Award-winning pilot on language-conscious leadership and language-supported recruitment advances with Sitra funding

Labour shortages continue to challenge many sectors. At the same time, Finland has a large number of international jobseekers whose expertise is not yet being fully utilised. One of the obstacles to recruitment is language requirements: the level of language proficiency required in job advertisements may be considerably higher than what is actually needed to perform the work.

To address this challenge, City of Espoo has developed a model for language-conscious leadership and language-supported recruitment together with OP Uusimaa, the Kielibuusti project and Omnia Skills Centre for Immigrants. The initiative gained national recognition when it was awarded the Most Effective Recruitment Act of the Year at Duunitori’s Rekrygaala 2025.

The model is now being further developed and piloted in a project funded by Sitra. The goal is to help more employers identify the language skills genuinely required in different roles and to create workplace practices that support the success of international employees.

Practical solutions for everyday working life

The model starts from the actual requirements of the work. Different tasks require different levels and types of language proficiency, and workplace practices also influence the language skills employees need in their roles.

During the pilot, experts familiarise themselves with day-to-day work in organisations, observe work processes and discuss working practices with employees. This provides a concrete understanding of when Finnish or Swedish language skills are required and what opportunities exist in the workplace to support language learning.

“In many workplaces, language requirements have not previously been assessed on a role-specific basis. When work processes are reviewed together, employers may discover positions where professional competence matters more than perfect Finnish language skills,” says Melissa Arni-Hardén, Customer RelationS Manger, City of Espoo.

Based on the assessment, employers receive support for different stages of recruitment and people management. Development work may focus on areas such as job advertisements, onboarding, internal communications and supervisors’ readiness to lead multilingual work communities.

The aim is to make expertise more visible and ensure that unnecessarily strict language requirements do not exclude qualified candidates from recruitment processes.

Benefits for employers and public organisations

The importance of international talent is growing in both businesses and public organisations. In addition to successful recruitment, it is essential to ensure effective onboarding and integration into the workplace community.

Experiences from the pilot show that workplace practices can often be improved through relatively small changes. Clearer communication, more effective onboarding and a more accurate assessment of language requirements can make both recruitment and the start of employment smoother.

The benefits also extend to existing employees. When workplace instructions, communications and work processes are clear, collaboration and everyday work become easier for the entire organisation.

Towards a more language-conscious working life

Language-conscious practices can improve employment opportunities for international jobseekers, support their integration into workplace communities and help organisations make better use of existing expertise.

The model developed in Espoo offers concrete tools and practical methods for achieving these goals. With support from Sitra, the objective is to make the benefits of the model available to an increasing number of employers throughout Finland.

For more information:

Melissa Arni-Hardén
Customer Relations Manager, City of Espoo
melissa.arni-harden@espoo.fi