facebook
We’re celebrating Coopler Eugen’s 100th shift

We’re celebrating Coopler Eugen’s 100th shift

Our Coopler Eugen has completed over 100 jobs since his registration with Coople in August 2022 – congratulations for this milestone. Thanks to Coople, Eugen can supplement his retirement savings by working as a chef. In addition, it’s preventing him from getting bored in his retirement, he gets to know new people and can expand his business as a private chef.


Why did you join Coople?

“A friend I worked with at Adecco recommended Coople to me. So I looked it up and registered. Just 5 days after my registration, on the 11th of August 2022, I completed my first Coople job on a farm in Zurich Oberland. After that, I received one job offer after the other.”

“The registration process is fairly easy and good. There is a lot to fill in, but that was no problem for a former hotel manager like me.”

“I have completed training as a chef and then graduated hotel management school. After that, I only cooked as a side job or hobby and travelled all over the world professionally as a hotel manager. I managed hotels in 15 countries. Then, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a job as general manager in the hotel industry anymore and had to rethink my career. So I started working as a chef again and built up my own business as private chef for events. You can, for example, book me via voucher providers such as Smartbox, etc. “


What new industries/job profiles were you able to discover thanks to Coople?

“I tried service once and have always remained true to the hospitality sector. I applied as driver a few times, but wasn’t hired for these jobs.”


What new professional experiences and knowledge have you gained through Coople Jobs?

“Having worked in so many hotels all over the world, I already brought a wide range of experience to the table. I really enjoy working with different people though. Everyone does certain things a little differently and in their own ways, so you can always learn something new.”


What are your personal or professional goals at the moment?

“At my age, I no longer have any major professional goals. I’m looking to continue working flexibly to supplement my OASI a little. Apart from that, I’m always eager to learn new things and to work with different people. Of course, I also want to continue and expand my business as private chef. And the most important goal is probably to live and enjoy life!”

“The flexible jobs at Coople help me stay busy during my retirement and earn some extra money.

How does Coople help you to achieve these goals?

“I definitely don’t get bored. The flexible jobs help me to stay busy and earn extra money.”

What is your favorite memory when you think of your time with Coople so far?

“I think it was working at the 5-star Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. I did my apprenticeship there 52 years ago. The kitchen looks completely different today than it did when I was 16 years old, but I still knew exactly where the head chef’s office was. That was funny. Today it’s a beautiful kitchen with a little garden in the middle. In the evening, I carved entrecote for the guests, which reminded me a lot of my apprenticeship days, and I was able to use my knowledge of 5 foreign languages.”

What is the most special thing that has ever happened to you on a Coople job?

“I was employed for a while in a men’s home in Lucerne on Mondays and Tuesdays. There were people who were on the downside of life. I was responsible for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the people liked me very much. They all wanted me to stay longer because they liked my food better than that from any other chef who worked there.”

What advice would you give to new Coopers who have just registered?

“Apply every day! I’m constantly in the app checking if anything new has come in. I often am amongst the first applicants. Additionally, I make sure that I always arrive at the job site about half an hour earlier than the job starts. Then, of course, it’s also important to give it your all every time and show a lot of commitment.”


Find more exciting stories and experiences from our Cooplers on our community page.
We’re celebrating Coopler Tania’s 100th shift

We’re celebrating Coopler Tania’s 100th shift

Our Coopler Tania has completed over 100 jobs since registering with Coople in May 2022 – congratulations on this milestone. Thanks to Coople, Tania was able to find her way back into the working world as a mother, without any problems, and expand her professional skills in the hospitality sector.


Why did you join Coople?

“This happened by coincidence during a Job at the 125th anniversary of Roch. My teammate recommended the app to me and I have been working with Coople ever since.”


What new professional experiences and knowledge have you gained through Coople Jobs?

“With Coople Jobs, I was able to discover different companies and meet many new people who also work in my industry (hospitality). The flexible work made it easier for me to start working, as I had been at home with my children for a long time before.”


