Cathy Desquesses, Swiss Re hires around 250 people per year in Switzerland alone. What is your strategy?

Our talent strategy is based on the principle, «Build before Buy.» We invest a lot in the internal development of our talents. Career planning and upskilling are essential. A targeted succession planning and a well-filled pipeline are also part of it. Because about 20 percent of our employees and 21 percent of our managers will retire within the next five to eight years alone. We want to be an attractive employer for existing and new talents.

How do you proceed concretely?

We align our future business strategy with our talent pool and can thus identify potential skill gaps over a three to five-year horizon. 

«Abroad, we need to draw even more attention to the fascination of the reinsurance business.»

 Accordingly, we align our HR strategy – in close coordination with the CEO and the management of the individual business units.

In Switzerland, Swiss Re is a strong brand, so you probably don't have any problems in the labor market. What about internationally?

Abroad, we need to draw even more attention to the fascination of the reinsurance business and our core mission – to make the world more resilient. In the competition for IT talents, we compete with very loud tech giants. We score with our purpose and the variety of career opportunities. People from the most diverse industries and sciences such as doctors, climatologists, or AI specialists work at Swiss Re. Many people are not even aware of this.

What do you do specifically to attract young talents?

We specifically target universities – but not with HR, with our specialists. Alumni speak to alumni. In addition, we have an established graduate program with rotations, training, and learning platforms. And we offer apprenticeships for young people and new programs, for example, for returning professionals. 

«We offer targeted support to returning professionals.»

In Switzerland alone, we train 21 apprentices in various professions per year.

How does it work with the returning professionals?

Our «Career Returnees @ Swiss Re» program is aimed at people who have been out of the workforce for an extended period, for example, because they started a family. They possess a lot of expertise but often don’t dare to apply. There is a lot of untapped potential that we want to leverage. We offer targeted support to returning professionals and receive great expertise combined with enthusiasm and loyalty in return.

Are there other such programs?

Yes. For example, our «58+ Flex» model was initiated by a retiree who wanted to return – part-time, for the transfer of knowledge. Eligible employees aged 58 and over can reduce their workload by up to 50 percent while their pension contributions remain based on their original salary. The model is an integral part of our strategy.

How important is inclusion to Swiss Re?

I’ll give you two numbers as an answer: Around 120 nationalities and five generations work at Swiss Re. Inclusion is part of our corporate culture and this will not change. Because without diversity, companies cut themselves off from the talent pool. And that's not a good idea, especially since the fight for talent will become even tougher due to demographic changes.

How do technology and AI change your work?

AI fundamentally changes many tasks. Certain skills are no longer in demand. That's why upskilling is so crucial and expected by top talents. We train our people on how to use AI sensibly. A poor prompt produces poor results – it's that simple. The machine is only as good as the person controlling it. We ourselves use AI in recruiting – for example, for matching resumes. The results are then reviewed by humans. And in the end, the decision about candidate selection is made by humans, not algorithms.

«Culture does not emerge in front of the screen. We expect a physical presence.»

Will AI replace HR?

No. It will take over repetitive tasks – like screening – and give our experts the space to focus on value-adding topics. It's not about fewer people, but about more meaningful work. The control remains with the human.

And the home office question? Is that an issue for Swiss Re?

On the contrary, working remotely has been possible with us for a long time. Swiss Re was already hybrid before the pandemic – we call it «Own the way you work.» But our main workplace is the office. Culture does not emerge in front of the screen. We expect a physical presence. It is especially important for new entrants to integrate them well and give them a sense of team.

Cathy Desquesses ist Group Chief Human Resources Officer & Head Corporate Services bei Swiss Re.