Finance

The US House of Representatives has approved the stimulus package proposed by US President Joe Biden against the corona crisis worth 1.9 trillion US dollars (around 1.6 trillion euros). The parliamentary chamber, dominated by Biden's Democrats, passed the draft law on Saturday morning (local time) with a narrow majority of 219 to 212 votes. In a next step, the Senate has to give its approval.

Image: APA / AFP

Part of Biden's plan suffered a setback in the run-up: the official responsible for the rules of procedure in this chamber decided that the national minimum wage cannot be increased to US $ 15 per hour as part of the economic stimulus package.

Biden was disappointed, but let it be known that he respected the decision. He called on Congress to quickly adopt its “American rescue plan”. The scope of the measures would correspond to almost ten percent of US economic output.

The Republicans oppose such a large package. Congress only passed an aid package worth around $ 900 billion at the end of December. After the worsening of the pandemic in the US, Congress also approved economic stimulus packages worth almost three trillion dollars last spring. The US government's mountain of debt has grown rapidly since then.

Biden wants to use the package to stimulate the economy and create millions of new jobs. Among other things, it provides for direct payments to private households, financing measures for coronavirus tests and for the distribution of vaccines as well as additional help for the unemployed. Biden and the Democrats are pushing for a hurry because the extended and increased unemployment benefits for millions of Americans will expire on March 14 if the president does not sign the law beforehand. In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans each have 50 seats, while Vice President Kamala Harris – who is also President of the Chamber – can cast the casting vote in the event of a stalemate.

House leader Democrat Nancy Pelosi said Friday she was not interfering in Senate procedural rules. The Democrats would not stop fighting for a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour. It is currently at $ 7.25. In addition, many states have higher limits. According to Pelosis, the measure would mean an income improvement for 27 million of the approximately 330 million Americans. It would lift almost a million people out of poverty.

The negotiations on the US stock exchange are being followed with great interest. Investors hope the package will give the economy a boost.

Energy efficiency will be marked with A to G in future. AK: Old stickers can still be stuck on old devices

A +++ can become C. All right? From next Monday, March 1st, new EU-wide energy labels will apply to electronic devices. The energy efficiency classes of refrigerators, washing machines, etc. are then only identified with letters from A to G. The new EU energy label puts an end to the plus signs that were previously behind the letters. This is intended to make labeling simpler and more transparent. According to representatives of the Household Appliances Forum, the energy class is one of the top reasons consumers make a purchase decision.

In the new label is

Transitional period in retail

There is a transition period of around two weeks for trading. The new label will make it even easier to understand, says Alfred Janovsky, Managing Director Electrolux and Chairman of the Forum Hausgeräte (FHG). The new label can initially be found on refrigerators and freezers, washing machines and washer-dryers, dishwashers, televisions and electronic displays, and from September also on other light sources.

The new labels are to be introduced at a later date for product groups such as air conditioning, heating and hot water preparation. The energy classes for large household appliances have existed since the mid-1990s. An important reason for the reform is the technological development towards more efficient devices. In laundry care, for example, around 90 percent of the devices are currently in the best class, it was said today.

There is no direct conversion method for the new efficiency classes, says Michael Mehnert, Managing Director BSH Austria and FHG Board Member. The actual energy consumption of the devices does not change. “Only the scaling will change visibly for the consumer.” In class A, space was left for innovations and more energy-efficient models. What changes is the measurement method. It has been adapted to the changed habits, for example when loading a dishwasher. In the future, for example, a device that was previously marked with A +++ could be classified with a “C”. There is no general rule for this, it depends on the device in question.

Customer confusion

The Chamber of Labor (AK) fears consumer confusion because old stocks with old labels can still be sold until November 2021. “It is positive that there is a new energy label. It is easier to understand, more clearly structured and easier to compare, ”says AK consumer advocate Nina Tröger. The two energy labels could be confusing, however, since the new energy efficiency classes are assessed differently and are therefore not comparable.

