Faced with a tight labor market, digitized recruitment processes, and high expectations from candidates, Swiss companies need to react faster and continuously adapt their recruitment strategies. Which recruitment methods are particularly effective under these conditions? Lucca provides you with a clear and practical overview of the approaches that actually work—so you can recruit more quickly and effectively.
Article in 1 minute
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The Swiss labor market remains tight. It is particularly difficult to recruit technical profiles in IT, engineering, and research and development (R&D).
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Six recruitment methods currently dominate in Switzerland: job advertisements on specialized platforms, social networks, networking, recruitment agencies, recruitment through employee referrals, and internal recruitment.
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To attract talent, companies should combine these channels, strengthen their employer brand, and pursue a personalized, proactive recruitment approach.
How is recruitment developing in Switzerland?
Swiss companies continue to face major difficulties in recruiting certain profiles. According to a study by the consulting firm Von Rundstedt, 64 percent of the companies surveyed say that it is difficult to recruit IT specialists. 61 percent mention engineering positions, 54 percent R&D positions. Positions in administration, communication, or marketing, on the other hand, are comparatively easier to fill.
When qualifications are comparable, almost 80 percent of recruiters opt for a local profile. In German-speaking Switzerland, this proportion is even higher. The administrative requirements for candidates from non-EU countries are often perceived as burdensome. 85 percent of companies report difficulties in recruiting outside Europe.
The cooling of the labor market in 2024 has further strengthened the so-called “hidden labor market.” Many positions are now filled through personal contacts or networks. This benefits experienced professionals in particular, while access for young professionals becomes more difficult.
This makes a strong employer brand—already invested in by 76 percent of companies—and a broad sourcing strategy all the more important. This is the only way for companies to remain attractive and competitive.
Which recruitment methods work in Switzerland?
In light of a changing market, recruiters need to adapt their practices. Here are six recruitment methods that have proven successful in Switzerland.
Job advertisements on specialized platforms
Despite the growing number of recruitment channels, posting advertisements on job portals remains one of the most commonly used methods in Switzerland. Generalist platforms such as Indeed and JobScout24 are used as well as industry-specific portals.
To ensure that ads are effective, companies should:
post job ads on multiple platforms simultaneously to increase reach
formulate titles, keywords, and descriptions precisely
keep the career section of their website up to date and SEO-optimized
Tools such as Flatchr, Recruitee, and Softgarden help to centrally manage ads and publish them automatically, while also improving the candidate experience.
Good to know: This method reaches many potential candidates, but can result in a large number of unsuitable applications.
Recruitment via professional networks
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Xing are now an integral part of many HR strategies.
Strengths of these professional networks:
address both actively seeking and open-to-change candidates
target candidates using tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter
make the corporate culture visible through videos, testimonials, or creative campaigns
This method is particularly suitable for addressing clearly defined target groups, but requires time and good sourcing expertise.
Networking
Personal networks continue to play an important role in recruitment in Switzerland, especially in technical industries or for management positions, where recommendations are highly valued.
Job fairs, university events, and specialist forums offer numerous opportunities to connect directly with candidates, especially young graduates.
Networking strengthens the employer brand and helps identify motivated profiles.
However, this requires targeted preparation.
Good to know: Personal contact remains crucial, especially in a tight labor market.
Cooperation with recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies or specialized recruiting consultancies are often called upon for specific profiles. Especially when recruiting executives or very specific technical profiles, these specialists offer:
a qualified pre-selection
access to profiles that are not publicly visible
a noticeable reduction in the workload involved in the recruitment process
Headhunters go one step further by directly approaching talented individuals, even if they are not actively looking for a job. Despite the higher costs, this approach can be worthwhile for strategic recruitment, especially if it shortens filling times or secures rare profiles.
Recruitment through employee referrals
In employee referrals, people from within the company suggest suitable candidates from their network. This method is particularly popular in Switzerland because it reduces costs, speeds up processes, and often enables a good cultural fit.
Many companies also use referral bonuses to encourage active participation from employees.
Internal recruitment
Internal recruitment strengthens loyalty, reduces onboarding costs, and opens up development opportunities.
This requires suitable HR tools that can be used to systematically identify and develop internal talent.
Talent management software helps to reveal potential and actively shape career paths. At the same time, it sends a clear signal to teams that development opportunities also exist within the company.
In Switzerland today, it is no longer enough to advertise a position and wait. Successful recruitment is based on a well-thought-out multichannel strategy, an actively maintained network, and an employer brand that is credible and matches the expectations of candidates and the local market.
