“89% of employees recommend Swiss Post as an employer”
A consistently positive trend despite coronavirus and a lot of changes within the Group: this is what the results of the Swiss Post employee survey for 2020 are showing. Valérie Schelker, Member of Executive Management and Head of Human Resources at Swiss Post, breaks down the results. Above all, she expresses surprise.
Valérie Schelker, Member of the Executive Management and Head of Human Resources at Swiss Post: “The positive values in the staff survey are a big surprise and make us very happy.” | Image: Swiss Post
Valérie Schelker, what is the mood like at Swiss Post?
The staff are overall satisfied to very satisfied, as the employee survey shows. We’ve obtained positive values for all the topics surveyed. This comes as a big surprise and we’re pleased about it, because coronavirus and the reorganization for the coming strategy period were two big challenges for Swiss Post this year. The response rate is also welcome. Around 31,000 employees took part in the survey, corresponding to 74 percent of all respondents.
What are the most important findings?
The employees see the purpose of their work. This is true for 96 percent of all respondents. On a scale of 0 to 100, we achieved an average of 86 points –the highest value across all questions. Furthermore, 88 percent see their professional future at Swiss Post, which makes me very happy. Employees are also very satisfied with their direct management. The tally of 83 points is a great result. They value the support and appreciation shown by their line managers, the good atmosphere in the team and the mutual respect. What’s also noteworthy is that 96 percent of respondents are aware of the current and future challenges Swiss Post is facing. This is a very high value.
This means?
… that we have clearly succeeded in showing the staff in a transparent and honest way what the new strategy from 2021 onwards is aiming at, what it’s supposed to achieve and in which direction we are heading. This shows that employees identify with and are dedicated to Swiss Post. And, by all accounts, they also have trust in the Executive Management. At 74 points, the score is relatively high. It’s not about self-praise, but we’ve had other scores too (laughs).
So all is well at Swiss Post then?
Of course there are areas that are also assessed rather critically in the survey. These include the resources available to be able to manage one’s own work well, such as time and staff. Or the “perennial issue” of work processes. These do not always seem to function smoothly everywhere. The staff are certain that we can improve here. Although these values also lie in the green range. Nevertheless, we are keeping an eye on this.
How?
Of course there are areas that are also assessed rather critically in the survey. These include the resources available to be able to manage one’s own work well, such as time and staff. Or the “perennial issue” of work processes. These do not always seem to function smoothly everywhere. The staff are certain that we can improve here. Although these values also lie in the green range. Nevertheless, we are keeping an eye on this
Apropos: change always triggers uncertainties. How do these show up in the survey? And how does one deal with them?
Staff feel a certain amount of uncertainty about their personal job situation. Coronavirus and the already implemented or announced changes within Swiss Post have certainly contributed to this. We take these uncertainties very seriously, and this poses a challenge for us. Our task now is to analyse and understand how these drivers are related – in other words, which are temporary and which are permanent. What is clear is that even after the pandemic, we’ll have to keep an eye on things and closely monitor the changes at Swiss Post. How can employees get actively involved in this? How can they help shape their areas of responsibility and the Swiss Post of tomorrow? It is our task to explain and demonstrate this transparently. At the same time, the staff confirm that Swiss Post is a good employer. 89 percent of respondents would recommend the company as an employer. This makes me proud.
As Head of Human Resources at Swiss Post, how satisfied are you with “your” employees?
I’m impressed by their huge commitment this year. We’ve succeeded in maintaining the public service under difficult conditions. This is not a matter of course, because on the one hand we had to ensure the universal service, and on the other we had to guarantee the health of our staff. This delicate balancing act was no trivial matter. At the same time, we’ve come closer together within Swiss Post – and this is not only my impression. The results of the question on mutual support also confirm this. And what I particularly appreciate is that the vast majority of our staff are friendly and service-oriented to our customers every day – whether at the post office counter, at the front door, in the Postbus or wherever.
Facts about the employee survey 2020
- Swiss Post conducted the new employee survey this autumn. It is shorter and simpler than its predecessor, and constitutes a baseline measurement. This means that the results are not comparable with those from previous years – with the exception of employee satisfaction.
- Out of 42,425 employees, 31,415 people answered the questionnaire – i.e. 74 percent.
- The survey comprised eight themed sections. These were rated good to very good overall at Group level (scale 0 to 100).
- The results: “My direct manager” (83 points*); “My team” (80); “My commitment” (79); “My work” (78); “Our corporate culture” (77), “Our Swiss Post” (77); “Our employee survey” (76); “My work situation” (73).
- The survey was conducted by a neutral institute, so as to ensure objectivity and anonymity.
* Scaling: slightly to highly negative assessment (0 – 49); slightly positive assessment (50 – 64); medium positive assessment (65 – 84); very high positive assessment (85 – 100).
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