Office can be so beautiful: Agency boss Philipp Maderthaner has moved. He shows IMMO his dream of an office home that has come true

He never wanted to go to a tower. But the growth and evolution of his companies brought him exactly there. Philipp Maderthaner, a brilliant campaign star and at least partly responsible for successful Chancellor election campaigns, began his career on a small table at home. This was followed by sublet offices and finally something of their own between Rudolfsplatz and the Danube Canal.

The right location

It quickly got too small. “Leaving the first is not easy. But the old building becomes less practical as the company grows. And location doesn't necessarily mean the first district, ”explains Maderthaner. Location could also mean: a prominent tower, docked to the main train station and thus as practical as possible for employees and customers. And the opportunity to spread out on a floor as the boss likes.

Exclusive design

Maderthaner realized the new office in a very short time. On the 21st floor of The Icon Vienna at Vienna Central Station, he allowed three months of planning time and six months of construction time for his companies, Campaigning Bureau and Business Gladiators, and gave the interior designers one month for the furnishings. The result is an office in the New York agency style that cannot be found again in Austria and perhaps in Europe: “An office home”, as Philipp Maderthaner calls it.

Office home

Maderthaner is convinced that “the office even gained a right to exist during the Corona period”. That sounds contradicting at first, given that the majority of office workers are currently working from home. “But the office offers more than the desk at home. This is where interaction takes place, social bonds are created and strengthened, it is a common place where the team is together. Our office should have a pull effect, the employees should be happy to come, simply because there is more here than at home, ”Maderthaner describes his concept. Companies and offices that fail to create this pull effect would lose employees in the future.

quality

So Maderthaner has created an office home on 1,718 square meters. For currently 60 employees, later it should be over a hundred. He didn't want a maximum number of jobs, but a maximum of quality. You can already feel it in the entrance area: it is reminiscent of a hotel lobby, on the left the reception, dark wood and brass, straight ahead a bar area dominated by dark blue velvet, gold and beautiful pendant lights, black and white decorative objects and the most beautiful flower arrangements. The large windows extend from the ceiling to the floor, behind them a view opens up over the whole of Vienna, from the Tenth to the First to the Kahlenberg, on the right the Donaucity.

Velvet and strong colors

The straight, noble impression of the entrance area is broken in the other office areas, “because we don't take ourselves that seriously,” says Maderthaner. The architects St. Corona Interiors had the task of creating as few corners and edges as possible in the office (hence the many curves). The interior designers Michael Niederer and Birgit Korn were supposed to create different worlds “and the coolest office ever”: There are no white walls and no white furniture, they always opted for black, gold and velvet in strong colors and for eye-catching chandeliers. A sophisticated lighting system creates the right mood at all times.

Exceptional wallpapers

The wallpapers that conjure up a different world in every room and the hand-picked design objects that are placed throughout the office are extraordinary: leopard vases, monkey lamps, tiger wall hooks, floor lamps made of ostrich feathers. In the lounge area “The Jungle” you feel like you're on a luxury safari, the meeting rooms are a gentleman's club or dining room, the toilets are wow, the executive office looks like wood paneled (it's wallpaper), the private podcast studio is perfect The atmosphere.

vision

His vision is reflected in the new company headquarters of entrepreneur Philipp Maderthaner: “We want to be one of the largest and best agencies in German-speaking countries – you also need the space.”

For creative meetings: a room with playful wallpaper and grass carpet, technically well-equipped

The Jungle – that's what Maderthaner calls the open lounge for coffee, chat and informal meetings. The eye-catcher is the leopard carpet, plus velvet and gold – in luxury safari style

For board meetings: table for 12, heavy leather armchairs, opulent chandeliers

Philipp Maderthaner's office: ostrich feather lamp, yellow velvet furniture

Small kitchen: like a beach bar, with bamboo chairs and straw lamps

Private podcast studio: leather wallpaper, velvet furniture and carpets swallow the sound, the technology is elegantly built

Maderthaner in “The Jungle” in his office

For some of the thousands of applicants, the dream of space comes true. A job that demands a lot, but which is also fun.

ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti during training

They go to places that only a few people have seen with their own eyes, withstand extreme loads, are well versed in all natural sciences and live the dream of thousands who look longingly from the earth into the night sky: only about 550 people have ever been in the Space and are therefore astronauts. A goal that seems out of reach for many.

“These are not all superheroes, but normal people who achieve extraordinary things. The prerequisites are not that high – the challenges at work are high, but you can learn that,” says Dagmar Boos, Head of the Center for Personnel Skills and Policy at the ESA, in conversation with futurezone. The ESA is currently looking for new candidates for the profession.

The last call in 2008 received 8,400 applicants. Only 7 of them made it into the current astronaut corps. Last year, 12,000 applicants responded to an appeal by NASA. Nonetheless, Boos says: “You shouldn't be afraid of it. You can't go wrong and should pursue your dream.”

Most important skill: social skills

If you meet the basic requirements, the selection process starts. 6 selection rounds with technical discussions as well as medical, physical and psychometric tests take place over 18 months. Social skills are particularly important. “On the ISS you live with a small team in a very confined space. You depend on each other and on the people on the ground. We need people who can find solutions together even in difficult situations,” explains Boos.

But not only being together can be nerve-wracking, but isolation too. The missions on the ISS often last several months. The German astronaut Alexander Gerst completed around two long-term missions and spent a total of 362 days in space. During this time you have to be able to do without family and friends.

“Such a situation is not easy. Especially during the pandemic we see how difficult it is on the one hand to be isolated and on the other hand to live and work with others in a confined space. That is required of astronauts. But they cannot just call home, “says Boos, describing the challenging situation. Therefore, the social competence and mental resilience are tested very intensively during the selection process.

Theory and action

After the selection, the one-year basic training begins. This is designed so that all astronauts come to the ISS with the same skills and knowledge. The annual program has it all: pilot's license, diving license, training in weightlessness, theory in physics, robotics and mechanical engineering and language learning. “It's very intense. You have to enjoy learning and practicing, but that's also fun,” explains Boos.

Suzanna Randall can confirm that too. The astrophysicist has just finished her basic training. It was surprising to her how much knowledge one actually has to acquire: “You always imagine it to be so action-packed, but a large part of it consists of theory,” she says in an interview with futurezone.

Above all, she loves flying: “The greatest experience was experiencing gravity in parabolic flights,” she recalls. An airplane flies steeply up and down in a zig-zag. During the transition from ascent to descent you float.

Suzanna Randall from

All-round talents

After tests, exercises and basic training follows: even more training. Because the astronauts then have to prepare for their expedition with the basic requirements they have gained. “What defines astronauts is that they are often all-rounders,” explains Randall. This includes, for example, being able to carry out research experiments perfectly on the ISS. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is currently on the ISS, where she is planting lettuce and radish, harvesting them and sending them back to earth for investigation. In her first mission in 2016, the biologist carried out the first DNA sequencing in weightlessness.

If professional astronauts are not in training or in space, they take on tasks on the ground, such as communicating with the astronauts on the ISS. At ESA, the chances are very good that after completing your training you will definitely be able to fly into space. But the growing global interest in space travel and additional transport options from private companies like SpaceX could require far more astronauts in the future.

New ways to become an astronaut

Suzanna Randall has chosen a new way to make her dream of space come true. In addition to agencies such as ESA, NASA or Roskosmos, private organizations and projects are also starting to offer training. Randall is one of two trainees at Die Astronautin. The non-profit foundation wants to bring the first German woman into space. Randall welcomes this opening up of the astronaut profession. “It's a new path that is becoming more and more accessible. We train on a one-off mission and then return to our jobs,” says the astrophysicist.

It was hoped for the support of the German federal government to raise the 50 million US dollars for a ticket, but so far it has not materialized. To fund the mission, the Foundation is offering its time on the ISS for commercial research. A project is to be carried out together with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It examines how the eyes change in weightlessness.

Delight girls and women

Another goal of the foundation is to get women and girls more enthusiastic about scientific and technical courses. For this purpose, educational work is carried out to create role models. Together with her colleague Insa Thiele-Eich, Randall recently published the children's book “Our Way into Space”.

