What companies can benefit from recruiting an international student

There are many good reasons for this. First of all, recruiting an international student is a convenient way to promote corporate diversity and cultural competence. In general, research shows that international recruitment brings numerous benefits.

- Companies that hire international experts grow faster than their peers.

- International experts bring with them new ideas and increase the company’s capacity to innovate.

- International talent can help open up new markets and attract new customers.

Secondly, recruiting an international student is straightforward, as the potential employee already lives in Finland. Many students have lived here for years, and they want to stay after graduation.

These students make enthusiastic and motivated employees who are familiar with the local culture, customs, and climate. A large proportion of international students also have a Finnish personal identity code, bank account, and tax card, which makes practical matters even easier.

An international student who completes their degree in Finland can start at a new job quickly, because their residence and work permits are often in order.

However, remember to always make sure that the person has the right to work in Finland. The procedure for checking this varies a little by nationality.

1. A citizen of a Nordic country, a Member State of the European Union, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland Allowed to work on the basis of their nationality. In other words, the person does not need a separate work permit. You can check the candidate’s nationality from their passport, for example.

2. A third-country citizen (= not an EU citizen or equivalent, i.e., a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland) The permit card explains what kind of work the person is allowed to perform and any restrictions on working.

Students from outside Europe often have a student residence permit. It allows them to work an average of 30 hours per week in any industry. During holidays, students are allowed to work full-time. But at the end of the year, their average working time should be at most 30 hours per week. This is 1,560 hours in total.

Note! Internships and theses/final projects included in the degree as part of employment be carried out without restriction, if the parties already agree on this at the contract phase. Otherwise, these are also counted towards the 30-hour limit.

If you have defined the specifications of the job or internship, you can proceed to the electronic recruitment channels immediately.

- You can post an English-language vacancy or internship on Job Market Finland. In addition to Job Market Finland, your job advertisement will appear on the Work in Finland website, which is followed by international students across Finland.

- You do not necessarily have to wait for candidates to respond to your job advertisement. Through Job Market Finland, you can browse applicant profiles and invite the best candidates for an interview immediately.

- You can also advertise your vacancy or internship on the JobTeaser career service used by universities. It is important for an international student to know if the role will require knowledge of local languages, so be sure to mention this.

Theses and projects are one customary way to recruit an international student. They allow you to conveniently test what new skills or ideas the employee would bring to your company’s toolbox. Afterwards, it is easy to hire them, because they have already shown their skills.

Universities and higher education institutions organize various career days and Thesis Fair events that allow you to search for a skilled expert to employ directly or to do their thesis as part of a development project, for example.

Don’t forget to visit other events, too, which are a great opportunity to look for talent. You can get to know international students (and experts in general) at a variety of matching events, both live and online. Visit the Work in Finland website’s event calendar to find the most interesting events.

You can also meet international students casually through co-creation platforms and hackathons. Demola, Junction, and Ultrahack, to name a few, bring together students from various countries and companies to solve real challenges together.

Note! Remember to also develop your organization’s capabilities to operate in an international environment, as success is always a two-way street. For example, you can participate in coaching or mentoring provided by Work in Finland or  your local International House. Read more on our services page.

It is a good idea to check what services are available in your city. 

You can always ask for advice from the International Recruitment Advice Service for Employers that operates across Finland when you have any questions related to hiring an international student.