Why is it difficult for a highly educated foreigner to find a job in Finland that matches their education? Is proficiency in the Finnish language really relevant in today’s working life? For Forenom, the fact that not everyone speaks fluent Finnish is not a problem but rather an opportunity.
Forenom operates throughout the Nordic countries and is well on its way to expanding into Central Europe. The international market means an international work community in which education, competence and collaboration skills are more important than Finnish language skills in recruiting employees. For each job posting, careful consideration is given to whether proficiency in the local language is really necessary for the specific job. Often it is not.
We already employ a wide range of people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. One of them is our responsible for Forenom’s expansion into Central Europe.
“There are about a dozen of us in the Helsinki office alone who do not speak Finnish. There are also a couple of salespeople in Sweden who do not speak Swedish, and a Finn in Norway who does not speak Norwegian. Everyone speaks English to each other,” he says. English is the official working language at Forenom.
An international work community offers new perspectives
Anton has worked at Forenom for five years. According to him, proficiency in the Finnish language has never been an issue.
“I came to Forenom myself when the company was expanding dramatically inside the Nordic countries. My own role was also very international, so I spoke mainly English in my work anyway. Of course, Finnish-speaking colleagues speak Finnish to each other, but they switch to English if there is someone who does not speak Finnish. I have never experienced language being a problem in any way. ”
The international work community can also help local workers see things in a new light. Business Development Manager, Henna Hankilanoja, enjoys working with talented people from different backgrounds.
“Without a doubt, it is a huge advantage to be able to collaborate with so many people from different countries and cultures. It has taught me to broaden my own perspective on things such as my everyday work routines. ”
Foreign experts are an opportunity for the company
We at Forenom see that welcoming international professionals offers great opportunities for the company. When language is a non-issue, we can genuinely recruit the best and most appropriate people. There is more choice, and there is less chance that we inadvertently ignore future star players simply because these people happen to be foreigners. Forenom Customer Relationship Director, believes a company may even limit its own growth potential by excluding foreign-language applicants from its recruitment.
“A company that wants to grow internationally or do international business should give responsibility to talented people who can open doors to new markets. Otherwise, it will limit its own commercial growth.”
What if you are interested in utilizing the foreign-language speaking workforce, but the practicalities make you nervous? A colleague reminds us that you can become accustomed to a foreign-language workforce in quite a risk-free manner:
“If hiring a foreign worker seems risky, you might want to try hiring an intern. The risk is small, and I think you will realize pretty quickly that it opens up more opportunities than threats. ”
