to go with it. To help users of the Xing business network find out which corporate culture they feel particularly comfortable in, a culture check was developed to make the often diffuse topic of corporate culture tangible and break it down to concrete factors. With the help of a sophisticated questionnaire, which is now available to all members on Xing, users will ultimately find out which type of company suits them best in terms of culture.

Scientifically based culture check

The culture check is based on a data and culture model developed under the leadership of business psychologist Prof. Dr. Meynhardt from the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management for the New Work SE subsidiary kununu. It helps users to reflect comprehensively on what is particularly important to them at work. After answering the questionnaire, Xing members learn what they should pay particular attention to when choosing an employer in the future. Secondly, users are shown potential employers who meet these criteria. The recommendation function is currently in beta and will be gradually expanded in the coming weeks.

Individual cultural compass for more orientation in working life

The questions from the Culture Check questionnaire are quick and easy to answer. Users select 20 aspects and values in each of the four categories "Leadership," "Interaction," "Strategic approach," and "Work-life balance" that they would particularly like to see in an employer or completely reject. Finally, they indicate the top five preferences that are particularly important to them personally in their job. The result is an individual cultural compass that shows what people should pay particular attention to when choosing an employer in the future. To this end, the preferences are visualized across the board and in the four categories, so that users can see at a glance whether traditional or modern values predominate for them in these categories. Based on the information from the culture check, Xing members also receive individual suggestions for employers that fit well with their personal preferences. The Culture Check compares all entries with the corporate culture data of thousands of employers and shows which employers offer what is particularly important to you. The data analyzed for this purpose are authentic ratings from employees of the companies that were submitted on the employer rating platform kununu.

Corporate culture as a factor in job search

Further orientation is also provided by the culture compass in the Xing job market, which is already integrated in more than 300,000 job ads on the platform and provides information about the corporate culture of the respective employers. Job seekers thus receive information that is not available in any other job ad and is also not listed on the companies' job portals. The greater the match between the individual's cultural wishes and the company's culture according to the culture compass, the greater the likelihood that the job seeker and the company will be a lasting fit.

The new culture check is available free of charge at https://www.xing.com/via/career-guidance/company-culture-preferences/assessment available.

This year, Europages, which claims to be Europe's largest B2B procurement platform, and wlw (formerly "Wer liefert was"), a B2B platform that is well established in the DACH region, are celebrating their 40th and 90th anniversaries respectively. The two platforms are now owned by the umbrella company Visable, a publisher that has morphed into an agile international Internet company. The driving force behind this change is CEO Peter F. Schmid. But before there were any Internet platforms for purchasing and procurement, it all started with a clay tablet:

Once upon a time in Mesopotamia...

If we travel back to their beginnings in the time of purchasing and procurement, their history begins right here: In one of the most important cultural development centers of the Ancient Near East. Archaeological findings provide clear evidence that an urban society already lived in the region between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers between 4,000 and 3,000 BC. On the one hand, monumental buildings bear witness to this; on the other hand, finds such as scroll seals, clay tablets and the like indicate an established bureaucracy. A clay tablet from the period between 3,200 and 3,000 BC exhibited in the "British Museum" in London, for example, documents beer deliveries.

Such evidence of an early organization of procurement is also available from Egypt: Records show that procurement tasks were already systematically carried out in the country on the Nile around 3,000 BC. For example, during the construction of the pyramids of Giza (ca. 2,650 to 2,500 BC), individual occupational groups were already specifically tasked with recording the amount of work and materials on papyrus. In Europe, organized procurement took shape only later. To be precise, around 215 BC, in ancient Rome. For the first time, contracts were formally negotiated between the Roman government and suppliers to ensure the supply of materials to the widely scattered troops of the Roman Empire.

In Great Britain, the history of procurement goes back to William the Conqueror (1,028 to 1,087 AD), who sought a clear method of recording his tax revenues. With the rise of the British Empire and its colonial aspirations, procurement also evolved to include goods and services.

Purchasing and procurement in the 18th century

In 1832, the English mathematician and philosopher Charles Babbage discussed in his work "On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures" the need to employ a so-called "Materials Man" in mining. This "materials man" was to be responsible for selecting, purchasing and tracking all the goods needed for a project. Today we would say: Babbage proposed to hire a Chief Procurement Officer.

