Recruitment is never static. It evolves with markets, technologies, and candidate expectations. We caught up with Kevin Kyriacos, Senior Recruiter at PrimeIT Switzerland, to understand today’s challenges and opportunities in the Swiss IT and engineering sector. Kevin shared his insights on the state of the market, the importance of soft skills, and the trends shaping the future of recruitment.

What are the main recruitment challenges you face in Switzerland?

Kevin Kyriacos points out that the Swiss IT market is facing significant headwinds.

“Competition and a decline in opportunities are major challenges,” he explains. “Growth has slowed, clients are re-insourcing, and more consulting firms are competing for the same opportunities.”

Recruitment processes are also taking longer. Budgets are tighter, and clients are more cautious, sometimes even opening and closing opportunities without hiring. In addition, job descriptions are becoming increasingly demanding: “We often encounter what in French is called mouton à cinq pattes (the famous ‘five-legged sheep’) – job positions with unrealistically long lists of requirements.”

Despite these hurdles, Kevin emphasises one constant: “It’s crucial to always enhance the candidate experience. Be transparent, build trust, and maintain relationships, even with small follow-up exchanges.”

Which profiles and technologies are most in demand?

Demand varies by client, but Kevin highlights DevOps, Integration, Data, and Cybersecurity as particularly strong fields at the moment.

How do you assess cultural fit as well as skills in a candidate?

Kevin believes that today’s market demands more than technical expertise. “Hard skills are no longer enough. Clients are increasingly looking for soft skills in a candidate: communication, adaptability, collaboration.”

Experience in similar environments is another key factor. “Many clients favour candidates who’ve evolved in a comparable setting: the same sector, organisation type, or region. That familiarity builds confidence. Many clients tend to feel closer to a candidate who has experience with an organisation in the same sector or the same geographical area, for example.”

Interviews then become essential: asking the right questions, listening to stories, and understanding how candidates think and behave beyond their CV.

What makes a candidate truly stand out in today’s competitive market?

For Kevin, the differentiator is clear: “Soft skills make all the difference in interviews today, beyond the need to keep up to date through training and monitoring. They are the ability to communicate, persuade, collaborate, unite, and integrate. They also mean being adaptable and open-minded.” These qualities often outweigh purely technical expertise when it comes to long-term success within an organisation.

According to Kevin, it’s also important when a candidate is “cross-functional, sometimes versatile, and able to support the team even when it is slightly outside the scope of the role”.

What’s next for recruitment in Switzerland?

Kevin sees Artificial Intelligence as a defining (and inevitable) trend.

“Still relatively modest today, AI will inevitably gain momentum in the coming months and years,” he says. From sourcing to candidate assessment, it will transform how recruiters and companies operate.

Wrapping up

Recruitment in Switzerland is challenging, but also full of opportunity for candidates who combine technical expertise with adaptability, and for recruiters who focus on building trust and relationships. As Kevin Kyriacos highlights, success in this market means balancing patience with persistence, and keeping an eye on the role of AI in shaping the future.

At PrimeIT Switzerland, recruitment goes beyond matching skills to roles. It’s about building lasting relationships and helping both clients and candidates thrive in their IT and engineering projects.