Language barriers and work-life balance – Foreign specialists weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of working in Finland

In many technology offices across Finland, English is the official working language, reflecting the international composition of the workforce in this sector.

But for many foreign professionals in Finland, life outside the office can be challenging.

Jeff StraussAn American who moved to Finland nearly three years ago to lead visual technology at food delivery giant Wolt, Yle said he appreciated the multicultural work environment but struggled to integrate his family.

His wife had difficulty finding work in her field due to the language barrier.

The Strauss family experienced an unpleasant surprise when their son was deported from Finland.

He was 17 years old when the family moved to Finland. When he turned 18, he had to leave the country because he was enrolled in an online high school in the United States rather than a high school in Finland.

Elif KocamanWolt’s Head of Analytics, who came from Turkey 13 years ago to study at Aalto University and stayed there after graduating, has also experienced occasional discrimination outside of work.

Despite becoming a Finnish citizen, she noted that the Finnish language was still difficult, although this did not affect her role due to the industry’s reliance on English.

Wolt’s Head of Analytics Elif Kocaman describes a difficult situation she faced in public.

Finland’s attractiveness despite challenges

Both Strauss and Kocaman said they remain passionate about life in Finland and are drawn to its natural beauty, safety and potential for lifelong friendships. They also value the country’s work-life balance.

“It’s great to go out after work and sing karaoke together,” Strauss said.

“Nobody forces me to work here ten hours a day,” Kocaman noted.

Many foreign professionals, like the COO of Nokia Ventures Tarun Sharmawho came from India over two decades ago, shared this appreciation and pointed to Finland’s inclusive work culture and professional development opportunities.

There are many good things about Finland, says Tarun Sharma, chief operating officer of Nokia Ventures.

The right talent to be successful

Sharma emphasized that regardless of background, companies need people with the right skills to be successful.

However, although English is widely spoken in technology industries, language barriers remain a significant hurdle in the Finnish labor market as a whole.

A recent Barona survey found that 60 percent of Finnish employers see language as a barrier to hiring foreign workers.

Accordingly Elina KoskelaBaronas Head of International Workforce, companies need to relax language requirements to tap into the foreign talent pool.

“On the other hand, job seekers may not be proficient in Finnish or English, or the recruitment company’s current employees may be unwilling or unable to work in English,” Koskela noted.

Change of perspective when recruiting in the technology sector

Sofia Pohlscommercial director of recruitment agency Finders Seekers, noted that attitudes in the technology industry have changed over the last decade.

Today, only about 10 percent of tech employers require Finnish skills, a change driven by Finland’s rapid digitalization.

Still, Pohls has found that foreign qualifications are sometimes undervalued, pointing to a case where a company hired a Finn who studied at Aalto University rather than another Finn who graduated from Oxford University has made.

Helsinki or Berlin?

For Wolt’s Chief Technology Officer, Niilo SäämänenAttracting global talent means selling Helsinki’s advantages over cities like Berlin.

Pohls pointed out that foreign employees bring new perspectives and knowledge about their home markets, which companies like Supercell value for expanding international business.

In Finland it is important to retain talent. Supercell has discontinued Melanie Dowera New Zealander whose husband was recruited by the company to help foreign employees and their families settle in.

Melanie Dower, who helps families working at Supercell integrate in Finland, believes that more English-language school places would also benefit Finnish families.

Dower highlighted the difficulties many foreign spouses face in finding work, which can cause families to leave if they don’t feel comfortable.

“If the spouse doesn’t have anything useful to do here, the family could leave and we lose a good person,” Dower told Yle.

Access to English-language schooling is also crucial, and Dower believes expanding these opportunities would increase Finland’s attractiveness.

According to the Finnish immigration agency Migri, the growth of work-related immigration has slowed.

Between January and September there were almost 1,000 applications for skilled workers, 24 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

The government’s proposal for a three- and six-month deportation scheme for unemployed skilled workers is currently being discussed in parliament.

Nokia, Supercell and Wolt fear that this law, if implemented, would damage Finland’s reputation in the eyes of foreign experts.

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