A day at Hilti, the best employer in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
A day at Hilti, the best employer in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Early, but already flooded with light from the morning sun and with a cup of coffee to start the day. Michael sits at the breakfast table with his two children. While he enjoys his coffee, his son and daughter eat their favorite cereal with milk. This morning, Michael is in charge of the children, helping them get dressed and carefully packing their backpacks for school and daycare. Meanwhile, Kathrin has already arrived at her place of work at the Hilti Group in Schaan.
"Our everyday life works thanks to our teamwork. We both work
100%, which brings with it certain challenges," explains Michael as he packs snacks and drinks into the children's rucksacks. Then they put on their shoes and jackets. The seven-year-old son takes the scooter to the nearby school. Michael takes his daughter to the daycare center by bike on his way to work. He and Kathrin appreciate the fact that they can cover most distances by bike: "It's a big advantage that we don't need a car to get to work and school. That would have been unthinkable in the USA."
From Texas to Buchs: the way back to the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region
The path that led the family to Buchs had several stops along the way. Kathrin moved away from her home in Lucerne to the Hilti Group in Schaan after completing her studies at the ETH in Zurich. Michael started his career as an Account Manager at Hilti Germany and also moved to Liechtenstein in 2005. The two moved on together in 2015. First to Sevelen and then to the USA as a young family in 2018. First to Dallas, Texas, which became their new home for the next three years and gave them both the opportunity to pursue their careers in an international environment. Michael and Kathrin are grateful for the support they receive from Hilti as an employer - be it in finding a house or overcoming the bureaucratic hurdles. They also appreciate the exchange with other employees who have also relocated to the USA. Their daughter was born in 2019. Both will have the opportunity to reduce their workload to 80% in order to have more time for both children. In 2021, they move on to Washington, D.C. The family returns to Switzerland, to the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region, in 2023 with the four of them and with many experiences under their belts.
Family-friendly working: How Kathrin and Michael cope with everyday life
Michael drives through Buchs to the daycare center and then continues along the Rhine dam to Schaan, the headquarters of the Hilti Group. Michael's working day starts a little later today. On some days, Kathrin takes the children to school or nursery and Michael picks them up - or vice versa. A clear division of roles and lots of mutual support are Kathrin and Michael's recipe for mastering the daily challenges despite a 100% workload. Occasionally, they take a coffee break together at work to talk about what the day has brought.
International career opportunities and a multicultural atmosphere at Hilti
Kathrin works as a project manager at Hilti and, as in the USA, works across teams and countries. In keeping with the international environment at Hilti, Kathrin alternates between German and English when communicating with colleagues, even in team meetings - Kathrin particularly enjoys this multicultural atmosphere and it also characterizes the work of Michael, who trains engineers internationally in the Service Competence area. Both found development opportunities at Hilti early on and received the right support for their different life situations. Even now with a family. Thanks to flexible working conditions and working time models, family and career are possible for both parents. The working day can be organized in such a way that professional development does not fall by the wayside and there is still enough time for the family.
The advantages of living in Buchs SG for the Spröwitz family
There were several reasons for returning to Buchs in Switzerland. One of them was to be closer to family and friends again. This benefits both sides - Kathrin and Michael have support nearby and the grandparents can watch their grandchildren grow up. Buchs is the ideal place to live. The location in the quadrangle of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany is central. Thanks to good rail connections, you can be in Zurich and St. Gallen in no time at all and have direct connections to Frankfurt or Vienna. Being outside or in nature more quickly is another advantage over their old home in the USA. After work, they often go for a bike ride or a trip to the adventure playground on Lake Walen. Kathrin and Michael rave about the diversity of the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region. "The rural surroundings allow children to play outside and take part in various club activities. On the other hand, the region is urban enough to have everything you need close by," says Kathrin. Michael adds: "Together with the professional opportunities at Hilti, the Sarganserland-Werdenberg region is the perfect center of life for our family and our careers."
Sarganserland and Werdenberg: The perfect work-life balance in Eastern Switzerland
The Hilti Group supplies the construction industry worldwide with technologically leading products, system solutions, software and services. If you are looking for excellent career opportunities with international development possibilities and modern working conditions, you have come to the right place. The Hilti Group has already received several awards as a top employer in various countries. In 2024, it was even named the best employer in Switzerland and Liechtenstein by Great Place to Work.
If you are interested in an international career in a family-friendly region, we have linked the vacancies in the Hilti Grouphere.
The Sarganserland-Werdenberg region offers numerous advantages for a good work-life balance: diverse nature, a central location, a mix of rural tranquillity and urban dynamism as well as a wide range of leisure activities and clubs - and all this in the vicinity of leading companies from all sectors. Discover the region and its career opportunities now at sarganserland-werdenberg.ch.
