Who’s keen to help shape the digital future and to work on innovation and development at PostFinance? To find pioneers that possess the necessary expertise, courage and passion, this financial institution is breaking new ground.

Showcasing oneself as a good employer

Take the IT Challenge for the Future, for instance, as part of which, in spring 2021, PostFinance invited IT and maths experts to solve a challenging problem. The thinking behind this project was firstly the idea that the specialists of today can do something good for the specialists of tomorrow, reflected in the fact that the prize of CHF  10,000, sponsored by PostFinance, was given to a young IT organization of the winner’s choosing. At the same time, PostFinance also seized the opportunity to showcase and position itself as an attractive employer: the company actually gave participants in the challenge insights into ongoing projects, as well as an overview of current vacancies. In addition to this, anyone interested could also leave their contact details.

Bringing people together early on

What this example shows us when it comes to IT and digitization specialists is that the same old “Job description – application – recruitment” routine just isn’t good enough anymore. “We want to show the world of work what we have to offer, what we’re working on and what we can achieve,” explains Sarah Bucher, Head of Recruiting and Employer Branding with PostFinance. And, to this end, the company is also calling for specialists in a brand new way: they don’t necessarily focus on a specific position, but rather on that initial encounter and being able to just have a no-pressure chat.

Winning people over as an employer

Digital channels provide a lot of potential in this area. “We can be proactive about reaching out to potential new employees, whether through online campaigns, on LinkedIn or specialized platforms where professionals can gather,” says Sarah Bucher. This “active sourcing” approach is increasingly about engaging with people, winning people over by being informative and demonstrating expertise, and by establishing personal contacts. “For instance, we think it is really important that prospective specialists are able to actually speak to the team or to potential managers.”

Recruitment on a level playing field

Modern recruitment is also about creating a level playing field in how we engage, as this example illustrates: in order to recruit for a management position, Gabriela Länger, the Member of the Executive Board in charge, decided to appeal directly to potential candidates in a video message. In the video, she outlines the role, the company, and introduces herself as a manager. This means recruitment is not just becoming more digital, but more personal as well. Ultimately, this is also going to change roles as well: it is becoming more and more important for managers and staff to exchange ideas in specialist forums, and to use their network to raise awareness of the professional opportunities that PostFinance has to offer.

Making the application process more efficient

“At the same time, we are also working towards making the digital application process more efficient as a whole,” underlines the Head of Recruiting & Employer Branding at PostFinance, “and towards seizing every opportunity that recruitment presents.” In doing so, we are now laying the groundwork for developing candidate “databases” containing the contact details of previous applicants as well as other people that could be promising prospects for future jobs.

On applications: three first-hand tips

Sarah Bucher, Head of Recruiting and Branding at PostFinance, has these three tips for candidates:

• Always ask: if you’re not sure whether you fit a job profile or not, please just get in touch with the team. The person you speak to will be happy to provide more information about the requirements. Rarely do you find someone who is a perfect match for a position. It would, after all, be a real shame not to apply, even though you might have the best chances.
• Tap into networks: A good network can help you keep up to date about promising positions, help you find out more about vacancies, or it may even lead to you getting recommended for and placed in an exciting position.
• Work on your social media presence: a good profile that showcases what you have to offer will increase the likelihood of you being invited to an interview for your dream job.