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How do Finnish employers see foreign job applicants?

How do Finnish employers see foreign job applicants?. Dr Sc (IB) Minna Söderqvist Helia Research and Development. Project. 33 employer interviews in 2004 State, communal or private employer representatives From all over Finland

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How do Finnish employers see foreign job applicants?

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  1. How do Finnish employers see foreign job applicants? Dr Sc (IB) Minna Söderqvist Helia Research and Development

  2. Project • 33 employer interviews in 2004 • State, communal or private employer representatives • From all over Finland • Experience of foreign subordinates, either with a degree from Finland or elsewhere • From different industries • 635 questionnaires back 2004/2005 • Experienced and inexperienced • State, communal or private employer representatives • From all over Finland • From different industries

  3. Results • Importance of internationalization of higher-education institutions • What contributes and what hampers foreigners in finding a job in Finland? • HRM processes and foreign applicants • Differences in a superior’s work if there are foreign subordinates

  4. Conclusions • Proposals to state authorities • Proposals to work communities • Proposals to higher-education institutions • Proposals to foreign job applicants • Proposals for further research

  5. International activities • 1/5 – daily; 1/10 – every week; ¼ every month • 10 % - no international contacts • 8 % of turnover from abroad

  6. Different foreigners in Finland • Ca 320 000 working addresses – about 55 000 foreigners working all over Finland employers not personally experienced • Different foreigners – different needs and capabilities! • Refugees with difficult backgrounds • Marriage – based immigration • Highly-educated experts and their spouses (dual career)

  7. Foreigners working in Finland • 44 % of employers have employed foreigners; • 70 % of respondents do not have any foreigners at the moment – 70 % have NEVER received a job application from a foreigner! • 1/6 have had a foreign trainee (work placement) • 53 % of community, 44% of state and only 39 % of private employers have had foreigners at work  Apply to SMEs all over Finland

  8. Employed foreigners work: • 20 % in production • 10 % in expert positions • Less than 10 % in customer service functions • 5 % sales • 3 % administration • Less than 2 % management

  9. Positive attitudes, but benefits not realised + Foreigners no threat to Finnish working life + Multicultural work community taken as more innovative + Foreigners seen as a possibility ? Thanks to foreigners our business has not developed, they have not brought new customers or new partners  annual accounts of foreign HRM  recruiting of foreigners according to their education

  10. No foreigners employed since • No need – 24% of respondents • No applicants – 16 % (only 29 % have received an application = 71 % have not) • Too difficult – 1 %  However: 30 % of employers employ somebody yearly

  11. To be a foreigner – and Finnish HRM • HRM not strategic issue in SMEs  foreign background not yet taken into consideration • When choosing recruiting channels • In interviews • In salaries • In induction processes • In engagement • In socialization to work community • In induction of superiors to recruiting  Employers would need an active recruiting policy

  12. Attitude and Motivation –A foreigner should • Be educated • Be professional • Have intercultural skills • Have own initiative • Be reliable • Be able to use Finnish as working language

  13. A Foreign Applicant Should • Have a BIG network of Finnish persons! • Be able to handle the ”You are a bigger risk in recruiting” • Be able to show your expertise and professionalism in the interview • Find out about Finnish way to recruit and to work  Ask help from those Finns you know, from studies, neighbours…

  14. Use of recruiting channels – all vs. experienced employers

  15. Superiors and work communities need instructions and further education • How to take benefit from the international dimension in the real work • How to meet diversity in real situations • What intercultural capabilities are and how to use them • How to change the superior and HRM if foreign subordinates

  16. Foreigners bring benefits • Be able to argument what you can do for this particular business, for this particular employer • SMEs 98 % of Finnish companies • To develop service companies and service businesses – we don’t have them – behind in OECD statistics • State, communal, private employers, different industries, different sizes, different areas

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