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MSF Switzerland

Since the setting up of the organization in 1981 by a handful of volunteers, MSF-Switzerland has grown up. Today, more than one hundred employees, helped by volunteers, are managing the operational center located in Geneva.

Interview with Marc Hermant, Human Resources Director in Geneva:

Médecins Sans Frontières – Switzerland (MSF-Switzerland) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger. The Head Office is located in Geneva. The priority of MSF is to assure an access to health care to the most vulnerable people. MSF is also specialized in emergency interventions in case of conflicts, disasters and epidemics. Thanks to its important technical means, MSF can play an important role in research and operational development of solutions for public health problems, helped by its presence on the sites.

Ambulance MSF
© Valérie Babize / MSF

Mr. Herman, could you present yourself?

I have a commercial background, and have been working for MSF since I did my first mission in 1991. Between 1995 and 2004, I was on mission in Africa and in Asia, where I also worked with Handicap International. I have been at the Head Office in Geneva for the past four years.

How many employees work in Geneva?

Approximately 140 people. We have about 3’000 persons working for MSF Switzerland. We are one of the 19 sections of the MSF movement.
We have 5 operational centers: Geneva, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Barcelona.
All are independent, but we share our human resources as well as funds.

What is the importance of the volunteers in the MSF activities in Switzlerland?

We have three recruitment axes:

1. At Head Office level: managers and people dealing with administrative work
2. International recruitment: for people working in the field. It’s quite a big matter! We hire about 100 people per year. Hard skills are a crucial topic. It is fundamental to have the capacity to acquire new skills. Soft skills are also important, because during a mission people live together, mostly enduring tough conditions, so if relationships are difficult, this could lead to some problems.
3. National recruitment for people who are recruited in the field. The requirements are adapted to the environment, therefore different from Head Office and international recruitment level.

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© MSF

Would you say that the willingness to go abroad is an important criterion?

It is essential to have already benefited from a field experience before being employed by MSF; especially for those who want an operational responsibility, it is essential to have had this kind of experience.

Could you tell us more about the different jobs your organization offers?

In the field you will find 30% of physicians and about the same percentage of paramedical staff (nurses, etc.): we also need logisticians, administrators, accountants, etc.

At Head Office level: we have a large variety of jobs, which means that profiles will also be varied too.

Do young graduates without any professional experience have any chance to obtain a first professional experience with MSF?

To have a first field experience with MSF without any professional experience is not totally impossible but, quite frankly, very difficult. Usually, a professional experience of at least two years is required, except for some exceptional cases. Somebody who comes out of university without any professional experience can’t make his first experience here. But, if it concerns, for example, an accountant, the two years requested experience is not essential.

Do you recruit by open competition?

No, we proceed exclusively by interviews, after having selected people based upon their application files.

Do you advertise for jobs?

No, or rarely. If it concerns a position for funds research, for example, it may happen that we advertise, but usually our vacancies appear on our website and it works rather well.

In which way is it possible to evolve within MSF?

At the Head Office, about 70% of our collaborators have less than three years of presence. It shows a high mobility. There are of course career possibilities, which are linked to one’s skills, will and a certain degree of pro-activity.

What are your sources of income?

Our sources of income are based for 80% on private funds, the rest being provided by governments and/or multilateral bodies like the EU.

Is there any competition between NGOs with respect to HR?

Of course, there is a lot of competition. Especially with the ICRC, that offers challenging conditions and which is more acknowledged here in Geneva, compared for instance to Belgium , where MSF is more well-known.

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