Recruiting international talent in the Oulu region: companies perspective

Companies in Finland are suffering from labour and skills shortages. The labour shortage in Finland is not improving as the age structure of the country is changing. With the current birth rate levels, the labour supply and long-term availability of the workforce is going to decrease considerably which in return will have a negative impact on the economy. Without stronger support and recognition of labour and education-based immigration, the availability of a skilled workforce is going to decrease at an increasing rate. However, the companies in Finland do not have the tools or the desire to hire international employees. In order to acquire more workforce, companies should consider hiring foreign citizens, returnees, people who are willing to move to the country, and those who do not speak the Finnish language fluently. Hiring international employees creates great benefits for companies such as growth, innovation, a wider pool of talent, market insight, improved competitive advantage, the attractiveness of the company, employee and customer satisfaction, new customers, and a diversity of languages. This thesis focuses on the international talent that already resides in the country. When companies are planning to hire international employees, a well-prepared recruitment process is necessary to ensure that the most suitable candidate for the company is found. The objective of this thesis is to study the employment situation of international talent, to provide information on why recruitment is necessary, to bring out the benefits of international talent, and to get a perspective of the current situation of the international workforce and how foreigners can be utilized more effectively as a source of employment. A quantitative research method was utilized for this thesis through a Webropol questionnaire relating to international employment in the Oulu region. The questionnaire was open for answers between the 18th to 29th of November 2022. The respondent companies are suffering from a shortage of employees and most of them are considering hiring international employees. In order to support efficient international recruitment companies should adopt the usage of the English language, invest in cross-cultural training, and make sure that they have a diversity statement and equality plan in place. Companies can for example hire international graduates who already hold a permit to look for work in the country