English as a Working Language: – This Is How an Industrial Company Made Recruitment Easier
In the past, at VILPE, a manufacturer of ventilation and specialized roofing products, proficiency in Finnish or Swedish was considered necessary for all positions. However, the company aimed for a systematic change, and today many roles can be filled with only English proficiency. VILPE’s CEO, Tuomas Saikkonen, has a clear message: “This change is something all companies will face now or inevitably in the future, as there simply won’t be enough employees otherwise. It’s best to start now.”
At VILPE, the first person to use English as their working language started in packaging and assembly tasks in 2020. When this recruitment was successful, it became easy to continue hiring new employees along the same lines.
One key to this success was ensuring proper onboarding in English. It’s understandable that not everyone has the language skills for this, but there were always volunteers willing to provide training in English.
Previously, the need for Finnish or Swedish proficiency was mainly due to on-the-job training and ensuring workplace safety, especially in production roles. Additionally, the company wanted to ensure smooth communication between employees and their immediate supervisors.
However, VILPE decided to change its practices. The transformation didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t without challenges. In some areas, the learning process is still ongoing but overall, the company is pleased with the results.
“We wouldn’t be at the same level of productivity if we didn’t have employees who use only English as their working language. Recruitment is easier when the pool of applicants is as broad as possible,” says Saikkonen.
The change started where it was easiest. Not all tasks can still be performed solely in English— for instance, customer service with Finnish customer.
“However, there are many positions where language skills don’t matter. A good attitude and a willingness to work are what count,” says VILPE’s HR Manager, Hanna Vanhala.
About 15 years ago, VILPE had summer employees from Poland, but they returned home after the seasonal work ended. In recent years, employees who use English as their working language have been hired on a permanent basis and, in turn, help onboard new employees.
The Need for Labor migration
In Ostrobothnia region in Finland, there are many companies and organizations that have long employed workers who don’t speak Finnish or Swedish. However, some industrial companies may still be hesitant to hire employees who only use English as their working language. VILPE hopes its example will encourage other companies in the field.
Saikkonen points out that, due to the country’s demographic structure, labor migration is necessary. Change will come sooner or later everywhere.
“The only way for industrial companies in Finland to survive is to recruit the most skilled individuals. I’m proud that we hire the best talent, not the person who speaks the smoothest Finnish or Swedish,” says Saikkonen.
“There’s a talent shortage in all sectors. It’s clear that even in the chemical industry, we cannot address this by recruiting solely from within Finland. It’s great that VILPE has decided to lead by example in this matter. This is exactly the kind of discussion Finland needs,” says Anni Siltanen, Senior Advisor at the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland.
More information:
Tuomas Saikkonen
CEO
VILPE
tel. 050 537 6724
Anni Siltanen
Chief Advisor, Skills and competence
The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland
tel. 044 562 5991