Since July, SBB has been using a new tool for job interviews. The tool was developed by apprentices, trainees and students at SBB IT. We met them at the Talent Factory at the Bollwerk in Berne.
It is a generation change in the truest sense of the word. A few rotating shelves are still reminiscent of the SBB Historic archive. Where once books, photos and historical posters were stored, the next generation of IT professionals is now working. The young people are concentrated in front of their screens, absorbed in the colourful lines of the programming code. The atmosphere is studious.
This is also the office of Claudio, Alayne, Yves and Sven. Four people, four stories, one common project: the new HR interview tool (see box for more information). Claudio Zesiger has been working with future IT professionals for several years. Yves, Sven and Alayne are all trainees with different backgrounds. Yves Bongni is a certified metalworker and is now in the fourth year of his second apprenticeship. Sven Jaun has just graduated and is now studying at the College of Technology. Alayne Hiltmann is studying computer science at the Bern University of Applied Sciences and splits her time equally between SBB and the college.
Differences and strength in numbers
It all began in March 2020. Claudio and Sven have been there from the start. «A total of ten trainees have been involved in the project,» says Claudio. But how does it work when ten different trainees, with heterogeneous stages of progress, develop a programme together? «The rotation and variety of characters promotes a healthy dynamic,» says Claudio. Yves, Sven and Alayne confirm that the chemistry works. «We complement each other very well,» adds Yves. Creativity is not his favourite aspect of the work, he is more interested in the logic behind the tool. Alayne enjoys creative tasks: «I have always been fascinated by graphics and design. That’s why I’m mainly concerned with the external appearance of the tool for the user. And Sven? «He’s a real jack-of-all-trades,» says Yves.
Differences and strength in numbers
It all started in March 2020. Claudio and Sven have been there from the start. «In total, ten trainees have been involved in the project,» explains Claudio. But how does it work when ten different trainees, with heterogeneous stages of progress, develop a programme together? «The rotation and variety of characters promotes a healthy dynamic,» says Claudio. Yves, Sven and Alayne confirm that the chemistry works. «We complement each other very well,» adds Yves. Creativity is not his favourite aspect of the work, he is more interested in the logic behind the tool. Alayne enjoys creative tasks: «I have always been fascinated by graphics and design. That’s why I’m mainly concerned with the external appearance of the tool for the user. And Sven? «He’s a real jack-of-all-trades,» says Yves.
Great responsibility, right from the start
But the different working and training days don’t make it easy to organise; it’s rare that everyone is in the office at the same time. The keys are high personal responsibility and a limited number of meetings. «We use the Jira tool to manage our activities. The principle: one person is responsible for one task,» explains Claudio. The team has kept meetings to a minimum: 15 minutes a day is enough. «I go to school two days a week. The other three days I like to focus on production and not get stuck in meetings,» says Yves, while Claudio adds: «They work very independently. It’s not necessary for everyone to know everything all the time either.
Big responsibilities, right from the start
But the different working and training days do not make it easy to organise; it is rare that everyone is in the office at the same time. The keys: a lot of personal responsibility and a small number of meetings. «We use the Jira tool to manage our activities. The principle: one person is responsible for one task,» explains Claudio. The team has kept meetings to a minimum: 15 minutes a day is enough. «I go to school two days a week. The other three days I like to focus on production and not get stuck in meetings,» says Yves, while Claudio adds: «They work very independently. It’s not necessary for everyone to know everything all the time either.