International staff can be helped to settle into their roles and thrive in their new environment by supporting their relocation, language learning, and ensuring the wellbeing of their spouse and children. Effective orientation and team support are additional factors creating the conditions for high-quality employment.
The University of Helsinki's HR Services develops services for international staff, placing great importance in service design on their feedback.
At a workshop connected to the project International Expertise for Work Communities (KAVOT), Doctoral Researcher Arsène Kanyamibwa of the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychology and Logopedics called for well-considered support for new arrivals.
"The bureaucracy associated with arrival is complex and varies significantly in different countries. This is why a knowledgeable expert should be available to help new arrivals," he says.
Professor of Political History Samuel White of the Faculty of Social Sciences has a similar request.
"The orientation process for international staff should be developed. The administrative support offered by units is especially important," he notes.
Team support for learning Finnish
HR Coordinator Farnaz Farahdel was the first international employee on her team. The KAVOT project helped the team consider their language practices even before she took up her position.
Farahdel wishes that language learning would be seen from the perspective of not only the individual employee, but also the team as a whole.
"I'd like to learn Finnish on the job. We've agreed in my team on when we'll use English and when it feels comfortable for me to use Finnish," she says.
Inclusivity is the key to a thriving workplace
A recent University of Helsinki guide to teams recruiting an international employee emphasises that the supervisor does not bear sole responsibility for the employee's adjustment.
Both White and Kanyamibwa underline the importance of networking. For example, international staff at the Faculty of Social Sciences have established a group to highlight their needs and provide peer support.
"Honest and high-quality training on Finnish working culture is also needed," points out Kanyamibwa.
Since early 2024, the KAVOT project has organised two types of monthly info sessions: some focus on important pre-arrival issues, whereas others are geared to those who have already arrived. Where possible, all University staff arriving from outside Finland have been invited to the sessions.
Continuous development of relocation services
The University is developing its HR services continuously. Recently, it launched a pilot project to support relocation, with specialists answering specific questions. In addition, the Kielibuusti ('Language boost') project offers advice and establishes practices for effective multilingualism.
The University also has a more extensive community for international staff and students: Internationals at University of Helsinki. Its activities include on-campus meetings, advocacy and a shared Teams channel.
Moreover, the University strives to make its international staff's voices heard by establishing a group for the international work and study community under the Equality and Diversity Committee.
Launched at the University of Helsinki's HR Services in 2023, the KAVOT project aims to integrate the University's international staff services and recruitment material into a single model, and develop new services and material. In spring 2024, the project organised two workshops to learn about the experiences of international staff arriving in Finland and joining the University of Helsinki. The project is funded by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council (in Finnish).
