Switzerland is 3th most popular European country to work in Holding on to its 6th position as destination country for the global workforce, Switzerland proved to be very popular in 2009 and again in 2011. While Scandinavia is also considered by potentials, Switzerland stays ahead based on its strong reputation. Famous for its financial industry, there appears to be a shift towards ICT and knowledge based, high technology production. These are some results from recruitment intelligence research firm Intelligence Group, based on the Global Talent Mobility Survey and published in the report ‘Switzerland, Europe’s little giant’.

2. Geographic perspective of Switzerland

3. Global ranking Switzerland
From the total global workforce, more than 659 million
people indicated they prefer Switzerland for working
abroad.
Global Ranking: 6th
Third most popular European country (UK ranked
2nd, Germany ranked 5th)
Switzerland is most popular in:
• France 1st position
• Germany 1st position
• Austria 2nd position
• Croatia 2nd position
• Luxemburg 2nd position
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

4. Divers competition for Switzerland
On average, the global workforce prefers 7 countries to work in. Potentials prefer 9 countries next to
Switzerland. This explains the high and divers competition.
Geographical area
Luxemburg, Poland and Austria
present the main regional competition
for Switzerland.
Labor
Based on the volume of the potential
labor for Switzerland, the UK, the
USA, and Canada (top 3 most
preferred countries) score high.
Economy
Scandinavian countries are likely to
be considered next to Switzerland
due to high standards of living and
well developed economies based
on high-tech manufacturing and
services industries.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

5. Potential for Switzerland
In volume, the largest potential workforce for Switzerland has Asia as home region. More than a
third lives in China (36%), followed by India (25%). While the Asian economy keeps on growing, the
West remains appealing to them.
More than average, people
from Germany and France
indicate they want to work in
Switzerland. An explanation
for this can be found in the
geographical area and languages
spoken (German, French, Italian,
Romansh).
The workforce from emerging
countries such as Brazil and
South Africa is less than average
interested in Switzerland.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

6. Although a population of only 7.7 million people, Switzerland is one the world’s most
competitive economies
Education, research, and technology are the main drivers of the knowledge economy
High import and export, welfare depends on foreign trade
Skilled labor force and low unemployment
Highly developed services sector, led by financial organizations, and a manufacturing
industry specialized in high-tech, knowledge based production
Characterized by political stability, very high quality of life, transparent legal system,
efficient capital markets, and low corporate taxes
Source: World fact book CIA, 2012

7. The Global Talent Barometer
• Global online research
• Partner: The Network
• 2011, 3th version
• Research already conducted in
2006 - 2009, parts comparable
• Global labor mobility
• In 66 countries
• With data on more than 100 cities
• With data on more than 125 companies
• With 162.495 interviewees
• In 26 languages
• Clients: Philips, Logica, ADP,
Alexander Mann, Tom Tom, Maersk,
Friesland Campina, ASML,
USG, Manpower and more
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

8. Characteristics potentials for Switzerland
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

9. Mobility drivers for Swiss potentials
Country Value Drivers (CVD)
Career driven
For people that prefer Switzerland
when working in a foreign country
the most important drivers are:
• Opportunity to broaden experience (58%)
• Better career opportunities (54%)
It appears that the potential workforce
has a focus on developing their career.
Family and/or loved ones abroad
both have little influence as mobility
drivers. A better climate is also no
reason to work in Switzerland.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

10. Relocation information for potentials
Taxes are important
We asked potentials what information is important to know from the company they want to work for
abroad. Their need for relocation information is 22% higher than the global average.
Most important
Accommodation (62%)
Followed by
Standard of living (61%)
Comfortable social environment (51%)
More than average
Taxes (32%)
More than the global average, those that prefer
Switzerland want to have information about
taxes. This was expected upfront, since
Switzerland is known for the low taxes.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

11. Top-10 cities of interest
1. London
2. New York
3. Paris
4. Singapore
5. Sydney
6. Dublin
7. Zürich*
8. Berlin
9. Toronto
10. Geneva*
* Zürich and Geneva are almost 3 times more popular for Swiss potentials.
4 Swiss cities are present in the top 100, ranked by the global workforce:
Zürich (21th), Geneva (35th), Bern (56th), and Basel (84th). Germany, which is more popular
and much larger also has 4 cities in the top 100: Berlin (8 th), Munich (20 th), Frankfurt (31 th),
and Stuttgart (76 th).
Considering the popularity for such a small country, Switzerland is Europe’s little giant.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

12. Top sectors in Switzerland:
Banking, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing
Services sector
Switzerland’s strongest sector is services, in particular finance and banking
Zürich is being positioned as one of the world’s major financial centers
With London, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore as other financial world
capitals, the competition is fierce
Industry sector
Switzerland is one of world’s leading producers of pharmaceuticals with
companies such as Novartis and Roche
The largest nutrition, health and wellness company is Nestlé
More than average, those that prefer Switzerland when working abroad are
occupied within Health & Medicine
The manufacturing industry focuses on machinery, electrical engineering, and
metals industry. Switzerland is dedicated to high technology, knowledge-based
production
The majority of the potential labor force works in the production industry, and IT
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

13. Top-10 employers of interest
Switzerland is positioning itself as destination
country for an international career in pharmaceuticals,
food, and IT. This is reflected by the top 10 preferred
employers of the potential workforce. Notable is Nestlé,
very popular and of Swiss origin. Furthermore,
pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is rated almost 2 time more
popular by Swiss potentials.
Looking at the global workforce, 6 Swiss companies are
present in the top 100:
Nestlé (8th)
ABB (21th)
Novartis (41th)
UBS (62th)
Credit Suisse (70th)
Roche (74th)
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

