The brief

The Spitalverbund Appenzell Ausserrhoden (SVAR) with the acute hospitals in Herisau and Heiden and the psychiatric centre in Herisau ensures basic medical care for the population in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. With almost 1000 employees, the SVAR is one of the largest employers in this canton.

The SVAR is aware that the first few weeks in a new job are the most formative for employees. The introduction determines to a large extent how motivated they are to fill the new position. It must be ensured that employees can network and receive essential information. Therefore the aim of the SVAR is to organize an exciting and unforgettable employee training on the introduction day. The focus should not be on tiring lectures, but on getting to know all three locations and developing a sense of togetherness within the company.

The solution and result

tabevents has dealt with the processes, values and strategic objectives of the hospital and, based oh those, developed a digital SVAR game. The Welcome Day concept of tabevents is a flexible and mobile concept and the project team used this flexibility to integrate all three locations.

On the introduction days, the participants start the first round of the challenge in the morning. Right at the first location, exciting knowledge questions and creative photo and video tasks around the SVAR will be discovered and solved using an iPad with real-time feedback. With an internal bus, the new employees transfer independently to the second location and after the common lunch, the game ends after the final round at location number three. In this way the participants experience a varied day full of surprises, exciting information and, above all, make contacts with new and long-standing employees everywhere.

At the end of the day, the employees will review the impressions of the introductory day. With the SVAR Rally, valuable knowledge was conveyed, first friendships were made and the word "teamwork" is not only a word. An unforgettable first working day. And the best thing about it: the ice between the new employees and the company has definitely been broken.