HSG graduate Dario Buehler explores Switzerland's recipe for success.

In Dario Bühler’s office is a diagram showing Switzerland's age pyramid. The broad middle part is supported by a much thinner trunk. "It shows me every day what problem I'm working on," says Bühler. With his agency "Digitalmacher", he helps Swiss SMEs to recruit skilled workers.

At the beginning of his career, it was not foreseeable that he would one day become a personnel marketer: Bühler, who comes from a family of builders and craftsmen, first completed an apprenticeship as an electrician. He then went on to complete his vocational baccalaureate, the Passerelle and a degree at HSG. "It was always clear that I wanted to do something on my own. At the age of 18, I founded a wine cellar with friends in St. German near Visp," says the now 33-year-old, who grew up in Valais.

A Valais native who sells wine is an example that shows origin is important to Bühler - and still shapes the way he works. The Digitalmachers design their social media campaigns primarily for SMEs in the construction and industrial sectors. "These are the companies we understand best because we used to work in similar places ourselves," says Bühler, whose business partner Michael Kuonen originally trained as a car mechanic before studying marketing.

The American dream is a reality in Switzerland

In 2023, Bühler launched the "Swiss Success" podcast in addition to the agency he founded in 2022. In it, he has interviewed former footballer Beni Huggel, CEO of Zweifel Chips Christoph Zweifel, FDP National Councillor and Digitec founder Marcel Dobler and Sophie Toth, producer of the successful SRF series "Tschugger".

"The podcast explores the question of what makes these people successful and what listeners can learn from them." Bühler has recorded around 40 episodes so far - and he still has many questions. For example, he would be interested in an whinterview with entrepreneur Peter Spuhler.

He recently caused a stir by announcing that he would emigrate from Switzerland because of a Juso initiative on inheritance tax. "Spuhler is an entrepreneur and says what he thinks. I can learn the most from such open interviews."

Bühler says he is convinced that the so-called American dream is a reality in Switzerland. "For example, I did an apprenticeship and was later able to study at HSG thanks to the dual education system."

He still has a strong professional and personal network from his time in St.Gallen. "HSG relies a lot on exchange and small classes. That proves its worth - you get to know a lot of people." He was also impressed by the openness and internationality of HSG when he informed himself about various places to study.

70 percent want to change jobs

After his studies, Bühler worked for several years in marketing functions for the watch companies TAG Heuer and Fortis. After gaining an insight into the corporate world, his desire to start his own business grew. Bühler decided on personnel marketing after carrying out his own research: he used existing contacts, phoned construction companies and offered websites. "However, the companies told me that they didn't need new websites, but qualified employees."

Today, the digital creators offer comprehensive services in the field of social recruiting. From consulting to addressing the right target group via the right social media. "Many Swiss companies already have good working conditions and benefits. But most of them don't want to make a big deal of it - it's typically Swiss," says Bühler.

The potential is huge: according to surveys, 60 to 70 percent of Swiss employees are currently willing to change jobs, says Bühler. "If you have a good offer, you can win these people over."

It's also about companies addressing people authentically. "A construction worker is used to a harsh tone and speaks several languages in one working day. The polished formulations of a classic image film will hardly reach him," says Bühler.