14. Working abroad
Preference for contract
More than three-quarters of the potentials
for Switzerland prefer a permanent
contract. Also, they are willing to accept
a temporary contract of 6 to 12 months
(51%), or 1 to 6 months (25%) which is
higher compared to the global average.
Other facts:
• Very willing to work abroad
• Prepared to stay for a longer period
(73% at least 3 years)
• Lower than average, only 7% wants
to stay up to one year
Potentials are willing to build a long-term
relationship, but expect mutual commitment.
Source: Global Talent Mobility Survey 2011

15. The global workforce and Switzerland
✚ Switzerland is very popular for the global workforce, ranked 6th in 2010 and 2011.
It competes with much larger countries such as Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, 4 Swiss cities and 6 Swiss companies are present in the top 100 ranked by the
global workforce.
✚ Within Europe there is great potential for Switzerland. Talent from emerging markets as South
Africa and Philippines is less interested.
✚ The number of countries that compete with Switzerland is high. Many of these are located in
Europe and characterized by a high standard of living and strong economy, such as the
Scandinavian countries.
While Switzerland is well known for the banking industry, potentials have a background in Health
& Medicine, Production/Engineering, and IT. They also prefer employers is those areas. It
appears that financial talent is less interested in Switzerland when working abroad.

16. Make and have your own detailled global
recruitment analyses
Wanting to know more about Global Talent Barometer and Global
Recruitment Intelligence, please connect/contact with Geert-Jan
Waasdorp, Intelligence Group
http://www.intelligence-group/nl/en
http://www.globaltalentbarometer.com
Geert-Jan Waasdorp
Global Recruitment Intelligence Consultant
Founder of Intelligence Group
Geert-Jan@intelligence-group.nl
http://nl.linkedin.com/in/waasdorp
@waasdorpigi
More information about the data, look at:
http://www.intelligence-group.nl/media/files/Downloads/Global%20Recruitment%20Intelligence%20IG.pdf

17. Countries we all know about:
• Algeria • Hungary • Romania
• Australia • India • Russia
• Austria • Indonesia • Saudi Arabia
• Bahrain • Ireland • Serbia
• Belarus • Israel • Singapore
• Belgium • Italy • Slovenia
• Bosnia • Ivory Coast • South Africa
• Brazil • Jordan • Spain
• Bulgaria • Kazakhstan • Sweden
• Cameroon • Kenya • Switzerland
• Canada • Kuwait • Tunisia
• China • Latvia • Ukraine
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• Czech Republic • Lithuania • United Kingdom
• Denmark • Luxemburg • USA
• East Africa • Malaysia
• Egypt • Morocco And much more…
• El Salvador • Nigeria
• Estonia • Norway
• Finland • Oman
• France • Panama
• Germany • Philippines
• Ghana • Poland
• Greece • Portugal
• Guatemala • Qatar

18. Cities we all know about:
• Abu Dhabi • Cologne • Kuala Lumpur • Nice • Sofia
• Adelaide • Copenhagen • Las Vegas • Ontario • Stavanger
• Amsterdam • Dallas • Lausanne • Oslo • Stokholm
• Antwerp • Doha • Lisbon • Ottawa • Stuttgart
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• Atlanta • Dubai • Ljubljana • Peking • Taipei
• Auckland • Dublin • London • Perth • Tel Aviv
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• Barcelona • Edinburgh • Luanda • Quebec • Toronto
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• Beijing • Florence • Lyon • Rio de Janeiro • Turin
• Bergen • Frankfurt • Madrid • Rome • Valencia
• Berlin • Geneva • Málaga • Rotterdam • Vancouver
• Bern • Glasgow • Manchester • Salzburg • Vantaa
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• Bordeaux • Graz • Marseilles • San Francisco • Vienna
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• Brussels • HongKong • Milan • San Salvador • Washington DC
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• Caïro • Jakarta • Montreal • Seattle • Zürich
• Calgary • Jeddah • Moscow • Seoul
• Canberra • Johannesburg • Mumbai • Shanghai And much more…
• CapeTown • Kiev • Munich • Singapore
• Chicago • Kraków • New York • Sint Petersburg

19. Companies we all know about:
• GE • Deloitte • Lufthansa • Telefónica
• ABB • Deutsche Bank • Maersk • Texas Instruments
• Accenture • DHL • McKinsey • Total
• Adidas • EADS Airbus • Mercedes • Toyota
• Alstom • Ericsson • Merck • UBS
• Amazon • Ernst & Young • Microsoft • UN
• Apple • Exxon • Nestle • Unilever
• AT&T • Facebook • Nike • Vodafone
• Audi • Ford • Nokia • Volkswagen AG
• BASF • Gazprom • Novartis • Volvo
• Bayer • General Motors • Oracle • Walmart
• BBC • Goldman Sachs • Orange • Yahoo
• Blizzard Entertainment • Google • P&G
• BMW • Halliburton • Pfizer And much more…
• Boeing • Heineken • Philips
• Bosch • Henkel • Porsche
• BP • Hilton • PwC
• Chevron • HP • Roche
• Cisco • HSBC • Samsung
• Citigroup • IBM • SAP
• Coca Cola • Ikea • Schlumberger
• Credit Suisse Group • Intel • Shell
• Daimler • JP Morgan • Siemens
• Danone • KPMG • Sony
• Dell • Loreal • Starbucks