„Verhalten gegenüber Kunden und Vorgesetzten war stets 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)
“...behaviour towards clients and superiors was always impeccable...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
This displays eloquent silence ('beredtes Schweigen') regarding peers, suggesting an overly self-interested worker who was unpopular in the team.
Hidden rating
Satisfactory (Grade 4.5)
German rating: Befriedigend (Note 4.5)
What it means in detail
By explicitly praising relations with bosses and clients while leaving out colleagues, the employer signals that the employee was an uncooperative team player. This selective phrasing results in a satisfactory but flawed grade of 4.5.
How to fix it
The employee can request the inclusion of colleagues in the conduct sentence to remove the negative implication and upgrade the evaluation.
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
- Ihr Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten und Kunden war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (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
- Verhalten gegenüber Kollegen 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 stets einwandfrei“