As we enter the final quarter of 2021, it seems a good time to look at how the Finance market in Switzerland has evolved from the perspective of both job seekers and employers.

Q1       

Job Seekers – more opportunities advertised direct, but high volumes of applicants and a frustrating lack of feedback when applying for roles.

Employers – a focus on advertising direct, rather than using recruitment consultancies, to save cost and take advantage of candidates needing work. The high application volumes masked a decline in relevance, as individuals who had been displaced were forced to apply for a number of jobs to maintain their support.

Q2       

Job Seekers – as lifestyles were reviewed post-COVID-19 and the return to the office got nearer, the working from home factor became more important for candidates.

Employers – competition for talent increased and we saw more counter-offers from employers trying to retain employees. Companies unable to offer work from home flexibility struggled to attract high quality individuals. More recruitment processes required support from recruitment consultancies.

What happened in Q3?

Job Seekers

• An increase in career moves from passive candidates, but a preference to work with recruitment consultancies, rather than applying direct, partly due to time restraints, but mostly due to very specific career aims
• More opportunities for good candidates, resulting in multiple offers for some
• Counter-offers by current employers are being experienced more frequently
• Frustrations about directly-advertised positions – particularly relating to salaries
• Negative employer brand experience, due to the lack of feedback from direct applications

Employers

• Unexpected vacancies appearing as passive candidates re-engaged their career plan and started securing new roles
• High levels of competition for talent resulted in some upward salary pressure
• Work from home policies were challenged by potential employees
• Recruitment timelines needed to be shortened to avoid missing out on desired candidates

What do we expect in Q4?

As the impact of COVID-19 reduces, the new normal becomes clearer and business confidence increases. Many projects and developments that were put on hold are now being brought back into current plans.

All of this is good news for Finance candidates seeking new opportunities, but it means we will see more movement in the Swiss market, as individuals who have been happy to sit tight for the last 18 months put their career plan back into action.

How can EMEA Recruitment help you?

In a market that is changing quickly, the most valuable commodity to both job seekers and employers is timely and accurate insight. As specialists in Finance recruitment in Switzerland, the Finance & Accountancy team at EMEA Recruitment has this in abundance, and is happy to share with both candidates and clients.

If there is anything you would like to know about the Finance market in Switzerland, to either help you plan your next career move or to assist you in recruiting more effectively into your business, we would be happy to talk to you.

Get in touch with the Country Director, John Byrne: [email protected] 

Following the first two quarters of the year, we have insights on the Swiss employment market for Finance & Accountancy professionals…

The recovery continues! Q2 2021 saw a continued increase in the number of Finance opportunities in Switzerland and further evidence of movement at more senior levels.

Business confidence is growing; some industries are already seeing increased revenue, either from traditional markets or as a result of exploring new markets, due to a more agile approach developed through changes forced by the pandemic.

Flexibility within the Workplace

As we prepare for a return to a more normal life, the question of flexibility is high in the agenda of both employees and employers. Our recent Swiss employment market poll on employee working preferences produced a startling change in attitude over the last eight months:

The June 2021 poll produced the highest engagement levels we have ever seen on LinkedIn, but we were surprised to see such an increase in those wanting to work 3-4 days from home, compared to the previous top ranked answer of 1-2 days.

When comparing to employer sentiment, it is noticeable that most company return-to-work announcements have focused on three days in the office, highlighting an obvious difference in expectations between employees and employers.

After the return to the office happens, we may see a change of view from individuals, as they get used to commuting and engaging with colleagues, but either way, flexible working will be a hot topic for some time.

How is this Impacting the Swiss Employment Market?

We have already experienced candidates rejecting job offers due to lack of flexibility being offered by new potential employers. Once working from home conditions end, we are expecting to see an increase in candidates entering the marketplace if employers are not prepared to accommodate flexible working.

In the meantime, companies offering enhanced flexible working arrangements are likely to have a competitive advantage in the market, which will assist with both retention and attraction.

Market Hotspot

We have seen a significant increase in Finance roles requiring skills with data visualisation tools, such as Tableau, Power BI and Qlik suite. Considering the small candidate population with significant exposure to this software, we predict a battle for talent in the coming 12 months, as companies assess rapidly changing marketplaces.
 
EMEA Recruitment has led Finance in Technology events in the region over the past few years and is therefore well-positioned to discuss any plans you are considering in this area.

If you are a candidate with experience of any of these tools, we would like to hear from you immediately regarding Finance opportunities in Switzerland: [email protected] 

After a challenging 12 months for the Supply Chain sector, Neil Cope, Director - Procurement, Supply Chain & Operations, looks at why Switzerland is still a valued strategic location for Procurement & Supply Chain…  

One of the most asked questions we have had from candidates and, indeed, clients so far this year is, “How is the market currently?”

In response to this, we are pleased to share with you the following observations.

EMEA Recruitment is seeing an increase in the number of businesses looking to base their Supply Chain head offices in Switzerland. This uptick is mostly from Life Sciences businesses and is, of course, great news for candidates in terms of opportunity.

There are multiple reasons that Switzerland is a great location for a strategic Supply Chain office.

