Supporting the recovery

After the crisis which shook the company during the Covid years, generating significant impacts both on a human and financial level, the resumption of activities was confirmed during the year 2023.

Following the workforce reduction of almost 10 % between 2020 and 2022, ten additional positions have been budgeted to facilitate this recovery. So, at the end of December 2023, Genève Aéroport had 1,039 employees (980.73 full-time equivalent, FTE), compared to 1,026 the year before when the workforce was 966.23 FTE as of 31 December 2022.

Reinforcing the attractiveness of the company

In accordance with its 2040 vision, Genève Aéroport wants to strengthen its attractiveness as an employer while ensuring the sustainability of the company. 

The stakes are high in the context of a tight labour market, where needs and expectations have changed. While certain professions in the aviation sector, but also in the technological and industrial sectors, are struggling to attract personnel, Genève Aéroport must remain competitive on the job market. For potential candidates, the positioning and actions of Genève Aéroport linked to its social responsibility, as well as its commitment to the environment, are of increasing importance.

New remuneration policy

Genève Aéroport wants to adopt a new remuneration policy which aims to better manage the payroll, to further promote individual performance and the assumption of responsibilities.

Initiated in 2018, this project was the subject of intense consultations with social partners, during the first half of the year. It was then submitted to the Board of Directors, which validated it at its meeting of 29 June 2023. However, part of the staff actively opposed the new policy through a strike on 30 June 2023.  An agreement between the social partners and the management bodies of Genève Aéroport was able to put an end to this movement after a few hours. This agreement provides for the postponement of the implementation of the new salary policy for one year. This period of time should make it possible to agree on the parameters and methods of implementing the project. With the prospect of an agreement in June 2024, for implementation on 1 January 2025, mediation was put in place from September 2023.

The attractiveness of the company also involves modernising its approach and highlighting its assets. In this sense, several projects have been initiated or continued in 2023.

Employer brand

In collaboration with the Communication Department, the HR Department is working to develop an employer brand for Genève Aéroport. With this in mind, information gathering and synthesis work on « what makes our airport » was carried out. Genève Aéroport will therefore be able, in the short term, to communicate its key messages as an employer. This project should be completed during the year 2024.

Welcoming process for new employees

This new project aims to completely overhaul the process for welcoming new Genève Aéroport employees. Its objective is to present the airport and its operations through a dynamic course mixing face-to-face activities and online training capsules, which should begin in the first half of 2024.

Friendly Workspace Certification

Labelled « Friendly Workspace » since 2013 by Promotion Santé Suisse, Genève Aéroport obtained the renewal of this certification in 2023 for the next three years. 

The label rewards companies which are committed to the health and safety at work of their staff and which have formalised and effective processes in this area. The measures put in place by the company, and in particular the relevance of the indicators making it possible to determine and justify the allocation of budgetary and human resources dedicated to prevention and development measures for health, safety and well-being in the professional context, have been recognised as fully efficient. Training for managers (see below) and flexible methods of organising work were also praised.

Measuring team engagement

During the autumn, the HR Department launched a new in-depth engagement survey among its employees, focusing on the organisation, team dynamics and working conditions. The participation rate was more than 80 %, a record. At the end of the year, the results were shared with general management. During the first quarter of 2024, they will be communicated to the personnel and will be accompanied by action plans. Although the last survey of this type dates back to 2017, the introduction in 2022 of « pulse surveys », regular flash surveys, made it possible to take the pulse of staff on specific questions or themes.

GVA commUnity: new internal communication platform

In order to provide a space for exchange and improve the accessibility of information to all personnel, a corporate social network available on mobile phones and computers was deployed on 1 December 2023. The main objective of this project is to make institutional and critical information immediately accessible to all employees of Genève Aéroport, knowing that nearly 40% do not have individual computers.

Develop managerial culture

A new managerial training programme was deployed within Genève Aéroport in 2022. A tailor-made programme in partnership with HEG-Geneva was set up in 2021 to adapt the content to the culture, needs and expectations of the airport. As of 31 December 2023, 71 managers have benefitted from this training developed with HEG-Geneva, which is based on the values and behaviours expected in Genève Aéroport’s Management Charter, totalling five sessions of six days each. Two sessions are planned in 2024.

Digitalise the human resources function

Another part of the modernisation of the HR function concerns the digitalisation of its processes. After implementing a new human resources information system (HRIS) in 2022, the HR Department continued this digitalisation by launching a recruitment module. Online processing of internal and external applications allows to be more agile and fully involve managers. In terms of online training, two new modules have been deployed, one relating to Personality Protection, a second dedicated to priority management.