What types of language barriers exist in the working life in Finland? What does language awareness mean? Is the responsibility of learning a language on the employee or the work community? How are lost in translation moments and psychological safety related?

As a result of increased international mobility, intercultural relationships have become more common. Almost 83,000 intercultural families live in Finland in cohabitation or marriage, where one of the spouses was born in Finland and the other abroad.

To encourage those companies that are still hesitating to hire international workforce, JCI Finland has launched a national competition called International Employer of the Year. This competition calls out for organizations that have successfully recruited and retained international talent, or that have otherwise enabled and encouraged multiculturalism at the workplace.

In many respects, Finland is considered a model country for equality, although there are still obstacles to achieving gender equality that need to be actively addressed. One of these obstacles is the strongly gender-segregated labour market, faced also by those who move to Finland.

It is rare to come across a position that ticks all the boxes at once: A great fit with your background and skills, allows you to work with like-minded people, and something about which you are passionate. When I first came across E2 Research’s vacancy, it almost looked too good to be true. At the end of my interview, however, which lasted almost two hours, I found myself thinking: “I really want to work with these people,” as I had utterly enjoyed our conversation and their demeanor throughout the interview.

The shortage of skilled labour is a burning issue in Finland, but international talents’ voices are often not heard in the discussions. In the International Talent Finland Research Project’s kick-off webinar(link) on December 8, 2021, we wanted to hear the views, experiences, and ideas for solutions for the pressing issue from the international talents themselves.

Guest post by Lucia Vuillermin, our opening speaker in the ‘Mapping the Landscape of International Talent in Finland’ Kick-off Webinar and a Vice-Chair of International Working Women of Finland Association.