Firstly, the top talent on offer. It is no secret that the top talent within Europe and beyond often relocates to Switzerland. The higher standard of living, proximity to nature and professional growth are just a few reasons top candidates pick Switzerland as a professional base.

Another reason Switzerland is picked as a strategic headquarter is the diversity of thought – culturally diverse teams produce more balanced and neutral decisions. This allows for businesses to make decisions with less bias.

It is also an economically stable country that resists downturns and remains comparatively buoyant.

But we are interested to hear from you: Why do you think Switzerland is a great base for a strategic Supply Chain head office? And what impact do culturally diverse teams have on your operation?

EMEA Recruitment understands that the Diversity & Inclusion discussion is more essential than ever before, which is why we’ve placed it at the heart of our business and recruitment process moving forward.  

Get in touch with Neil to discuss your operations further, by emailing: [email protected] 

“The line between disorder and order lies in Logistics…”

Given the past 12 months have seen some of the most challenging moments of our lifetimes for Supply Chains, economies, and mobility of goods and people, the value on robust Logistics has never been more prominent.

Prices are increasing, mobility is being challenged on unprecedented levels and we are seeing a global container crisis to boot. So, how is this affecting the job market in Switzerland?

Unsurprisingly, the job flow in the Logistics area, in particular, is seeing a significant uptick. This is not to downplay the increases across other Procurement, Supply Chain and Operations areas that we are seeing, but it is the movement of products where businesses (whether that’s Consumer Goods or even Pharmaceutical) are seeing the biggest challenges.

The response has been clear – the businesses with the strongest, resilient Supply Chains and Logistics operations are not only surviving, but look set to flourish as we enter the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, in turn, this drives the need for top senior talent and niche skillsets in the Logistics function. Here at EMEA Recruitment, we are seeing first-hand how this is something that businesses across Switzerland are looking to address.

Positions driven towards global strategic Logistics responsibilities are significantly up year-on-year and, with the impacts of Brexit still filtering through, alongside the ongoing challenges around the pandemic, this is a trend that we are fully expecting to continue.

During these ever-challenging times, we work with our clients to understand their changing business requirements. To discuss your specific Logistics needs across Switzerland, please contact Director of Swiss Procurement, Supply Chain & Operations, Neil Cope at: [email protected]

If you are based in the Netherlands, our Managing Director, Richard Bailey, will be able to help you – get in touch at: [email protected] 

Ahead of Q2 2021, we provide an update on the Finance market in Switzerland…

The first quarter of 2021 offered some promising signs of recovery within the Finance market in Switzerland, notably through the volume of opportunities available, but also evidence of higher levels of confidence amongst senior leaders.

During the second half of 2020, the word missing from recruitment conversations was “plans”, as the overriding feature was a short-term mentality, due so much uncertainty regarding COVID-19.

The positive news about vaccine efficacy, despite short-term concerns about the speed of the vaccination programme, is instilling hope of a more normal life this year and, therefore, greater focus on business plans and development. This is likely to result in an increase in opportunities within the Finance market, as projects start/recommence and recruitment freezes are removed.

Despite the expectation of easier recruitment in a market that has experienced major change and an economic downturn, the reality is that many companies that have advertised vacancies have failed to recruit and have had to re-advertise their roles. There are numerous reasons, but some of the feedback we have gained from clients and candidates includes:

• High volume of applications is putting pressure on Talent/HR teams
• Negative employer brand experience is a consequence of the lack of feedback
• Individuals in permanent roles are still cautious about moving jobs, but are starting to slowly return to the market
• Applications to direct advertisements are often not relevant/less targeted than previously
• The lack of salary information on advertisements, when combined with significant variation in salaries with similar job titles, is making targeted applications difficult

As we move towards a more normal employment market, it is likely that we will see a battle for talent, as the number of opportunities increase, which may result in pressure on salaries and growth in the number of employers providing counter offers to retain their valued employees.

To discuss any recruitment issues you may be having, get in touch and we will look to help you in any way we can – our Director of Finance in Switzerland, John Bower, is available at: [email protected] 

As the vaccine rollout begins to ramp up across Europe, it’s no surprise to see the market rebounding by the week. Here, we look specifically at the market trends we’ve been seeing across the Procurement & Supply Chain sectors within the Netherlands.

Many of the conversations we’ve been having with clients are centred around how the market is looking as we enter Q2. So, after a difficult 2020, it’s promising to see a significant increase in the number of Procurement & Supply Chain opportunities emerging within the Dutch market.

The start of 2021 has seen many corporations embark on large-scale Procurement transformations, no doubt as a knock-on effect of the increased focus being put on Procurement, as businesses look to recover from such a challenging period.

Similarly, Supply Chain risk management has never been more critical, so it’s unsurprising to see an increased demand for such skillsets within the Netherlands. In particular, the FMCG and Pharmaceutical sectors are recovering well, and, as recruitment freezes begin to lift, we expect to continue to see an uplift in opportunities across other sectors.

Overall, the general message is positive and we’re seeing lots of exciting opportunities on the horizon within Procurement & Supply Chain disciplines. If you or anyone in your network would like to find out more, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we can arrange a confidential discussion with you.