Support your people in building a life in Switzerland.
A successful relocation doesn't stop at logistics. We partner with you to ensure your employees and their families feel at home, engaged, and supported.
From day one.
The gap nobody owns
You did everything right. You hired exceptional talent, brought in a relocation agency, and got them here. But the move that determines how fast they start contributing effectively and whether their family truly settles goes far beyond the logistical one. It is the emotional one. The social one. The one their partner is quietly navigating alone.
When a new international hire arrives in Switzerland, the checklist looks complete: the contract is signed, the apartment is secured, the permit is approved. The relocation agency has done its job. But behind the scenes, the most critical and most vulnerable phase of the journey is only just beginning. A gap remains.
Moving to a new country is one of life’s most profound stressors.
Outside of office hours, your new hires are navigating a cultural maze, feeling isolated, and trying to establish a completely new support network from scratch. If their partner is struggling to integrate, if their weekends are lonely, or if they feel overwhelmed from adapting to new systems and customs, their focus at work fractures.
Settling into a new country is not a logistics event. It unfolds over months. And in Switzerland, it takes longer than almost anywhere else in the world.
Integrating into Switzerland is notoriously difficult.
Switzerland is consistently rated one of the best places in the world to work and earn. It is also one of the hardest places to truly feel at home. This paradox is the central risk for any employer relocating talent here.
Around 60% of internationals who moved to Switzerland in 2015 had left again within ten years. The rate rises sharply in the first years after arrival.
The number is even higher among North Americans, of which 80% had emigrated by 2024.
41 % of participants in a 2026 NetExpat and EY study reported host country dissatisfaction as a major cause of failed assignments.
Switzerland ranks near the bottom of countries for “ease of settling in”: 39th out of 46. In the category for “finding friends” it scored even lower, placing 41st.
Behind every international new hire is a person, and often a family, looking to grow new roots.
What happens when integration fails?
Neglecting the human side of relocation isn't just a cultural misstep. It’s an operational vulnerability.
When employees do not settle, the impact surfaces as five concrete, compounding business consequences.
Cognitive Overload
Loss of Productivity & Creative Thinking
When an employee is overwhelmed by the administrative load and experiences loneliness in their private life, their cognitive load skyrockets. This shows up as decreased productivity, low engagement, and a lack of creative energy during working hours.
60% of expats feel overwhelmed by admin.
54% say the emotional impact of relocation was greater than expected.
Quiet Attrition
Disengagement & Presenteeism
Recruiting and relocating an international hire is a significant upfront investment. When that person leaves early, the financial loss is only part of the damage. The myth of replaceability ignores the ripple effects of a key employee's departure on teams, projects, and institutional knowledge (SHRM). Visible churn also signals to future candidates that your organization may not support long-term success in Switzerland.
Replacing a technical or professional hire costs around 80% of their annual salary; replacing a leader or manager costs around 200% (Gallup 2024)
The Early Exit
Sunk Cost, Brain Drain & Employer Brand at Risk
Isolation breeds loneliness, loneliness breeds disengagement, and disengagement rarely announces itself. Employees push through while depleted. Present in body, absent in effort. By the time it surfaces as a resignation, the value has already been lost for months.
Employees who are not engaged cost their company the equivalent of 18% of their annual salary. (Gallup, 2020)
Lonely workers are five times more likely to miss work due to stress and think about quitting more than twice as often as those who feel connected (Forbes 2024)
Meta-analytic evidence links loneliness to lower performance, lower satisfaction, and higher burnout (Bryan et al., 2024)
The support gap is real. And it comes with a price.
Village closes it.
Why partner with Village?
You handle the 9 to 5. We got you covered from 5 to 9.
Village is a digital companion for international employees navigating their first years in Switzerland. We believe no one should have to figure out a new country alone. We pick up where relocation agencies leave off. Supporting your employees, their families, and your HR team long after the logistics are taken care of.
Productivity in record time: your new hire hits the ground running.
When employees are not drowning in admin and their partner is not struggling at home, cognitive load drops and focus returns. With Village your employee reaches peak productivity earlier and more reliably.
Early support that prevents quiet attrition. You get a team that stays engaged and brings full energy to work. When an employee is struggling with the administrative load or finding it hard to build a social life, Village catches it early through engagement signals and weekly touchpoints and steps in directly with targeted support, whether that means extra guidance through a
A family who thrives, not just copes.
By helping partners rebuild their professional identity and social connection, Village removes the single most common reason international assignments fail. Building a new social life as an adult while also forging a new career in a foreign place is incredibly difficult, which is why Village systematically fast-tracks local integration. We help spouses and partners find their footing, build connections, and feel at home in Switzerland. A powerful lever to ensure long-term stability for your employee.
Fewer distractions for your HR team.
Village absorbs the ongoing stream of "how does this work in Switzerland" questions directly. Once you share your employee emails to sign them up, we handle the rest.
Proof, not promises. No need to trust us blindly. Engagement analytics and direct employee feedback give you real data to evaluate impact yourself.
71% of expats said they wished they had had an expert to guide them through the relocation process.
Feather Insurance Study 2026
Whether your international talent has just joined or is a couple years in already:
Village ensures your employee truly settles into their new life in Switzerland.
Let’s get to know each other.
We believe the best way to understand what Village can do for your team is to experience it together.
The 4-week pilot that speaks for itself.
The real deal. Full Village access for your international hires and their partners.
Benefits from day 1. Exclusive welcome offers from our local Village partners.
Full transparency. Engagement analytics & direct employee feedback.
Hassle-free. Village handles all user onboarding and user support directly.
No cost. No strings attached.
We're that sure you'll see the value.
Your relocation agency handles the transition. Village secures the long-term stay.
Village differs from traditional relocation services.
They are complementary, but entirely different halves of a successful integration story.
Relocation agencies handle
● Search for temporary / permanent housing
● Help with permits, work authorizations, official forms
● Support with registration processes at the migration office
● Provide a checklist of mandatory steps
What usually gets overlooked
● Cultural literacy: understanding the ways of Swiss life
● Daily systems in detail: banking, mobility, schooling and more
● Building a stable social life beyond work colleagues
● Helping partners and families find their footing
Better together: We partner with your chosen agency
We don't replace your relocation partner; we empower them. If you already work with a trusted relocation agency, we seamlessly collaborate with them to form a comprehensive, end-to-end support system.
While they ensure your employee’s logistical transition is flawless, we ensure their emotional and social transition is supported.