What new industries/job profiles were you able to discover thanks to Coople?

“I worked mainly as a cook but had also done waiter Jobs.”


What are your personal or professional goals at the moment?

“Having already been self-employed, I am trying to become self-employed again.”

“Coople gives me a certain stability, but I’m still free to decide when, how and where I want to work, without being tied to one place. Coople gives me freedom to pursue my personal goals.”

How does Coople help you to achieve these goals? 

“By giving me some stability, but still being free to decide when, how and where I want to work, without being tied to one place. Coople gives me freedom to pursue other things.”


What is your favorite memory when you think of your time with Coople so far?

“I was impressed by the authenticity of the Novartis restaurant where I was allowed to work as a cook. Everything was very Italian, which I really liked. The wrestling festival in Pratteln was also very impressive. Being part of such a big event was great and a nice memory.”


What is the most special/funniest thing that has ever happened to you on a Coople job?

“I find the way I came across Coople Jobs very funny and special. What a coincidence that I got to know Coople during a Job with another job agency.”


What advice would you give to new Coopers who have just registered? 

“Apply often and try out different jobs.”


Find more exciting stories and experiences from our Cooplers on our community page.
We’re celebrating Coopler Eduardo’s 100th shift

We’re celebrating Coopler Eduardo’s 100th shift

Our Coopler Eduardo has completed over 100 jobs since his registration with Coople in June 2022 – congratulations for this milestone. Thanks to Coople, Eduardo has been able to expand his professional knowledge in the hospitality industry and is currently pursuing a very ambitious goal: opening his own restaurant.


Why did you join Coople?

“After my military service, I wanted to work part-time. My cousin then recommended the Coople Jobs App.”


What new professional experiences and knowledge have you gained through Coople Jobs?

“I got to meet a lot of new people and was able to complete several cool jobs. This way you meet people from different industries and get to network with them.”


What new industries/job profiles were you able to discover thanks to Coople?

“I mainly worked as a chef, but I also had the opportunity to complete cool jobs in the event sector. I found it very interesting to see how everything is planned and organised.”

“My goal is to open my own restaurant in 10 years time. Thanks to Coople, I have already met people who are interested in my project and with whom I can imagine working with in the future.”

What are your personal or professional goals at the moment?

“My goal is to open my own restaurant in 10 years time. In order to do so, I want to gain as much professional experience as possible in different companies.”


How does Coople help you to achieve these goals? 

“By working in different companies across various industries and getting to know new people. I have already met suppliers or logisticians who are interested in my project and would love to work with them in the future.”


What is your favorite memory when you think of your time with Coople so far?

“Definitely the Spengler Cup in Davos and the Openair Frauenfeld. I remember the Openair Frauenfeld mainly because of the beautiful weather, the cool music, and great people. The Spengler Cup, on the other hand, was something completely new. It was a totally different dimension in terms of organisation and work. The menu selection and the guests who were served were also new to me.”


What is the most special/funniest thing that has ever happened to you on a Coople job?

“I reconnected with old school mates on various jobs – That was very unexpected and funny.”


What advice would you give to new Coopers who have just registered? 

“Make sure you take every opportunity you get to work and try out lots of different jobs. Everyone can find something suitable on Coople.”


Find more exciting stories and experiences from our Cooplers on our community page.
Further training in gastronomy to combat staff shortage in the food service industry

Further training in gastronomy to combat staff shortage in the food service industry

The catering industry has been desperately looking for staff, especially since the end of the pandemic. Many service employees have changed careers and found jobs in other industries. In order to tackle this challenge, Coople and GastroSuisse, the Swiss association for the hotel and restaurant industry, have joined forces and launched a course for career changers. The aim is to help restaurant owners to find more staff again in order to face up to the shortage of skilled workers.

