The athlete programme at PostFinance is exceptional

Not every top athlete can make a living from sport, but they often don’t have enough space in their schedule for a full-time job. This is where the partnership between PostFinance and Athletes Network comes in. Together, they are creating opportunities for athletes to balance work and sport and to tackle the post-sporting career phase. Beni Huggel, co-founder of Athletes Network, and Sara Ferroni, Head of Employee, Team & Organizational Development at PostFinance, sat down to talk about it.

Sara: Beni, you created Athletes Network five years ago. How did that come about?

Beni: After my football career, I realized that the transition into life after top-level sport isn’t that easy. But conversations with businesspeople showed me that athletes are in demand – even though their CVs aren’t usually a perfect match for corporate jobs.

Sara: In the early days, we had to learn that we couldn’t expect to see standard CVs. But we quickly realized how we benefit from athletes. They offer high performance, team spirit, focus and resilience, which are an ideal fit for our culture and values. That’s why your concept appealed to us. 

Beni: Since the network was launched, we’ve expanded the concept slightly to support current top athletes as well as former athletes. Not everyone has the privilege of being able to make a living from sport, as I did. Many athletes work part-time on the side and rely on their employer’s flexibility: if you have a game in the evening, you can’t work as late as 5 p.m.

Sara: That flexibility is key to achieving a good work-life balance, and it’s firmly established for all PostFinance employees. For example, our staff members can work wherever and whenever best suits them and their role. Part-time work is also common. We go even further with the athlete programme: if you want to employ someone from the programme, you have to commit to flexibility.

Beni: That’s another reason why PostFinance’s athlete programme is exceptional. We use you as an example of best practice for other companies. I was particularly delighted when you said recently that you offer a lot of the athletes a permanent job after they finish the programme.

Sara: Yes, we do everything we can to employ them permanently. A current example is Benjamin Meschke, a handball player from Wacker Thun. He was offered a permanent position before he had even completed the athlete programme. But tell me: what do the athletes actually say to you about our programme?

Beni:  Many of them are grateful. They know that their CVs are unconventional, so they need someone to give them a chance.

Sara: We sense that. Their focus and commitment at work are outstanding. When they’re here, they’re completely in the zone.

Beni: When you play sport, you learn how to concentrate and deliver when it counts. But a match doesn’t require a full day of concentration. My Champions League games started at 8.45 p.m. I had a lot of time to fill before then, and I often wished I had something to do. Studies actually show that athletic performance improves when you do other things alongside sport.