“Bringing different people together helps our clients and our community thrive” – tech company Oivan believes in multiculturalism

Technology company Oivan, which employs almost 240 professionals, believes in the power of a multicultural workplace. HR Manager Paulina Wilen is responsible for the human resource matters of the 50-person branch in Finland, and she would not trade the office’s appreciation for cultural diversity for anything.

Oivan is an international company to its core. It started out in two countries, and now it has branches in Finland, Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Teams have also been allocated to different countries: at the Finnish office, almost half of the employees come from abroad, including South America, Africa and Asia.

Wilen says that the company’s clients also benefit from each employee bringing in not only their expertise, but also their personality, cultural background and lived experience. “This boosts innovation significantly. Cultural diversity is definitely a business advantage for us,” Wilen states. 

According to Wilen, everything starts from a company making a strategic decision to build a truly international identity. “It’s good to challenge conventional ways of doing things that we carry with us from our culture,” she says. “Often, we Finns are more withdrawn, and we have learned much about interaction and communication just by watching our colleagues.”

Wilen says that the best teams are diverse, since it is proven to improve the quality of ideas and generate new, even better working methods and solutions.

“For example, the workplace culture in one country may be very ambitious and strict, while in another country, people may work in more flexible and accommodating ways,” she explains. “When we work together, every one of us learns something new, and that allows us to find the best practices and develop as a work community.”

The company is flexible in terms of various needs. For example, the employees who fast during Ramadan are able to work flexible hours or agree on time off. Employees may also spend their leisure time with colleagues, learning about others’ traditional festivities or cuisine.

Wilen says that Oivan has been especially searching for highly educated professionals with a non-Finnish background to strengthen the multicultural competencies of the Finnish office. Oivan’s cooperation with the City of Espoo began when the company found an employee via the CareerClub community.

“The professional in question had the exact skills we were looking for. We saved a lot of resources since we didn’t have to go through a lengthy recruitment process; instead, we found the exact person we needed via this community.”

Oivan focuses on building networks and making the company known in places where the professionals are. In the spring, Oivan and the City of Espoo organised an event that was attended by 30 international students. The event showcased opportunities for thesis work and internships in the company.

The City of Espoo also contacts Oivan regularly regarding potential jobseekers. Oivan continues the discussions with the suitable candidates and saves their CVs in a database.

“Before looking abroad, companies should look at the international professionals and students who are already living in Finland. We have found highly educated employees here,” Wilen says.

Espoo Talent Hub builds meaningful connections between organisations, companies and professionals. We truly want to help – no matter what you need. We find suitable professionals for companies, organise recruitment events and support the development of diverse workplaces by offering advice on pay subsidy applications and providing financial support, for example.