Building bridges between Zurich and western Switzerland

Business coach Jordan offers insights into his job

For the last four years at Livit, we’ve been reaping the benefits of Jordan’s skills. Last year, he took on a new challenge within the company, taking up the position of business coach. In this role, he supports and trains employees in western Switzerland in using property management tools and software. 

‘I joined Livit at the start of 2020,’ Jordan recalls. He had already built up more than ten years of experience as a property manager in the real estate industry. It was a happy coincidence that brought Jordan to Livit at that point in his career. ‘I met people who worked at Livit on a training course. They were really enthusiastic about the company’s culture, the flexibility they get to enjoy as an employee and the progressive, future-oriented working methods there,’ says Jordan. ‘That instantly appealed to me, which is why I applied for the post of property manager at Livit at the next opportunity.’

From property manager to business coach

That proved a good decision for both parties. After three years as a property manager, Jordan was offered a business coaching role. ‘During a training course in western Switzerland, my current colleagues told their manager about my potential. He contacted me and offered me the job pretty quickly. It was a unique opportunity for me to develop within a great company,’ Jordan reflects. The position, which was created to meet the need for training and support in western Switzerland, was practically tailor-made for an ambitious young property manager like Jordan. 

And that was not just because he was a power user in his previous role and was well-versed in the property management tools. His experience as a landlord, his ability to explain the tools to people in simple terms, and the fact that he spoke both French and fluent German also made him the ideal candidate for the post. ‘The fact that I grew up bilingual is definitely a big advantage when it comes to my work as a business coach,’ says Jordan, before going on to explain why: ‘My team works at the headquarters in Zurich, while I’m based in Geneva. So you could say I’m the link between German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking western Switzerland.’ 

Getting employees into shape

As a business coach, Jordan has a wide range of responsibilities, including assessing training needs. The fact that he has been a property manager himself for a number of years and knows where the real issues lie helps when it comes to analysing what’s required, as do the discussions he has with colleagues at the company’s various locations. His job also involves preparing training materials, carrying out practical training sessions and workshops, and providing support to deal with questions and problems. 

‘The real estate market in western Switzerland has a lot of specific regulations that don’t apply in the rest of the country. One of the biggest challenges so far has been to gain an understanding of these, along with the needs of employees in western Switzerland, and to be able to offer those employees the training they need in their native language,’ explains the young business coach. Now, thanks to Jordan, that is exactly what has been done. 

He also offers one-to-one coaching sessions from time to time to iron out any problems facing new employees. ‘People really appreciate having that option,’ Jordan says, ‘and that makes it all the more gratifying to see employees experience that light bulb moment and watch them progress.’

Jordan works closely with the other three business coaches in Zurich, as well as with the Digital Business department and colleagues in Geneva and Lausanne, to provide them with the best possible support. ‘Close coordination is essential in my job,’ he says. ‘It enables us to ensure that all employees are at the same level in terms of knowledge and that they understand our tools, which genuinely makes their work easier.’ The business coaches therefore have their sights set on a clear objective: getting employees into shape so that they understand and appreciate the benefits of our systems, use them properly and gradually learn how to help themselves.  

Digitalisation as an opportunity

The progressive digitalisation of the real estate industry is also playing an increasingly significant role in business coaching. Jordan sees this as an opportunity to prepare employees for the challenges of the future and to automate repetitive work tasks either partially or completely. 

He is convinced that digital tools will make work in the real estate industry even more efficient in the future, thus giving property managers more time to devote to their main tasks. ‘In my training sessions, for example, I show participants how we can use Microsoft’s Copilot AI tool. Employees need to be aware of these tools and opportunities and able to make use of them. As business coaches, we make sure they can do that through the training we provide.’