Staff development

Staff development

Swisscom’s market environment is constantly changing. The company invests in professional training for employees and managers in order to maintain and improve their employability and the company’s competitiveness in the long term. Employees are supported in their development by a wide range of on-, near- and off-the-job development options as well as internal programmes and training courses. In 2014, Swisscom bundled its internal programmes and training courses in a Group-wide learning centre, which is accessible to all employees via their own, dedicated learning environment. Around half of all internal options can also be completed in an electronic form, regardless of location or time.

The training content covers technical, management and project management topics. As part of talent management, around 10% of the top performers in the target groups have completed such an internal programme or training course. On-the-job training via job moves and work experience periods is becoming increasingly important. Even now Swisscom fills almost 43% of advertised vacancies internally. It also welcomes opportunities for employees to attend external further training courses, providing financial support and granting time off for such studies.

Swisscom management sees staff development as a crucial element of its management responsibility. Regular dialogue between employees and management helps to provide guidance in a complex, networked working world. It also strengthens the joint commitment to learning and development and helps to agree and realise medium-term staff development measures. To assess and promote employee performance and development, Swisscom will continue to develop its Performance Management System in line with requirements. Performance appraisals are carried out according to fair principles and cover a wide range of criteria based on binding agreements on objectives. In order to obtain as broad a basis as possible for performance and development evaluations, management teams hold twice-yearly calibration rounds. Performance can be assessed systematically and further development steps laid down in these rounds. They also address succession plans for key functions and the placement of talent in specially designed talent programmes that encourage development by offering talented employees challenges beyond their own departments.

In 2014, Swisscom launched its Leadership Academy, which offers executive staff the opportunity to get to grips with both individual and overarching management issues and enhance their expertise in dialogue with other managers.

Employee training in general and in the area of corporate responsibility

In 2014, Swisscom employees attended an average of 3.8 days of training and/or further occupational development. Swisscom also regularly trains employees on relevant topics, including security, compliance and corporate responsibility. For example, Swisscom raises awareness of ecological and social issues among new hires at its Welcome Days. Swisscom apprentices used the “Hello Future” motto to raise the awareness of Swisscom’s sustainability goals among 150 teams in 2014. As part of this campaign, the teams were encouraged to specify and implement their own contribution to sustainability.

Corporate volunteering

Corporate volunteering is the term used to describe voluntary work carried out by employees for charitable causes. Swisscom encourages this commitment by allowing its employees to do this during paid working hours and offering them the chance to help out with various volunteering projects in the fields of nature (Nature Days), social responsibility (Social Days) and economy (Economy Days). Swisscom employees can dedicate up to two days of their working time to voluntary work each year. A total of 1,655 volunteer days were clocked up in 2014.