In 1886, the Pennsylvania Railroad established the world's first procurement department because the complex, widely ramified railroad system in the USA demanded new ways of procurement. Between 1914 and 1918, it was then the First World War that demanded a lot from purchasing and procurement: goods had to be transported around the entire globe. Many purchases were made ad hoc - orders were placed by radio or telegraph.

In 1932, the supplier directory appeared for the first time as a book edition

In 1932, the book fair took place in Leipzig, where the supplier directory "Wer liefert was" was published as a book edition for the first time. And for good reason: Purchasing and procurement had gained enormous momentum as a result of the First World War and the subsequent reconstruction. After the end of the First World War, the Deutsche Reichsbahn alone ordered around 7,000 new locomotives by 1925 in order to bring its fleet back up to pre-war levels. Many companies were looking for suppliers at this time, and many suppliers were looking for companies. With the supplier directory "Wer liefert was," companies finally had a printed work at their fingertips that they could use to search specifically for the partner companies they needed. From then on, the blue volumes could be found in many offices as important reference works. In the 1970s, the directory was recorded on microfiche, which was a pioneering achievement at the time.

Supply chains and tendering are gaining in importance

Then, in the 1950s, governments around the world drove procurement. Many companies became aware of the importance of reliable "supply chains" because they enabled them to grow with consistent quality. In the 1960s, purchasing and procurement became a matter for management: the tendering system was introduced. In the 1970s, the starting signal for "just in time" production was given when the car manufacturer Toyota introduced its new production system. At the same time, more and more companies were managing their procurement centrally. Then things started to happen in quick succession: the Internet and digitization gave purchasing and procurement an unprecedented boost: in 1982, Europages was founded in France (original name: Eurédit) and published the first printed business directory with suppliers from all over Europe. In 1986, the supplier directory "Wer liefert was" appeared on CD-ROM for the first time.

In the 1990s, more and more companies recognized the strategic importance of procurement - especially for public contracts and in heavy industry. Meanwhile, the world was becoming more and more networked. Wer liefert was" also adapted to this change and went online for the first time at www.wlw.de in 1995, two years before Google. By the 2000s, orders were already being triggered by computers and the first ERP systems were gaining ground. Europages was available in 26 languages by then - and its website of cracked the 2 million monthly visitors mark from 218 countries in 2006. The 2010s marked the dawn of the era of Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs): "materials men," as Charles Babbage once suggested for the mining industry, were appointed in many companies. Today, these CPOs still have just one job: they are responsible for purchasing and procuring goods and materials.

The future is digital

From the clay tablet to the digital app: purchasing and procurement have never been more networked than they are today. But the journey of purchasing is far from over. In many cases, procurement portfolios and operational purchasing processes have already been digitized to the greatest possible extent. Procurement professionals are already using innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence or Big Data to respond in real time. Augmented and virtual reality could also play an even more important role in the future in order to inspect products regardless of location and thus make the best purchasing decision. But there's one thing these technologies can't do: they can't replace personal relationships between buyers and sellers. Today, on both platforms - since 2019 under the joint umbrella brand Visable - around 4 million professional buyers from over 200 countries meet around 3 million suppliers of products and services every month.

To ensure that the platforms can continue to offer a high level of benefit in the future, they are constantly being supplemented with additional features. For example, the wlw app for professional buyers offers better mobile user-friendliness and greater efficiency in initiating business. Thanks to Europages' "Visitor Profiler" and wlw's profile visitor statistics, it is possible to find out at any time who has visited one's own company profile, including contact details. This provides sales (and marketing) with valuable information for lead generation. Communication between buyers and suppliers runs directly via a message center, and thanks to AI support, "matchmaking" between inquirers and suppliers is improved and accelerated. For example, it will be easier to quickly find regional providers as well - in the age of Disrupted global supply chains and economic crises this can be decisive under certain circumstances.

More information: www.wlw.ch / www.europages.com

For the first time, HSLU's Master of Science in Banking and Finance program has been included in the Financial Times ranking. According to the Financial Times, this places it among the top 55 finance degree programs in the world.