ESA is also increasingly appealing to women to apply and is responding to the increasing number of expeditions with an innovation. In addition to the professional astronauts, a reserve team is also selected and trained. After successful basic training, they return to their professions and are on call if a mission site opens.

Why you shouldn't save on investments for the future was the topic of the last digital T-Breakfast at Magenta.

Digital T-Breakfast: Runtastic founder Florian Gschwandtner (center) gave a keynote on visionary ideas and then discussed their implementation with Maria Zesch and Andreas Bierwirth

It only takes a few clicks to take part in a talk these days. That you can follow the Digital-T-Breakfast with Maria Zesch (Chief Commercial Officer Business & Digitalization at Magenta, Andreas Bierwith (CEO at Magenta) and Florian Gschwandtner (Runtastic founder and start-up investor) via a streaming platform and ask questions in a Typing and submitting a mask is no longer unusual. After a year of pandemic, certain processes have been looped in.

To be on guard

But the development there was not foreseeable before the pandemic. “Digitization is not always immediately tangible,” says Maria Zesch. Later in the discussion, which revolves around innovation and digitization opportunities for companies, Andreas Bierwirth will also say that Magenta was not always “on guard”.

It was only noticed during the crisis that they had no products for video conferences in their portfolio. “That's not good for a telecommunications company.”

Andreas Bierwirth: “New trends often arise overnight.”

New trends overnight

According to the conclusion, digital trends come faster than you think, customer behavior can sometimes change overnight, and even large, established companies are sometimes too slow to adapt their products to the trends.

“You don't see what's coming, you don't recognize the topic. Flight providers could have set up an infrastructure for video calls much earlier, as an alternative to business flights. “

Every industry affected

The subject of digitization often makes the difference between a successful and unsuccessful company, adds Maria Zesch. No industry can be excluded from it.

“The business models range from online ordering from the landlord to digital management of vehicle fleets, smart waste management and temperature monitoring in food production.”

Maria Zesch: “We want to network Austria digitally.”

“No” as a motivation

Florian Gschwandtner knows the uncertainty that lies at the beginning of many innovations. “You only see the problems, even as a founder you often hear a 'no' from investors. But that can also be very motivating. “

The start-up founder recognized that crisis-related, hybrid work also requires new leadership cultures and that solutions are needed and just founded a new one: Leaders21. The aim is to establish a new leadership style in companies.

Florian Gschwandtner: “To stay on top, you need innovation.”

Covid-19 caused a digital transformation in the Austrian entrepreneurial landscape. “We were catapulted forward at least ten years.” But: In the long term, you also have to take money into your hands. “Innovation is not a coincidence, but an investment.”

Office can be so beautiful: Agency boss Philipp Maderthaner has moved. He shows IMMO his dream of an office home that has come true

He never wanted to go to a tower. But the growth and evolution of his companies brought him exactly there. Philipp Maderthaner, a brilliant campaign star and at least partly responsible for successful Chancellor election campaigns, began his career on a small table at home. This was followed by sublet offices and finally something of their own between Rudolfsplatz and the Danube Canal.

The right location

It quickly got too small. “Leaving the first is not easy. But the old building becomes less practical as the company grows. And location doesn't necessarily mean the first district, ”explains Maderthaner. Location could also mean: a prominent tower, docked to the main train station and thus as practical as possible for employees and customers. And the opportunity to spread out on a floor as the boss likes.

Exclusive design

Maderthaner realized the new office in a very short time. On the 21st floor of The Icon Vienna at Vienna Central Station, he allowed three months of planning time and six months of construction time for his companies, Campaigning Bureau and Business Gladiators, and gave the interior designers one month for the furnishings. The result is an office in the New York agency style that cannot be found again in Austria and perhaps in Europe: “An office home”, as Philipp Maderthaner calls it.

