Swiss Recruitment a little slow

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Hi, long term lurker, recently made the move to Zurich. I'm a mid-career finance guy who recently joined a global company with a mid-size Swiss operation. I found the Swiss approach to recruitment a little slower than expected. Figured someone might find the following timeline to be a useful illustration of how things go here.

As you can see, it took nearly five months from start to finish. And I am certainly not a C-suite type hire.

Week 1

Online prescreen

Week 2

Skype interview with recruiter

Week 3

1st Onsite Interview in Zurich (I had fibbed and said I would be in Zurich that week in order to make myself seem easier to hire i.e. no relocation etc)

After I sent a thank-you email, restating my interest in the position

Received a thank-you from the company for my email

Week 6

Received email from company asking for my availability for second interview, and my salary/package expectations

2nd interview set for week 08

Week 7

2nd interview rescheduled for week 10

Week 10

2nd Onsite Interview

After the 2nd interview I sent a thank you email restating my interest in the position

Received thank you email from the company, for my email

Week 12

Received email outlining a hypothetical package which still needed management approval

Was asked in the email if I would accept this (to which I answered, hypothetically , yes)

Was advised they expected to have an answer in 2 weeks

Week 14

Received update that things were taking longer, hopefully they will know in 2 more weeks

Week 16

Received formal offer letter

Offered start date of either week 20 or week 24

Week 20

Started work (and I'm very happy here. Worth the wait.)

2
So what's the problem?

3
I can see the qualities that the Swiss liked in you.

4
L_I, I don't think all posts need to be about problems, do they?

5
Week 21+

Wrote post on EF

Responded "Touche'!" to Pachyderm

6
In my world they are...but nevertheless, congratulations on your job.

7
took 3 months from sending in CV to 1st day at work for my current job, and think thats about average

8
Huh. Never saw that in you.

To the OP: congrats!

9
I think yours is not too bad. Sent my application beginning of August 2016, having 3rd interview Mid-November 2016. At that rate I expect to start in Jan 2017 . Lol!

10
It's beyond me why 3rd interviews even exist. How come companies can't make up their minds? Why do they have to keep getting people back in over & over? How disorganised are they?

11
In my case the recruitment process was painfully slow because most of the team I work with is often overseas. I had to meet with the head of the team and my direct opposite, neither of whom were in Zurich on the same day.

12
I am not surprised rather i accept it as the norm here. The hiring managers of the companies (does not matter big or small) are so unsure and jittery that they just disappear after posting a job. no feedback, no follow up and giving no information about why it is taking so long. It sometimes surprises me if they are so unsure of hiring, why post jobs and create confusion and frustration in the candidates. it also reflects poorly on their abilities to make a decision.

However, the reality is that the job market has become very very tough over the last 6 months and salaries are going down. companies are completely in confusion whether they should hire or not.but they continue to post jobs with different titles. i would say this is bad planning and bad decision making which does not help anybody.

most of the times, i believe these jobs are fake and posted only to convince investors that they are doing well.

cheers

happycreature

13

In other words they were not really interested, if they wete they wold make time regardless! A clean sign of mot caring

14
Well, for a snap judgment, I guess that could be one possibility.

Actually they confirmed they wanted to hire me within the same week I met with the final person.

I got the impression they were just thorough.

15
Well, a wise man said:

"Better late than never".

16
Do you have DATA to back it up? There have been a lot of posts here at EF that the Swiss economy is shrinking, that the employment is going up, that the salaries are going down... But the official statistics show exactly the opposite:

- The unemployment is a very low 3.2%, lower than 6 months ago.

- Wages are growing steadily in the last 5 years.

- The GDP annual growth rate from 2016 Q1 was 1.1% and at the Q2 was 2.0%!

Now probably there will be someone who will open a thread saying "Swiss apocalipse now: Trump got elected".