„trat gegenüber Kollegen stets sehr selbstbewusst auf und vertrat ihre eigene Meinung mit Nachdruck“
What this German phrase in your Swiss Arbeitszeugnis (employment reference letter) really says about you – and which grade it hides.
Literal translation vs. real meaning
Literal translation (what DeepL tells you)
“...always acted very self-confidently towards colleagues and asserted her own opinion forcefully...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
She was argumentative, arrogant, or lacked teamwork skills, causing social conflict in the team (grade 4.5).
Hidden rating
Satisfactory (Grade 4.5)
German rating: Befriedigend (Note 4.5)
What it means in detail
Phrases highlighting forceful opinions or excessive self-confidence towards peers are coded warnings about interpersonal friction or poor teamwork. Under the principle of goodwill, employers frame disruptive or aggressive behaviour as "self-confident". HR recruiters read this as a clear sign of difficulty working collaboratively.
How to fix it
The employee should request a stronger, standard conduct formula, for example by incorporating terms like "jederzeit hervorragend" or focus on teamwork.
Suggested wording (German, for your HR department)
Zur Aufwertung auf die Bestnote (6.0) kann die Formulierung verstärkt werden, z.B. durch Einfügen von „stets“ oder „jederzeit hervorragend“.
Hidden criticism detected (grade 4.5)
Under Art. 330a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), a reference letter must be true but benevolent. Coded downgrades rarely come alone – the same letter often contains further codes or omissions.
Check your whole certificate freeTelling silence & social conduct
Verwaltungsgericht ZH VB.2019.00365 vom 9. Mai 2020, E. 2.4
The Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich describes the practice of “telling silence” (beredtes Schweigen): if a quality that would normally be mentioned is left out, the reader concludes that it is missing. Leaving out one group of people when describing conduct (e.g. superiors) is generally read as a hint at negative behaviour.
Read the full decision (German)„Darunter gehört, wenn etwa bei der Verhaltensbeurteilung nur das Verhalten zu Mitarbeitern und Kunden erwähnt wird, nicht aber jenes zu Vorgesetzten.“
Unofficial translation: “This includes, for example, a conduct assessment that mentions behaviour towards co-workers and customers, but not towards superiors.”
Related phrases
- trat Vorgesetzten gegenüber stets sehr selbstbewusst aufInsufficient (grade 3.5)3.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen war stets einwandfreiSufficient (grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber den Kollegen und Kunden war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen und Kunden war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (grade 4.5)4.5
Decode your entire reference letter
Upload your Arbeitszeugnis and get your overall Swiss grade, the number of issues found and a short legal assessment – explained in English.
Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „trat gegenüber Kollegen stets sehr selbstbewusst auf und vertrat ihre eigene Meinung mit Nachdruck“