„Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten und Mitarbeitern 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 superiors and employees was always irreproachable...”
What Swiss HR actually reads
Client conduct was deliberately omitted, pointing to problems in client relations through eloquent silence ('beredtes Schweigen'), yielding grade 4.5 on the Swiss scale.
Hidden rating
Satisfactory (grade 4.5)
German rating: Befriedigend (Note 4.5)
What it means in detail
In Swiss reference writing, a complete conduct clause for client-facing roles must cover superiors, peers, and external clients. Omitting clients while praising internal conduct signals to HR that client interactions were unsatisfactory. This selective omission lowers the overall rating of the reference.
How to fix it
To upgrade the formulation to the top grade (6.0), it can be strengthened, for example by inserting "stets" or "jederzeit hervorragend" and explicitly including client conduct.
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 Kollegen und Vorgesetzten war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Kunden und Vorgesetzten war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (Grade 4.5)4.5
- Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten und Arbeitskollegen war stets einwandfreiSatisfactory (grade 4.5)4.5
Decode your entire reference letter
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Check your whole certificate freeRead this entry in German: Bedeutung von „Verhalten gegenüber Vorgesetzten und Mitarbeitern war stets einwandfrei“