Whitepaper · Kompass Standard
Kompass whitepaper Methodology, principles, practice
An in-depth look at the Kompass Standard for Swiss employment references — the idea, the five principles, the five performance areas, the status verbal scale and evidence-based design. Substantive, without marketing speak.
- Six chapters
- Linked to sample reference
- Compliant with Art. 330a CO
PDF · Scientific paper
Kompass by ZeugnisPilot — complete paper
The complete methodological standard with five performance areas, status verbal scale, evidence-based design and a fully worked-out sample reference. Free, no registration required.
The problem with classic Swiss employment references.
01 — Why a new standard?
- Secret-code tradition from the 1970s — only readable by HR professionals
- Benevolence inflation: "always to fullest satisfaction" as the de facto floor
- Long correction disputes because codes are ambiguous
- Employees do not understand their own assessment
What sets Kompass apart from classic references.
02 — The five principles of the Kompass Standard
- Plain language instead of codes — one statement, one meaning
- Observable instead of judgemental — "delivered 24 reports on time" instead of "was reliable"
- Structured along five performance areas — comparable, traceable
- Status verbal scale (grades 1–5) instead of implicit grade language
- Evidence-based — content fingerprint and QR validation
The substantive backbone of every Kompass reference.
03 — The five performance areas
- Task delivery — quality, reliability, punctuality
- Self-direction — initiative, prioritisation, responsibility
- Collaboration — team, interfaces, conflicts
- Development — learning, taking on new topics, reflection
- Impact — visible contribution, measurable results
How a grade (1–5) becomes a concrete evidence sentence.
04 — Methodology of the status verbal scale
- Grade 5 — requirements clearly exceeded, with concrete impact evidence
- Grade 4 — requirements often exceeded, with examples of additional effort
- Grade 3 — requirements met, described neutrally and factually
- Grade 2 — requirements met with development needs, documented
- Sub-grade 1 — belongs in employee discussions, not in the reference
Why Kompass references are forgery-proof.
05 — Evidence-based design and tamper protection
- Content fingerprint (SHA-256) on every issued reference
- QR code with verification link on page 1
- Validation page with status "valid / changed / unknown"
- Internal audit trail: who generated which version when
What Kompass means for HR and managers.
06 — Day-to-day implementation
- Managers answer two simple questions per performance area — the generator does the wording
- HR checks consistency, not wording
- Employees understand their assessment on first read
- Correction disputes decline because statements are concrete and verifiable
Read on
Further reading
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is the Kompass Standard legally recognised?
The Kompass Standard is compliant with Art. 330a CO — the duty of benevolence and truth is fulfilled through plain language and concrete evidence. There is no formal state recognition under Swiss reference law for any standard; recognition comes through acceptance in practice.
What happens if the recipient does not know Kompass?
Kompass references are written so that anyone can read them without prior knowledge — this is a core principle. Readers trained in the classic style can therefore directly understand the content, without code translation. Optionally, a reference to the standard can be added at the end.
Can I switch from the classic style to Kompass?
Yes — the transition is supported in the generator. The compliance check identifies code remnants in existing texts and suggests plain-language alternatives, decidable one by one.
What if the issuing person prefers the classic code style?
The generator allows both standards (Classic and Kompass) — the choice is made in the first step of the wizard. Both are correctly implemented; Kompass is recommended but not mandatory.
Where can I download the full whitepaper as a PDF?
Right here: the scientific paper "Kompass by ZeugnisPilot" is available at the top of this page as a PDF download (free, no registration). It contains the methodology, five performance areas, status verbal scale, evidence-based design and a complete sample reference.
Apply Kompass directly in the generator
In the wizard, the Kompass Standard is the recommended template — with the five performance areas, status verbal scale and QR validation already built in.