Getting started
What is Hitchhiker?
An internal marketplace where employees find and offer short assignments, projects and learning gigs within their own company. Instead of looking outside or waiting for a job change, flexible rotations become possible – from marketing to HR, from coding to customer contact.
Who can use Hitchhiker?
Every employee, regardless of level or department. You can look for gigs and offer them yourself. The only condition: talk to your manager first, so that your core work does not suffer.
How do I sign in?
With your existing company credentials (single sign-on). After the first login you add skills, interests and availability. The more complete the profile, the better the suggestions.
Does it cost employees anything?
No. The company provides the platform to encourage internal mobility and knowledge sharing.
Gigs and projects
What is a gig?
A time-limited assignment outside your regular role:
- Project assignment: working with another team for 2 to 12 weeks
- Micro-gig: one clearly defined task, such as facilitating a workshop
- Job shadowing: accompanying another role for a day
- Mentoring: passing on knowledge or learning from others
How do I find suitable gigs?
Through filters for type, duration, department, required skills and availability. The system also suggests gigs that match your profile; notifications tell you about new offers.
How do I apply?
Click the gig, choose «Apply» and say in two sentences why. The person offering it receives your application and profile and gets back to you. Sometimes there is a short introductory chat, sometimes you start right away.
What happens to my regular work?
For small assignments it continues in parallel. For larger project assignments, relief or a temporary handover is agreed with your manager. Important: discuss your capacity before applying.
Can I do several gigs at once?
Yes, as long as your capacity allows. The dashboard shows how much time your current gigs take. Better one gig done well than three done halfway.
Learning and development
How does peer learning work?
People who know something offer it as a learning gig: an Excel crash course, an introduction to agile methods, tips for client presentations. You book directly with the person who knows the topic first-hand.
Are completed gigs recorded?
Yes. «My Accomplishments» lists every completed assignment together with the feedback. These experiences feed into the profile and make development visible – useful for later career steps too.
Does Hitchhiker replace formal training?
No, it complements it. Courses provide structured fundamentals, Hitchhiker provides the application in real work.
Management, data and rollout
Do managers lose control of their team?
Quite the opposite: every application needs approval, and the dashboard shows how much capacity is committed. Managers also gain access to talent they did not know about.
Who sees which data?
Employees see their profile and their assignments, managers see their team, HR sees aggregated reports. Applications are visible only to the person offering the gig and the approving manager.
Where is the data stored?
On Swiss infrastructure, operated in line with the Swiss FADP and the GDPR. Only what the marketplace needs is processed.
How long does the rollout take?
A few weeks. The app is rolled out in Microsoft Teams, profiles take minutes, and the first gig usually runs in week one. We recommend starting with a pilot area rather than a big-bang rollout.
Still have questions? Write to us – two sentences are enough.