Marcel Reinhard
Project Coach at HR Projects

Swiss Post is increasingly focusing on agility in its organization. Why?

Swiss Post is under great pressure in its markets. The complexity of its environment is growing. In this situation, agile approaches help us to remain flexible and achieve fast results, without losing the focus on the outcome: this also means cost and time savings. Many teams also want their work together to be closer, more networked and more transparent. Agile approaches were exactly what was needed here.

How is Swiss Post achieving this change in culture?

Whether it’s agile work practices, agile leadership or even an agile organization – it’s a question of people’s attitudes. Working in small teams in HR, we try to get the agile values across, such as self-organization and responsibility, movement and trust, and to implement them as specifically as possible. We want to inspire employees to be enthusiastic about the idea and enable them to pass on and practise the values in their teams.

HR recruitment project

Achievement through agility

Efficient, flexible, short: a project team is agile in implementing a new image of Swiss Post as an attractive employer. The new approach at the HR unit has proved very successful, as the positive feedback shows.

How can Swiss Post position itself attractively on the labour market? How can employees be used as credible brand ambassadors? These were the questions at the beginning of the employer branding project, with which Swiss Post completely revised its image as an employer – whether on its own website, in image ads or on social media. The nature of the project cycle was also new for HR projects: “Instead of traditional project management with detailed concepts and documentation, we focused on agility,” says Project Coach and Manager Marcel Reinhard. Using this approach, the project team gradually worked on partial results, such as a new visual world and job videos for recruitment – in each case putting them straight on the table for discussion. “In addition to the time savings, an approach of this kind also provides transparency and shows continuously how the project is progressing. This is enormously conducive to the motivation, networking and cooperation of everyone involved,” adds Reinhard.

Teamwork on equal terms

“One thing that is absolutely clear is that complex questions get faster and qualitatively better answers in mixed, intergenerational teams which span different units,” says Reinhard. In working out the new image for recruitment, each team member was therefore able to contribute their opinions and ideas on equal terms – from members of management to interns. “This is enormously motivating and promotes team spirit and trust. When employees are motivated, efficiency also increases, and the good results ultimately benefit our customers.”

What exactly is agility at work?

In contrast to traditional project management, the agile approach initially defines only the budget, the timeframe and the goals. Concepts and process documentation take a back seat to interaction and cooperation. Agile work focuses on high flexibility and fast adjustments. Instead of detailed planning at the outset, planning is in small steps and fast coordination within the team is supported. New requirements are added on an ongoing basis, and these can then be changed at any time – depending on need and priority. In various intermediate steps – so-called sprints – different aspects are addressed individually and discussed with the client.