Recruitment agencies

Temporary work is a very common way into the Swiss market, including for qualified positions: a fair number of permanent contracts start out as an agency assignment. It is worth registering with several agencies at once.

A legitimate agency never charges you. The Federal Employment Services Act forbids charging the candidate for finding work: the fee comes from the client company. Anyone asking you for a registration fee, a "file handling charge" or a payment on placement should be avoided. Agencies also need an official licence — you can look any of them up in the SECO register — and many belong to swissstaffing, the industry association.

Large generalist agencies

Adecco Nationwide
Swiss-born group and one of the largest in the world. Dense network of branches in every canton and openings in almost every field, from industrial work to office roles.
Manpower Nationwide
Many local branches, strong in industry, logistics and clerical profiles. Also handles short temporary assignments.
Randstad Nationwide
Generalist with dedicated divisions per industry, present in all language regions.
Gi Group
Italian-origin group, well established in Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland.
Albedis Romandy
Swiss group with a large branch network in French-speaking Switzerland. Formerly Interiman — worth knowing, because older guides and forum posts still send you to the old name.
Universal Job German-speaking CH
Independent Swiss agency with branches in many cities and desks organised by professional field.
Joker Personal German-speaking CH
Long-standing Swiss agency, also specialised in part-time and temporary placements.

Specialised by field

Michael Page Qualified roles
Recruitment of specialists and managers: finance, engineering, IT, sales, life sciences. The group's junior-level brand, Page Personnel, now sits on the same site.
Robert Walters Qualified roles
Search and selection for qualified positions, with a strong presence in Zurich and Geneva.
Robert Half Finance
Specialised in accounting, finance and controlling, including interim mandates that can be a fast way to get a first Swiss reference.
Careerplus
Swiss agency organised into industry teams: finance, industry, healthcare, construction, IT.
yellowshark
Swiss agency with divisions per professional area and a solid volume of technical and administrative openings.
ROCKEN
Swiss agency with a digital-first approach: you build a profile and receive matching offers instead of applying ad by ad.
Hotelis Hospitality
Swiss specialist in hotel and restaurant staffing, strongest in Romandy. Useful for seasonal contracts in the mountain resorts.

Technology and engineering

Hays
Very active in project-based and freelance assignments for technical profiles.
Experis
The Manpower group's division for IT and specialist technical roles.
Swisslinx Finance · IT
Recruitment for banking, insurance, wealth management and technology, mainly around the Zurich financial centre.
Computer Futures
IT recruitment specialist, part of the SThree group, handling both permanent roles and contracting.
Nicoll Curtin
Technology recruitment with a focus on financial services and transformation projects.
Darwin Recruitment
STEM recruitment — software, data, life sciences engineering — with a large share of contract work.

Executive search

At senior level you are generally approached rather than applying. These firms still accept a profile, and it is worth having one on file if you are aiming at management positions.

Egon Zehnder
One of the world's leading executive search firms, founded in Zurich and still headquartered there. Board and top-management mandates.
LHH
The Adecco Group's recruitment and career-transition arm. Also the firm many Swiss employers pay to support staff they are letting go, so if you are offered outplacement, this is often who provides it. It absorbed the former Spring Professional brand.

On-demand work platforms

Coople Short shifts
Platform for short assignments and single shifts (events, hospitality, logistics, retail). Useful as bridging income while you look for a permanent role, with proper contracts and social contributions paid.

How to get agencies to notice you

Register with several agencies. Each has different clients and they do not share applications.
Phone the branch nearest you after uploading your CV. Speaking to the consultant directly counts for far more than the portal does.
Put your documents in a single PDF: CV, employer references (Arbeitszeugnisse), diplomas and, if you have one, a copy of your permit.
Ask which client the role is for before agreeing to be submitted. Two agencies presenting the same candidate to the same employer is an awkward situation that usually ends badly for the candidate.
Ask for clarity on the contract: length of the assignment, gross hourly rate, holiday and 13th-salary allowances, notice period. In temporary work those items are often quoted separately, as percentages added on top of the hourly rate.
Know that staff leasing has its own collective agreement. Temporary work through a licensed agency is covered by a generally binding CLA setting minimum wages, notice periods and contributions — so an agency contract is not a lawless zone.
Walk away from anyone asking for money, or from ads promising salaries well above the market with no interview.