In prominent company

The ranking assesses various factors in the areas of students' labor market skills and career opportunities as well as diversity and internationality of the program. The HSLU Master's program is ranked 51st, which puts the HSLU in an exclusive circle in Switzerland: With the University of St. Gallen, the University of Lausanne and the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), only three other Swiss universities are represented in the ranking. "Our inclusion in the ranking underscores the high quality of our program and the successful combination of academic and practical orientation," says Simon Amrein, who heads the Master's in Banking and Finance together with Florian Schreiber. "In particular, the personal and professional development of the students as well as the quality of the teaching will remain central in the future," says the head of the program.

HSLU Masters with AACSB Seal of Approval

Since 2020, the program is also part of the University Affiliation Program of the CFA Institute. The training to become a Chartered Financial Analyst® is one of the best-known training programs in the investment sector on an international level. The Lucerne School of Business has also been AACSB accredited since 2021. Only about six percent of the world's business schools carry this seal of approval.

Source: Lucerne University

There is a lack of movement in the home office: The evaluation of a Reader survey "Movement in office work 2021" last May showed that almost two-thirds of home workers move even less at home than on a regular workday in the company office. In the first year of Corona, too much sitting was done at the office, too little standing and too little walking. But the results at home were even worse than in the corporate office. But has the situation improved in the meantime? Are people moving more and has more been invested in solutions that promote movement in the office and home office?

Movement in the home office and in general remains insufficient

The current results of the representative reader survey of the blog "Office Roxx" are sobering: The more than 2,300 office workers from Germany surveyed were only moderately satisfied with the proportion of physical activity in their own lives. The average grade achieved was 3.4. This is roughly the same as the previous year's score of 3.5, so it remains a poor report card for exercise. (Editor's note: In Germany, unlike Switzerland, the school grade 1 is the best and 6 the worst).

Two-thirds move less in the home office

Whereas in the first year of the pandemic, based on the previous year's results, the home office share of own office work among office workers in Germany was 62 percent, a large proportion of home workers apparently returned to the office in the second corona year. The share of home work was only 44 percent on average.

But do people move more or less during a workday in the home office than during a day in the company office? Less! The proportion has even increased compared to the previous year: 61 percent (2021: 57 percent) move less at home than in the office. In contrast, 39 percent (2021: 43 percent) feel they move more at home than in the office.

Even more sitting in the home office than in the office

The posture mix recommended by experts for office work is: 60 percent sitting, 30 percent standing and ten percent walking. According to their own statements, the survey participants currently spend an average of 75 percent of their home office day sitting, ten percent standing and five percent walking - little change compared to the previous year: 73 percent sitting, eleven percent standing and seven percent walking. In the office, the average mix is: 64 percent sitting, 18 percent standing, 18 percent walking. In the survey results from 2021, it was 65 percent sitting, 18 percent standing, nine percent walking.

Home office equipment leaves much to be desired

The answers to the question "How ergonomic or conducive to movement is your workstation in the home office?" resulted in an average school grade of 3.9 (2021: 3.7). With regard to the workstation in the office, an average grade of 2.9 was achieved here (previous year: 3.3). Ergonomics and movement promotion continue to leave a lot to be desired, as expected especially in the home office. It is astonishing that the assessment here has even deteriorated compared with the previous year. Perhaps, however, awareness of the need for ergonomics and movement promotion has increased at home.

For more movement in the home office and office

The fact that, according to the survey results, almost one in three (29 percent) intend to invest in ergonomic or exercise-promoting equipment for their home office workplaces is seen by the study authors as a good sign. The four percent increase over the previous year's survey shows that employees also want to work healthily and productively at home. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement in all areas. In particular, it is important to note that solutions that promote exercise must also be used for their intended purpose.

"It's not all sunshine in the home office. The pandemic has clearly shown that the four walls at home are not the better place to work for every office worker. Above all, each individual should work where this is best possible in terms of his or her health, well-being and productivity, and in harmony with the culture and goals of the employer," sums up Dr. Robert Nehring, who is also editor-in-chief of the blog "Office Roxx„.