This inspiring story from Valais begins with a chance encounter between hotel manager Sebastian Schmid and his neighbour Fredy Schmid in the local village shop. Fredy, a 74-year-old former healthcare worker, suddenly found his everyday life very empty after the death of his wife, whom he had cared for for a long time. He was looking for a new, meaningful occupation. When he complained to the hotel manager and asked him about the possibility of employment, he immediately recognised the opportunity. He was currently short of replacement staff for his employees in the hotel kitchen. So Fredy, who is passionate about cooking and conjures up a three or four-course meal for himself every day, offered the job as an elmer. Since then, Fredy Schmid has supported the Glocke kitchen crew during lunch service two days a week in the winter months. Fredy: "For me, this new job fits in perfectly with my life situation. I have a regular task and I'm surrounded by people.".

Hiring pensioner Schmid has turned out to be a win-win situation. Older people like Fredy not only bring their life experience and reliability to a company, but also noticeable motivation and good humour, which has a positive influence on the working atmosphere. "We retired people look forward to every working day, we are motivated and in a good mood. We no longer have to work, we can work. That's the difference," confirms Fredy Schmid.

Glocke boss Schmid sees the integration of retired employees as a great benefit for the hotel, both in human and social terms. "What's more, they are always punctual and never absent. I can only recommend this model to my colleagues in the industry."

Hotel Glocke's innovative approach shows that openness and creative approaches to recruitment can effectively tackle challenges such as the shortage of skilled labour in the hotel industry. This story provides an encouraging example of how the integration of older workers not only helps to overcome operational bottlenecks, but also enriches the social fabric of a company.