As many as 95% of managers with foreign background think that Finland is a safe and secure country to do business in. Safe and equal work environment, flexible working hours and good work-life balance were listed as strengths of the Finnish working life, while Finnish companies could improve communication practices and make better use of the strengths of employees coming from different cultures.
These are some of the results from the Made by Finland survey, carried out from June to September in 2018 and published by the Finnish Government. Data was collected through an online survey plus telephone and video interviews. Nearly 50% of respondents have lived in Finland at least 5 years and about two thirds have a higher university degree.
Foreign employees, students and managers living in Finland were interviewed for the survey to get a better understanding of the Finnish working life as an element of Finland’s country brand. Of the respondents:
-87% agreed that workplaces are safe and healthy;
-82% felt that men and women have equal opportunities at work;
-over 80% felt that managers and employees are skilled and competent, that employees can develop their skills and competences, that employees are productive and deliver high-quality results and that companies are adapted at utilising new technologies;
-over 80% estimated that employees have a high work ethic, that working atmosphere in companies is good and that employees have the ability to work in teams.
The weaknesses
The survey also reviewed areas in need of development in the Finnish working life. Some 50% of respondents estimated that companies are not making use of the strengths of employees coming from different cultures. Other weaknesses identified by the respondents included language skills, communication skills, social interaction skills, excess bureaucracy especially in larger organisations, and low pay.
Recruiting practices were also considered challenging for foreign talents. Respondents reported that companies use internal recruitment too often. They also felt that Finnish language skills are given too much emphasis in recruiting.
Attracting international talents and investments
“We will use the survey results to find ways to make Finland more attractive to international talents and companies as part of Talent Boost and Invest in Finland,” says Special Advisor Elise Ramstad from Business Finland.
Talent Boost is an intersectoral action programme for the Finnish Government that collaborates with the biggest growth centres in the country. It aims to make Finland more attractive to international talents and to channel the expertise of international talents already in Finland to support growth, internationalisation and innovation in Finnish companies.
The Made by Finland survey is part of the working life brand work under the Working Life 2020 project which is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The Finnish working life brand is built on three attributes: skills, co-operation and safety. More than three in four respondents estimated that the attributes were very accurate or fairly accurate.
The Made by Finland campaign aims to develop Finnish working life as part of Finland’s country brand. It is a collaboration of the Association for Finnish Work, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Working Life 2020 project, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and Business Finland.
If you want to consult the Made by Finland full report (in Finnish) just click HERE
For more information about Finnish Government’s Talent Boost Program, click HERE