Office home

Maderthaner is convinced that “the office even gained a right to exist during the Corona period”. That sounds contradicting at first, given that the majority of office workers are currently working from home. “But the office offers more than the desk at home. This is where interaction takes place, social bonds are created and strengthened, it is a common place where the team is together. Our office should have a pull effect, the employees should be happy to come, simply because there is more here than at home, ”Maderthaner describes his concept. Companies and offices that fail to create this pull effect would lose employees in the future.

quality

So Maderthaner has created an office home on 1,718 square meters. For currently 60 employees, later it should be over a hundred. He didn't want a maximum number of jobs, but a maximum of quality. You can already feel it in the entrance area: it is reminiscent of a hotel lobby, on the left the reception, dark wood and brass, straight ahead a bar area dominated by dark blue velvet, gold and beautiful pendant lights, black and white decorative objects and the most beautiful flower arrangements. The large windows extend from the ceiling to the floor, behind them a view opens up over the whole of Vienna, from the Tenth to the First to the Kahlenberg, on the right the Donaucity.

Velvet and strong colors

The straight, noble impression of the entrance area is broken in the other office areas, “because we don't take ourselves that seriously,” says Maderthaner. The architects St. Corona Interiors had the task of creating as few corners and edges as possible in the office (hence the many curves). The interior designers Michael Niederer and Birgit Korn were supposed to create different worlds “and the coolest office ever”: There are no white walls and no white furniture, they always opted for black, gold and velvet in strong colors and for eye-catching chandeliers. A sophisticated lighting system creates the right mood at all times.

Exceptional wallpapers

The wallpapers that conjure up a different world in every room and the hand-picked design objects that are placed throughout the office are extraordinary: leopard vases, monkey lamps, tiger wall hooks, floor lamps made of ostrich feathers. In the lounge area “The Jungle” you feel like you're on a luxury safari, the meeting rooms are a gentleman's club or dining room, the toilets are wow, the executive office looks like wood paneled (it's wallpaper), the private podcast studio is perfect The atmosphere.

vision

His vision is reflected in the new company headquarters of entrepreneur Philipp Maderthaner: “We want to be one of the largest and best agencies in German-speaking countries – you also need the space.”

For creative meetings: a room with playful wallpaper and grass carpet, technically well-equipped

The Jungle – that's what Maderthaner calls the open lounge for coffee, chat and informal meetings. The eye-catcher is the leopard carpet, plus velvet and gold – in luxury safari style

For board meetings: table for 12, heavy leather armchairs, opulent chandeliers

Philipp Maderthaner's office: ostrich feather lamp, yellow velvet furniture

Small kitchen: like a beach bar, with bamboo chairs and straw lamps

Private podcast studio: leather wallpaper, velvet furniture and carpets swallow the sound, the technology is elegantly built

Maderthaner in “The Jungle” in his office

The center of the spa is being renovated. In the course of the revitalization, a 35 meter high hotel tower is also to be built

The times when Bad Gastein was a ghost town should be over. Now the historic buildings in the center are being brought out of their slumber. The three Belle Époque buildings, which have been vacant for years and testify to a better time, were acquired by the Munich Hirmer Group with the condition that they be restored.

Flair is retained

The ensemble, built between 1791 and 1888, consisting of the Hotel Straubinger, the bathing palace and the k. and k. Post office, characterizes the center of the health resort and is a listed building. “It is a difficult project in a sensitive environment,” says Erich Bernard from BWM Architects, who as general planner are responsible for renovation, interior design and new construction. “The traces of decay must not be lost,” adds Markus Kaplan, one of the planners. He lists clocks, doorbell buttons, light switches, lights and floor coverings in the Hotel Straubinger. The heart of the hotel, the hall, should also retain its flair. The 50 hotel rooms and suites are designed in such a way that they represent the sophisticated world in the Alps and have a cosmopolitan flair. A café and a bar will be located on the ground floor of the five-star hotel.

Architecturally further developed

The bathing palace will also be preserved in its historical structure, but architecturally further developed. The future four-star superior hotel will have a new entrance and an extension in the second row. There will then be twelve hotel rooms in the Badeschloss, and 88 in the controversial hotel tower, which is 35 meters high. The fact that the new tower will tower over the surrounding buildings is causing a lot of discussion.

