How You Can Help Others Find a Job in Zurich, Switzerland – A Checklist for Inclusion

Finding a job in Zurich and other expatriate hubs can be challenging, especially for migrants, refugees, career returners, and professionals transitioning into new industries. As a hiring manager, recruiter, or someone with influence in your network, you have the power to make a difference. Creating a more inclusive and supportive job market benefits individuals and organizations by attracting a diverse talent pool and fostering innovation.

Working in Global Mobility, Leadership, and Career Coaching with Lifestyle Expats, I’ve seen firsthand how structural barriers and biases affect talented professionals. That’s why I advocate for a systemic, inclusive, and agile hiring approach aligned with my Global Coaching Approach.

Here are 17 concrete ways to support job seekers in Zurich and beyond.

1. Increase Visibility of Job Opportunities

Many job seekers struggle simply because they are unaware of available roles. You can help by:

• Sharing all job openings from your company on LinkedIn and other professional platforms.
• Encouraging hiring managers to make job postings widely accessible, rather than relying on closed networks.

2. Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions

To attract a broader range of candidates:

• Avoid using jargon or overly technical language that may deter applicants from diverse backgrounds.
• Use gender-neutral language and inclusive terms (e.g., “sales professional” instead of “salesman”).

3. Adjust Language Requirements

Many skilled professionals are excluded because of unrealistic language expectations. Consider:

• Reducing German requirements to B1 unless a higher level is genuinely essential.
• Lowering English requirements to B2 to make roles accessible to more applicants.
  This allows talented professionals to integrate while improving their language skills.

4. Make Job Profiles Clear and Accessible

• Write job descriptions for a general audience, not just insiders from your industry.
• Clarify responsibilities and expectations to help professionals transition from other fields.

5. Promote Diversity in Recruitment

• When creating a longlist, ensure it includes candidates from diverse backgrounds.
• For the shortlist, challenge unconscious biases and actively include underrepresented candidates.

6. Support Refugees and Migrants

• Many migrants and refugees have overcome extraordinary challenges, including displacement, cultural adaptation, and rebuilding their careers from scratch. Instead of focusing on gaps in their resumes, recognize the resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills they bring.
• Offer hourly and freelance work so more people can find paid work in the current economic environment. Let’s help people earn an income, even if we can’t offer them full-time jobs.
• Stop asking women, refugees, and minorities to volunteer
• Stop offering undervalued work.

7. Provide Constructive Feedback

• Please notify them if a candidate‘s CV or LinkedIn profile contains errors. Small changes can significantly improve their chances.
• Encourage growth and learning rather than penalizing minor mistakes.

8. Be Open to Networking

• Your LinkedIn About section clearly states how job seekers can contact you and for what purpose.
• If you are willing to meet for informational interviews or referrals, make it straightforward so that job seekers can approach you appropriately.

9. Show Empathy and Compassion

“The higher purpose of Global Mobility professionals is to help expat couples discover themselves, guide them through the challenges, and be there for them when they go through the valley of tears.”

No one is immune to unemployment or underemployment. Treat job seekers with the kindness you would appreciate if you were in their position. A little encouragement can make a huge difference.

10. Simplify the Application Process to Build a Candidate Pool

Allow candidates to apply via LinkedIn Easy Apply instead of forcing them through complex Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that often filter out qualified applicants.

Offer “unsolicited applications” by email (!) and give a precise explanation of this process to your potential candidate pool. Ask for consent to store the candidate’s profile and data for a more extended period (up to 2 years) so you can actively contact them when you are looking for them.

11. Take Time to Understand Foreign Qualifications

Many foreign degrees, certifications, and professional experiences may not look familiar to you, but are often highly valuable. Before dismissing a candidate’s qualifications, take the time to research and ask questions rather than making assumptions.

12. Offer Internships and Returnship Programs

Create internship and returnship programs specifically for:

• Migrants and refugees who need Swiss work experience.
• Women are returning to the workforce after an extended career break.
• These programs enable candidates to demonstrate their capabilities and gain confidence, while helping employers identify and develop untapped talent.

13. Include Senior Professionals in Career Events

Many hiring programs focus solely on graduates, leaving out Gen X professionals seeking career transitions. Open your networking and career events to experienced professionals looking for new opportunities.

 

14. Check Your Unconscious Bias

• Train yourself to recognize biases in hiring decisions.
• Involve a diverse hiring panel to assess candidates from different perspectives.

15. Use Fair and Culturally Inclusive Assessments

• Many assessment tests favor specific cultural backgrounds.
• Offer cross-culturally validated assessments and ensure they are available in multiple languages to level the playing field.

16. Offer Teaching and Lecturing Opportunities

• Teaching and Guest Lecturing can be excellent opportunities for senior professionals of Generation X. You can actively offer these opportunities to industry experts and professionals with long-standing experience.
• These opportunities do not typically appear on job boards and could be promoted more effectively on LinkedIn to attract a more diverse candidate pool.

17. Offer Freelance Writing and Research Opportunities

• With the advent of GenAI, professionals are still needed who can vet, research, and assess data.
• You could offer freelance writing and research opportunities to GenX professionals, too.

 

Why This Matters

As a Global Mobility and Leadership Coach, I know that hiring inclusively is not just about fairness—it’s a strategic advantage. Diverse teams are more innovative, adaptable, and effective in a globalized world. By taking these steps, you can create a more accessible and inclusive job market while benefiting from the unique skills, perspectives, and experiences that international professionals bring.

Let’s work together to build a hiring ecosystem in Zurich that is fair, inclusive, and open to everyone. Please let us know in the comments if you have any thoughts or opportunities worth sharing. Also, if you are willing to support others, please drop your contact details.

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