“Service staff needed urgently”. At the moment, you can see ads like this all over Switzerland. According to an estimation by GastroSuisse, around 30,000 service employees in Switzerland quit their jobs during the pandemic and did not return to work. Businesses are desperate. Especially in view of the business during the holiday season, the only option left to those restaurant owners with a lack of staff is to work more themselves, adjust opening hours or offer fewer tables and smaller menus. However, by doing so, they lose the business that is now urgently needed after two years of pandemic.

Coople and GastroSuisse join forces

Coople tries to counteract this shortage of employees by aiming to win flexible workers for the food service industry. Together with GastroSuisse, they set up a two-day basic course on Service. During this gastronomy training, people interested in working in this field can acquire new skills and refresh old ones. David Bernet, project manager for courses on Service Basics at Coople, explains: “We want to encourage our employees to take a first step, to get a taste of the gastronomy sector and to learn the basics. Of course, not everything can be learned within two days. However, a certain basic knowledge and a good level of quality are ensured.”

The courses are a small contribution to combating the shortage of skilled workers, and providing further training for interested Coopers, i.e., flexible workers who work via the digital platform Coople. The participants of the gastronomy training are people who have not worked in the food service industry before or who want to refresh and deepen their knowledge in this field.

Course participants are introduced to the topics Service and host personality, Preparing and setting the table, Looking after guests from A to Z, Banquet service, Service rules and Taking orders. After successfully completing the course, each participant receives an official certificate from GastroSuisse.

Course participants’ different motivations for further training in gastronomy

At the first basic course, which took place from 26-27 September 2022 at the Hotel Management School Zurich (HFZ), the participants had very different motivations and backgrounds.

For example, 40-year-old Estefanus: he already works part-time in a restaurant in Zurich and has worked 60 jobs via Coople, but wants to learn something new and expand his knowledge, and his goal is to obtain an official, up-to-date certificate

He hopes to get even more jobs by participating in the course because “in Switzerland, certificates and diplomas are very important and help to improve your job opportunities.”

Image of Estefanus H.
Jolanda (58) and Denise (34) both have years of experience in the food service industry. They know the catering business from an early age ― but are looking forward to this course to deepen the basics they have learned intuitively and to close some knowledge gaps. By completing the course, they have proof of their experience and can significantly improve their chances of getting hired.
“I was particularly interested in refreshing my skills and in learning more about wine service; for instance, which side to serve from. Setting the table was also a lot of fun. It’s simply about feeling a bit more confident, even during a banquet, and knowing what it’s all about,” Denise explains.

image of Denise E.
Jolanda, on the other hand, says: “As I mentioned, I have worked in the service industry for many years. But I lack certain basics in fine dining and Ă  la carte service as well as in banquet service. So far, I have simply carried out the tasks as I was shown. “

Image of Jolanda D.
Beata (61) wanted to “really know the ins and outs of gastronomy”. Through the course, she gets the opportunity to ask important questions: “Does it really work the way I was once told or is it officially taught differently? I think it’s still important to have some experience.”

Image of Beata N.

All of the gastronomy training participants we talked to have one thing in common: They were not aware of training opportunities in the sector before the course, and none of them would have taken the course if it had not been funded.

Beata’s answer also shows that this type of training is not only useful for reintegrating older people into the job market and actively counteracting the shortage of skilled workers, but also for increasing the workers’ self-confidence: “I will have to continue working even after retirement. […] At over 60, I am, in fact, already completely written off in the job market. So, I’m happy every time I can fill in somewhere. But of course, it’s of little use to the companies if someone like me comes along and has no idea about the industry without any training.” Why is she attending this course? “I saw this on Coople and thought, this is exactly what I need. […] Now, I’m really happy here.”

For the time being, there are four courses taking place between September and November, offering 100 available spots in total. Depending on the demand for the courses and their success, there will be more courses on gastronomy on the future.

A survey among over 4,000 employees, conducted by Coople in June 2022, also showed that people are interested in further training opportunities: the overwhelming majority of respondents were interested in further education. Find out more about the survey results here.