Pool on the hotel roof

This tower will have a dark artificial stone facade and sparkling windows behind which you will find free-standing bathtubs. A swimming pool on the roof of the skyscraper will attract the eyes of hikers. The project is expected to cost a mid-double-digit million euro amount, says operator Christian Hirmer.

Square ensemble

The building of the k. and k. The post office, the third of the Belle Époque buildings, is also being renovated. According to the plan, a concept store will be housed on the ground floor, while the floors above could be used as offices or seminar rooms. In the course of the revitalization of the historic buildings, which will shine again in new splendor, Straubinger Platz and with it the entire square ensemble are to be revitalized – many vacationers, visitors and locals should romp around here from 2023. In order to bring this to the center, a connecting tunnel is to be built between the historic and the current center with the ski area. This tunnel, which will be equipped with conveyor belts, and two parking garages are expected to be completed by 2026.

Straubingerplatz: historical center with bathing castle and old post office

The planned 35 m high hotel tower

The hotel suite in the Hotel Straubinger according to plans by the architects, the hotel is to reopen at the end of 2023

In the Hotel Straubinger – a planned suite in the picture – elements from the old house are to be integrated.

Why you shouldn't save on investments for the future was the topic of the last digital T-Breakfast at Magenta.

Digital T-Breakfast: Runtastic founder Florian Gschwandtner (center) gave a keynote on visionary ideas and then discussed their implementation with Maria Zesch and Andreas Bierwirth

It only takes a few clicks to take part in a talk these days. That you can follow the Digital-T-Breakfast with Maria Zesch (Chief Commercial Officer Business & Digitalization at Magenta, Andreas Bierwith (CEO at Magenta) and Florian Gschwandtner (Runtastic founder and start-up investor) via a streaming platform and ask questions in a Typing and submitting a mask is no longer unusual. After a year of pandemic, certain processes have been looped in.

To be on guard

But the development there was not foreseeable before the pandemic. “Digitization is not always immediately tangible,” says Maria Zesch. Later in the discussion, which revolves around innovation and digitization opportunities for companies, Andreas Bierwirth will also say that Magenta was not always “on guard”.

It was only noticed during the crisis that they had no products for video conferences in their portfolio. “That's not good for a telecommunications company.”

Andreas Bierwirth: “New trends often arise overnight.”

New trends overnight

According to the conclusion, digital trends come faster than you think, customer behavior can sometimes change overnight, and even large, established companies are sometimes too slow to adapt their products to the trends.

“You don't see what's coming, you don't recognize the topic. Flight providers could have set up an infrastructure for video calls much earlier, as an alternative to business flights. “

Every industry affected

The subject of digitization often makes the difference between a successful and unsuccessful company, adds Maria Zesch. No industry can be excluded from it.

“The business models range from online ordering from the landlord to digital management of vehicle fleets, smart waste management and temperature monitoring in food production.”

Maria Zesch: “We want to network Austria digitally.”

“No” as a motivation

Florian Gschwandtner knows the uncertainty that lies at the beginning of many innovations. “You only see the problems, even as a founder you often hear a 'no' from investors. But that can also be very motivating. “

The start-up founder recognized that crisis-related, hybrid work also requires new leadership cultures and that solutions are needed and just founded a new one: Leaders21. The aim is to establish a new leadership style in companies.

Florian Gschwandtner: “To stay on top, you need innovation.”

Covid-19 caused a digital transformation in the Austrian entrepreneurial landscape. “We were catapulted forward at least ten years.” But: In the long term, you also have to take money into your hands. “Innovation is not a coincidence, but an investment.”

Start-up founder Florian Gschwandtner and Magenta COO Maria Zesch on new ways of working and leadership culture.

Maria Zesch and Florian Gschwandtner

A prerequisite for innovative business is also a modern management culture. New ways of working must be initiated by bosses and supported by employees. Maria Zesch and Florian Gschwandtner on the current requirements for managers.

KURIER: Both of you have often had insights into Austrian companies and their management culture. Where would you locate them? Traditional or future-oriented?

