Job Change Switzerland: Unhappy, Yet Settled

In the previous post, we looked at the employer side: the market grows, wages stagnate, recruitment costs – especially for SMEs. Now we flip the perspective. What's happening on the other side – with the people who work? We looked at the numbers. They're surprising.

Gallup measures every year how people worldwide think about work. The data for Switzerland reveals a paradox.

Only 8 percent feel truly engaged. One in twelve. At the same time, 55 percent say it's a good time for a change. More than half see opportunities.

But: Only 22 percent seriously consider leaving their job. Switzerland ranks 37th of 38 in Europe. Almost last.

Little joy, lots of optimism, hardly any movement. Mobility also drops with age – for 55- to 64-year-olds, the probability of switching is 3.5 times lower than for 15- to 24-year-olds. Not because older workers are more satisfied. But because more is at stake.

Perhaps it's not about the people. Perhaps it's about the experience.

The JobCloud study shows: 52 percent of applicants receive no response. No rejection, no feedback – nothing. At the same time, an application takes an hour on average. The cover letter consumes most of the time.

Those who experience this a few times stop searching. Not because they don't want to – but because it's not worth it. The effort is high, the outcome uncertain, the experience frustrating.

30 percent of respondents are open to new positions but don't actively search. They wait. For what? Perhaps for an opportunity that comes to them. Perhaps for a first step that's worth taking.

Here it gets interesting. SMEs are more popular than their reputation suggests.

ZHAW studies show: Small companies with 10 to 49 employees rank highest among job seekers – especially among younger people. Medium-sized companies with 50 to 249 employees are attractive across all age groups.

The reasons are obvious: short paths, real responsibility, decision-making freedom, personal interaction. What corporations simulate with employer branding is everyday life in SMEs.

The problem isn't attractiveness. The problem is visibility. Those who aren't found can't be chosen. And those frustrated by the job search stop searching.

Two sides, one problem. Employers struggle with costs. Employees struggle with a search that isn't worth it. The connection is missing – not because nobody wants to, but because the effort is too high.

For SMEs this means: The strengths are there. The attractiveness is there. What's missing is a bridge. A first step that's worth taking – for both sides.

That this isn't just a gut feeling is shown by the Beveridge curve. More on that in the next post.

Sources:

• Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2024

• JobCloud, Swiss Labour Market Study 2021

• ZHAW, Study on the Attractiveness of SMEs as Employers

• FSO, Employment Statistics