„Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen und Kunden war einwandfrei“
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)
“...Behavior towards colleagues and clients was impeccable...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
For a manager, omitting superiors and subordinate employees signals severe deficiencies in leadership and acceptance of hierarchy (grade 4.5).
Hidden rating
Satisfactory (grade 4.5)
German rating: Befriedigend (Note 4.5)
What it means in detail
In managerial references, conduct towards subordinates and superiors must be explicitly evaluated. Omitting both groups creates a severe eloquent silence ('beredtes Schweigen'), signaling to HR that the manager struggled both with leading staff and accepting management authority. While the rating for peers and clients appears positive, the structural omissions severely downgrade the overall reference.
How to fix it
To reach a top mark of 6.0, the formulation should be expanded to include all hierarchy levels and strengthened with terms like "stets" or "jederzeit hervorragend".
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
- 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
- Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen und Vorgesetzten war einwandfreiSatisfactory (Grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen war stets einwandfreiSufficient (grade 4.5)4.5
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Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen und Kunden war einwandfrei“