Florian Gschwandtner: The topic of leadership has become more present and corporations have also understood how important leadership topics are, what importance employees and communication have.

Maria Zesch: A company has to think about how to get talented employees who are passionate about their work. Employees are also increasingly demanding a good management culture.

Are there also thematic priorities in the management work?

Maria Zesch: Diversity in management positions is an important topic at the moment, but we're not even on par. Transparency is also central. At Magenta we use a survey tool. Any manager can send surveys to the team. You know where the problems are and you know where to focus.

Florian Gschwandtner: You have to create a feedback culture, which is very rare in companies. Too often there is mistrust. Bosses also need to learn how teams work and how to put them together. Managers must be trained on these topics. Leadership is not innate, but it can be learned.

How do you pick up employees from the home office when it comes to a cultural change in the office?

Maria Zesch: Creating trust in this hybrid world of work is not easy. Sympathy points are lost. My tip: create opportunities for personal meetings. I went for a walk in the forest with my team.

Do you still need bosses in hybrid working environments?

Florian Gschwandtner: Leadership shouldn't depend on one person. At the end of the day, there will always be a CEO who makes decisions. But: a good manager actually has little to do. The team does the work. A good leader has time for the important things and looks after those around him.

Which app habits indicate determination, what reveals optimism and why frequent callers are considered stress-resistant.

With 13.08 million, Austria has more cell phones than people, 91.5 percent of Internet use is on smartphones worldwide, we surf 3.39 hours a day on mobile devices – whether privately or professionally. The conclusion of the “Digital 2021 Report” is clear: the smartphone has clearly become the first screen.

The Munich psychologist Clemens Stachl, who works at Stanford University, has scientifically examined the use of cell phones and found out: The practical work aid reveals more about our personality than we think.

Personality profile

Even apparent minor issues such as the battery charge, the length of messages or the use of mail apps say a lot about who works and how. Some individual data are not yet sufficient to create a personality profile, only in their entirety can they indicate certain tendencies.

However, the sum of the usage data is usually large and – as the researchers point out – it could also be misused and used to influence.

Taking a close look at your own mobile phone habits and comparing them with a self-assessment can be quite amusing and interesting: Am I actually as optimistic as I think?

Am I even interested in new experiences? And what about my assertiveness? Based on the five-factor model of personality psychology, you could recognize yourself in one of the following descriptions, depending on how you use your mobile phone.

How am I?

Openness Being interested in new things is almost always an advantage in professional life. If you write long text messages, get few emails and like to call up Google Maps several times a day, this can be an indication of openness to action.

Anyone who ignores Facebook and sports news but uses language learning apps is open to values and norms. Anyone who likes to fully exhaust their battery charge and loves Snapchat is considered open to feelings.

Conscientiousness Every boss wants precise and determined employees. The following apps point this out: Anyone who frequently uses TV and news apps and charges their battery to over 60 percent probably has a tendency to be tidy.

Ambitious people do that

Ambitious natures are seldom in the app store, always switch their mobile phones on at the same time in the morning and prefer to listen to pop.

Disciplined are those users who switch on their cell phones early in the morning, have a lot of social contacts during the week and check the weather report more often. Prudent people communicate with a small group of people and like to go to bed on time.

compatibility

In some jobs you need a dose of extroversion. Indications of a thirst for adventure are provided by those smartphone users who would rather use creative apps than take photos and often make calls at night.

Friendly colleagues reportedly do not like to fully charge their batteries and have slow music in their playlist. According to the study, assertive female employees prefer to listen to danceable music and often use several email programs at the same time.

Emotional stability

Employees who do not give in during stressful times are extremely valuable for companies. The following habits indicate the indifference required for this: You look at your cell phone less than 30 times a day, go on long trips at the weekend, rarely use the e-mail app, but play strategy games instead.

Those who take their time with callbacks, hardly use the calculator and mobility apps and make a lot of phone calls are probably equipped with a portion of self-confidence.

How cooperative or helpful you are are also important team characteristics. However, Stachl's experiment does not allow any valid conclusions to be drawn.