How You Can Help Others Find a Job in Zurich, Switzerland

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, 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 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 instead of relying on closed networks.

2. Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions

To attract a broader range of candidates:

• Avoid jargon or overly technical language that might discourage applicants from different 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 simply 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 make an income even if we can’t offer full-time jobs to them.
• Stop asking women, refugees and minorities to volunteer and stop offering undervalued work.

7. Provide Constructive Feedback

• Let them know 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 cmeetfor informational interviews or referrals, make it clear tso that job seekers canapproach you appropriately.

9. Show Empathy and Compassion

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

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

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 to Career Returners and Migrants

Create internship programs specifically for:

• Migrants and refugees who need Swiss work experience.
• Women returning to the workforce after a career break.
  These programs allow candidates to prove themselves and gain confidence while helping employers discover untapped talent.

13. Include Mid-Career Professionals in Career Events

Many hiring programs focus only on graduates, leaving out professionals 35+ 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 certain cultural backgrounds.
• Offer cross-culturally validated assessments and ensure they are available in multiple languages to level the playing field.

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.