The Swiss HR Barometer is based on a regular representative survey of employees in Switzerland.

The survey of employees is conducted in 2-years intervals. This interval enables to record relevant changes in labor relations, working conditions and the labor market. The choice of survey interval is based on our experience over several years, which shows that changes in work attitudes and behavior can only be detected over a longer time horizon.

The survey method is based on a mixed-methods approach, in which the survey is conducted online or in writing, depending on the preference of the respondent. The chosen mixed-methods approach simplifies answering scaled questions and increases sample exhaustion.

The sample includes a total of almost 2000 employees from German-, French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. The sampling is based on the sample register of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. Only target persons between the ages of 16 and 65 are drawn. Furthermore, self-employed and non-employed persons are excluded, since the focus of the study is on labor relations and the work situation of employees in an employment relationship. For similar reasons, employees who are employed less than 40% are excluded from the survey: For employees with employment below 40%, gainful employment is often incidental and labor relations are considered under a different focus.