Three forms of recruitment: permanent placement, staff leasing and headhunting
Recruiters are intermediaries who connect candidates with employers on the Swiss job market. A recruitment firm or temp agency in Switzerland must hold a cantonal licence, and the employer normally pays its fee. Permanent placement, staff leasing and headhunting work differently, and a candidate should never pay anything up front to be placed in a job.
Permanent placement puts a candidate in touch with a company, which then signs the employment contract directly. In staff leasing, or temp work, the agency itself is the legal employer. Headhunting targets executives already in post, especially in Zurich and Geneva banking.
The mandatory licence under the LSE
Any agency that regularly places candidates or leases staff needs a licence from the cantonal labour office. It must be listed in the commercial register, have business premises and employ a qualified manager of good repute who is responsible for the activity.
International placement and the SECO licence
When a recruiter places candidates from or to abroad, a federal licence from SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) is needed on top of the cantonal one. A foreign agency with no licensed Swiss office cannot legally place candidates here, a useful rule against scams.
Checking an agency in the official register
SECO keeps a public directory of companies licensed for placement and staff leasing. Before sending your ID or employment references to an unknown firm in Lausanne or Lugano, a quick search by name in this register takes only a few minutes.
Who pays the recruiter in Switzerland
In the vast majority of cases, the client company pays the firm through a commission or a flat fee. The LSE fees ordinance strictly caps what a candidate might ever be charged, and any commission is due only once a contract has been signed.
Temping under the staff leasing CCT
Temps working for the large agencies are covered by the staff leasing CCT (collective labour agreement), which sets minimum wages and pension rules. Construction, logistics and industry use temps heavily; see our page on temporary work in Switzerland for the details.
Sector-specialist recruitment firms
Swiss firms often specialise: finance and compliance in Geneva and Zurich, pharma and biotech in Basel, engineering and watchmaking in the Jura Arc, IT in Zurich. Choosing two or three firms in your own field works better than signing up everywhere.
In-house recruiters at large employers
Nestlé, Roche, UBS and the university hospitals run their own talent acquisition teams and hire without intermediaries. The job of an in-house recruiter in Switzerland involves posting vacancies, screening applications and organising interviews with hiring managers.
Temporary assignments and fixed-term contracts
Agencies also offer long assignments, sometimes converted into a permanent job after a few months. Comparing a temp assignment with a fixed-term contract in Switzerland helps you weigh the differences in pay, holidays and LPP pension cover.
The ORP, a free public placement service
The ORP (regional employment offices) work alongside private agencies, and their services remain free of charge. A joint declaration between the cantonal labour authorities and the swissstaffing association frames this cooperation, which helps jobseekers registered as unemployed.
What a recruiter expects from your application
A Swiss consultant wants a clear CV with a photo, your employment references, your notice period and a realistic salary expectation. Under data protection rules, they may present you to a client only with your explicit consent, job by job.
Becoming a recruiter or HR consultant yourself
The federal diplomas for HR specialists and for recruitment consultants structure the profession. After a few years in an agency, many move into roles as an HR business partner in Switzerland working directly for an employer.
Working effectively with a Swiss recruitment agency
- Shortlist two or three agencies specialised in your sector and language region, then check their licence in the SECO register.
- Prepare a Swiss-style CV with photo, employment references, recognised diplomas and a clear statement of your permit or nationality.
- Agree a realistic salary expectation with the consultant, taking into account the canton and any sector CCT.
- Insist on being told before your file is sent to any company, so that duplicate applications are avoided.
- For a temp assignment, read the assignment contract carefully: hourly wage, holiday pay, duration and notice period.
- Follow up with the consultant after each interview and give honest feedback on the job offered.
Fees and pay in Swiss recruitment
| Item | Who pays or how much | What varies |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent placement commission | The client company, negotiated amount, indicative | Job level, exclusivity, tight or slack market |
| Fees for the candidate | In practice none; capped by the LSE ordinance | Only after a contract has been signed |
| Temp worker's wage | Minimums of the staff leasing CCT | Sector, qualification, region, client company's CCT |
| Agency licence | Cantonal or SECO fee paid by the agency | Domestic or cross-border placement |
| ORP services | Free for candidates and agencies | Unemployment registration, canton |
Documents to give a recruitment consultant
- Swiss-format CV with photo
- Employment references and internship certificates
- Copies of diplomas and recognition decisions
- Residence permit, G permit or passport
- Criminal record extract for banking or security jobs
- Contact details of two professional referees
Mistakes to avoid with recruiters
- Paying registration or visa fees to a so-called recruiter, a classic feature of fake job offers aimed at foreign candidates.
- Letting several agencies send the same CV to the same employer, which causes commission disputes and often gets the application rejected.
- Hiding your permit type or availability date, details the consultant will discover anyway during background checks.
- Accepting a temp assignment without checking the minimum hourly wage set by the applicable staff leasing CCT.
- Sending identity documents to a firm that does not appear in the official register of licensed agencies.
Recruiters in Switzerland: what candidates ask
Preparing for a first conversation with a Swiss recruiter
A recruiter is a professional who needs to understand a candidate quickly. The first call or meeting is usually short, so preparation is essential. Candidates should be able to describe their background in a few clear minutes, name the kind of post they seek and explain why they are available, without rambling or criticising a former employer.
It helps to have the essential facts at hand. These include the notice period, the language level in each working language, the type of permit held and the geographic area in which the person is ready to work. Recruiters can only present a profile that is clear, and an incomplete answer may lead them to move on to someone whose situation is easier to explain.
Being honest about expectations
Honesty about pay, flexibility and motivation saves everyone time. A recruiter who knows what the candidate really wants can match the profile to suitable vacancies and avoid wasting a client's patience. Exaggerating experience is a poor strategy, since references are checked and a found inconsistency can close the door for good.
Following up and staying in touch
After a meeting, a brief thank-you message keeps a name in memory. Reporting a change, such as a new certificate or an end date for the current job, shows seriousness. Keeping a courteous tone even after a refusal is worthwhile, because the same consultant may call again months later with a vacancy that fits much better.
One more point concerns confidentiality. A candidate should say clearly which employers may not receive the file, and should ask the consultant to obtain approval before sending it anywhere. A serious recruiter respects such conditions without discussion, and the way this request is handled says a lot about how the consultant treats people.
Can a placement agency ask me for money?
Swiss law strictly limits the fees that can be charged to jobseekers and bans any commission before a contract is signed. In practice, reputable firms are paid by the employer; any request for advance payment should make you suspect a scam.
How can I tell whether a recruiter is licensed?
Simply search for the agency's name in the register of placement and staff leasing companies kept by SECO. If in doubt, the cantonal labour office where the agency is based can confirm whether it holds a licence.
Can a headhunter help me obtain a work permit?
A recruiter can help the employer prepare the application, but the decision lies with the canton and, for a non-EU national, with the SEM (State Secretariat for Migration). No firm can guarantee that a work permit will be granted.
Do temp workers get occupational pension cover?
Yes. A temp worker is insured under AVS (old-age insurance) and, above the entry threshold and a certain assignment length, under the LPP. The staff leasing CCT has its own rules, which the agency must state in the assignment contract.