Customised career development

With only three levels of senior management, FINMA has a relatively flat hierarchy. Our managers are often also specialists in their field. Each level of senior management has specialist functions which are on a par with management functions.

Our career models and staff development tools are always focused on encouraging specialists and managers. In recent years, FINMA has successfully filled more than half of all senior specialist and management positions internally.

FINMA supports employees in their ongoing professional learning. The latest figures demonstrate that this is not just lip service: in the last two years FINMA employees completed more than 1,000 training days annually and FINMA spent around CHF 2,000 per full-time equivalent (FTE) on supporting training.

It is important for customised career development that managers and staff are aware of each other's expectations and development plans and can discuss their personal perspectives within a suitable framework.

FINMA has created the possibility of a perspectives dialogue for this very purpose. Staff or line managers can trigger one of these at any time and carry out a status review and plan development.

In addition to encouraging all staff, FINMA has also set up an internal potential development programme. This ensures there is long-term planning in place for the next generation of specialists and managers. Those taking part in the potential development programme are given a mentor and receive focused encouragement and opportunities with external training, project work and secondments.

Secondments are a special form of professional development. These involve working or training assignments lasting several months within FINMA or at Swiss or international organisations with which FINMA has close ties. Employees gain specialist insights as well as valuable experience outside FINMA.