Swiss Employer Survey: What Companies are looking for

A nationwide study by the Career Services of Swiss universities shows in detail what companies are looking for when hiring students. For example, professional experience is central; people who are committed to the common good and society are most sought after.

In the summer of 2022, the Career Services Network of Swiss Universities (CSNCH) conducted a survey among recruiters from companies in all sectors and in all parts of the country. A total of 318 people completed the questionnaire, providing insight into their hiring practices. The study complements the Swiss Career Survey of 2020/2021, where students were asked about their preferences and attitudes.

In all the industries surveyed, students who want to achieve results together with other people are most sought after; responsible leadership is also a frequently sought-after characteristic. This largely coincides with the attitude of the students, who claim these very characteristics for themselves.

In terms of values, there is a further commonality: companies are particularly looking for people who put the well-being of others and society first. The students, in turn, prefer a career in which they can live this characteristic. Interestingly, this picture runs through all the industries and functions surveyed: The days of power orientation or conformity are definitely passé. There is also a pleasing consensus with regard to what companies offer: the vast majority of recruiters stated that they offer diverse and varied work.

In terms of the future skills that students need to bring to the professional world, a large majority responded that problem-solving, analytical and creative thinking are most in demand. However, there are clear differences here by industry and function. For example, stress resilience and emotional intelligence are more important in banking than in other industries. Programming skills and technology development, on the other hand, are - unsurprisingly - central in IT functions.

In terms of application skills, recruiters attest that students have very good qualities in their documents, but also note that many fail to develop a USP and present it credibly. The "I" brand, which distinguishes one applicant from another, still needs to be developed significantly.

Finally, the good news for students at universities of applied sciences is that companies are predominantly looking for people who already have professional experience. This plays an important role, especially at the bachelor's level.