I would have been worried if, when I moved to Finland in 2016, you had told me about recent events. I was a major part of something that was leading the evening news, was on the front page of Yle, and was being talked about in articles and by politicians all over Finland. Surely for that to relate to me, less than a decade in the country, it must have been a crime I had unwittingly ended up a part of.
Instead, it was the reaction to our survey of international experts that we published together with Insinööriliitto.
The damning light these results shone on how this group of highly skilled and settled migrants see Finland went viral. The results can be seen elsewhere, so I want to detail just one aspect of them here – reputation.
What is it, that makes someone choose Finland? I have had that exact conversation countless times, and one of the biggest repeating answers is this: ”I had heard it was a good place to live”.
This positive image spreading via word of mouth is a huge part of what leads people to choose Finland. All the talk of the happiest country in the world gives the image of an idyllic, Nordic dream, built on the concepts of fairness, equality, and the support for all people. Those who aspire to follow these same values are therefore attracted here. Right now, they feel betrayed.
Most of the discussed government immigration proposals will directly change very little. Their damage, on the other hand, is huge.
The current policies, and the rhetoric around them, fundamentally erode Finland’s reputation. They erode the willingness to put trust into Finland and its people, and to spread that trust to others. They erode the belief that when times are hard, this is a country that will make sure your future is brighter.
Last magazine, I urged people to be more positive in how they speak about Finland. I ask now also for action.
In our survey, responses highlighted the discrimination faced in recruitment. Needlessly high Finnish language requirements, a lack of foreign experience recognition and jobs being advertised via closed networks don’t just leave foreign experts feeling excluded, they also hinder the hiring of the best person. If not for that job, then for the next, or for the one in five years’ time, when Finland’s reputation for international technology experts has been eroded to dust.
You can all make a difference, and change the way our industry is treating foreign talent. You can battle for Finland’s reputation. Not just in words, but in action.
Writer works at TEK as a Project Manager for International Experts
Instagram: @tekforall