Temporary workers are looking for further education opportunities

Temporary workers are looking for further education opportunities

Further education opportunities in the workplace is key to gaining new qualifications and supporting one’s professional development. Further education not only offers attractive possibilities to employees, but also proves to be a helpful tool for employers in order to attract quality candidates.

In June 2022, an internal survey was sent to over 4,000 employees of Coople, the digital platform. Those who had worked at least once since 1 January 2022 were asked about their interest in further education, as well as other related factors and industry-specific insights. The average age of survey participants was 36, of which 59% are female and 41% are male. The survey was conducted in three languages (German, French, English) and the results speak clearly about needs, trends and the demand for action.

The vast majority of respondents are interested in further education

Out of the 4,000 users who were interviewed, 94.3% showed interest in further education. Among the few percent who expressed no interest in further education, the most frequent reason given was that they had already completed further education (26.8%), as well as lack of time (22.8%) and lack of financial resources (21.4%).

Image that shows the interest in further education

Wide range of motivations for further education

In terms of individual motivations for further education, participants cited higher wages (16.9%), greater career opportunities (16.2%) and more in-depth professional competence (16.2%) as the most important factors. Other strategic and personal aspects were also important: in addition to better career opportunities, arguments such as lifelong learning, a better chance of finding a permanent job and the expansion of the personal network werealso mentioned.

Graphic that shows the motivation for further education

Commercial and language further education are most in demand among Cooplers

The options for further education are vast. However, a majority trend quickly emerged among the respondents. A quarter of the respondents indicated a desire for further education in the commercial sector, closely followed by 20% of participants citing an interest in further education in languages. Further education in the health sector and in logistics was also frequently mentioned. A special focus of the survey on the hospitality industry revealed exciting sector-specific insights. Hospitality employees were keen to pursue further education in the areas of “sales & guest service”, “wine knowledge”, “practical training” (e.g., carrying 3 plates, serving drinks, etc.), “preparation tasks” and “basic service knowledge”.

Graphics with the different areas where hospitality cooplers would like to do a further education

Duration of further education is a key factor – timing less so

When it comes to the duration of further education, there are clear preferences. Just under a quarter of those surveyed would like further education to last longer than three months in order to be able to deeply and intensively learn about a subject. A full 28.1%, on the other hand, would like further education to last between a few hours and a maximum of one day. Employees want either an intensive examination of certain topics or a rapid expansion of their own skills in order to be able to put what they have learned into practice as quickly as possible. The hour of the day and the day of the week of the further education are of secondary importance – not least because the respondents enjoy flexible work, where their time can be divided up as they wish.

“Our Cooplers are subject to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on Staff Leasing and can therefore benefit from a training budget from temptraining. What many people don’t know is that they are entitled to up to 5,000 Swiss francs for as few as 88 hours of temporary work. This benefit enables temporary workers to constantly expand their professional skills and knowledge and to develop professionally,” says Sabina Neuhaus, Group Head of Communications.

Coople receives the quality label from swissstaffing again

Coople receives the quality label from swissstaffing again

The employment services association, swissstaffing, has renewed Coople’s certification with the quality label for the fourth time. The swissstaffing label represents ethical working and high professional standards in the industry. The label is reviewed every three years and the audit is conducted by the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS).

Successfully passing the recertification audit is a requirement to remain a member of swissstafffing and is recognised nationally with the SQS certificate. The following topics were examined:

  • Documents, regulations, and data protection
  • Staff leasing – temporary recruitment
  • Occupational safety, absence management
  • Management

  • Since 2009, Coople has pursued the goal of providing a platform that enables a better life: for people who have realised that the world of work has changed into a life-centred world; for companies that rely on flexible staff at peak times; and for large companies whose business strategy has included integrating flexible workers from the very beginning.

    Yves Schneuwly: “Passing the recertification audit again shows us one important thing: even after 13 years, our efforts to work according to the highest quality standards have not diminished – despite or even because of the rapid growth of recent years. Our partners, the industry, our employees and especially our Cooplers benefit from this.”

    Further information about the quality label can be found here.