Shareholders' Letter

Staff recruitment
Recruiting new staff
Swisscom seeks individuals who are forward-looking and enthusiastically embrace change. At all
its locations Swisscom endeavours to give priority to people from the surrounding region. In all
areas and at all hierarchical levels, the percentage of local employees is exceptionally high.
Student interns and trainees
Many students gather initial professional experience during their studies by working as interns to
complete the practical part of their Bachelor’s or Master’s course. This gives them a valuable insight
into the professional world and plays a pivotal role in their ultimate choice of a future employer.
At Swisscom, undergraduates and graduates can acquire practical experience during their studies
and embark on the first step of the career ladder by joining the trainee programme or taking up
a junior position. And by engaging in a number of activities at Swiss universities, Swisscom maintains
a high profile so as to attract the best graduates.
New opportunities for the future of apprentices
Swisscom is currently training 805 young people in five professions. At more than 5% of the workforce,
the percentage of apprentices remains stable. More than 92% of the 265 apprentices in
mediamatics, IT, commercial studies, retailing and telematics successfully completed their training
at Swisscom in the summer of 2010. Of this number, 138 found a position at Swisscom, while the
remainder either went on to further education or sought alternative options. A bridging scheme
helped many apprentices to find a position within Swisscom on completing their apprenticeship.
At present, Swisscom vocational trainers are drawing up a concept for developing young talents.
The pilot two-year training programmes with federal certificate aimed at office assistants and IT
technicians which were successfully completed this year. This qualification makes it easier for practically
gifted young people to enter the working world. Some apprentices can follow this up with
a shorter course of training for the Federal Certificate of Proficiency, which they would have been
unable to access without the professional certificate. Based on the overwhelmingly positive experiences,
Swisscom decided to continue offering federally certified apprenticeships for basic training
in 2010 and 2011.
Since August 2010 school-leavers have had the opportunity to apply for the new apprenticeship
for a Federal Certificate of Proficiency as Specialist in Customer Dialogue, for which training is primarily
the responsibility of Swisscom customer contact centres. This new course evaluates students’
dealings with customers over the phone and, thanks to the recognised qualification, reduces
staff turnover in this area. By working with the largest customer service centres in Switzerland,
Swisscom intends to support this new apprenticeship and offer young people new opportunities
for vocational training.
Management Commentary 40 | 41
Employees