„Verhalten gegenüber Kunden und Vorgesetzten war jederzeit 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)
“...conduct towards customers and superiors was at all times faultless...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
Conduct was overall very good, but omitting colleagues implies minor friction, resulting in a slight devaluation to grade 4.5 on the Swiss 1-6 scale.
Hidden rating
Satisfactory (grade 4.5)
German rating: Befriedigend (Note 4.5)
What it means in detail
This phrase uses strong positive language ("at all times faultless") for relationships with clients and managers. However, because team members are omitted from the list, Swiss HR readers infer that the employee was a lone wolf or experienced slight friction with peers. This subtle omission prevents the assessment from reaching a top score.
How to fix it
To achieve the top grade (6.0), the employee can request to include colleagues in the sentence and reinforce the statement 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 Vorgesetzten und Kunden war jederzeit einwandfreiSatisfactory (grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten war jederzeit einwandfreiSatisfactory (Grade 4.5)4.5
- Ihr Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten und Kunden war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (Grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Kunden und Vorgesetzten war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (Grade 4.5)4.5
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Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „Verhalten gegenüber Kunden und Vorgesetzten war jederzeit einwandfrei“