Work culture

Work culture in Finland is individualistic, meaning that everyone’s success at work is based on their own merit. At work, supervisors and employees do similar tasks and the salary differences between employees and their nearest supervisors are not necessarily very large.

Properties which are appreciated in an employee include taking initiative, efficiency, punctuality – meaning keeping to schedules, and diligence – meaning the employee does the work the best they can and is reliable. Cooperation with colleagues is important.

An employee may receive direct feedback from colleagues or supervisors. If an employee says they do not know how to do a task assigned to them or they do not have the time to do it right away, this is seen as a sign of honesty.

Favouring relatives or a certain gender should not affect getting a job

Finnish work culture is an example of the country’s individualistic and equal culture. The individual’s skills and performance are important when searching for a job, doing the work, and progressing in one’s career. Favouring relatives or friends in recruitment without considering the person’s suitability to the job is not acceptable in Finland. Gender should not affect job seeking or promotions – men and women participate equally at work.

Work and free time are clearly separated

Keeping work and free time separate is often considered important in Finland. Working hours are for working, and free time is the employee’s own time. Work starts and ends at a certain time. People do not necessarily spend time with colleagues outside of working hours. Celebrations at the workplace are an exception, such as Christmas parties and recreational days. The aim of these is to improve team spirit at the workplace. Employees’ spouses are rarely invited to workplace celebrations.

Supervisors expect employees to take initiative

Finnish workplaces typically have a low level of hierarchy. Supervisors hardly stand out from other workers and they often do similar tasks as the others. Supervisors dress the same way as everyone else and are addressed by their first name. You can always talk to your supervisor if you have questions about your work. Clothing used at work is often relaxed and casual. Salary differences between supervisors and employees are rather small.

A supervisor does not have absolute authority over employees, and rather allows employees to plan their own work and express ideas. Supervisors expect employees to take initiative and manage their tasks diligently. Supervisors do not monitor employees at all times, but rather trust the work to be done. However, supervisors have the right to direct the work and give employees instructions and orders which the employee is expected to follow.

Employees are allowed to spontaneously take on tasks at the workplace that they notice should be done. When one task is completed, the employee can start another unprompted, and when they notice that something needs to be done, they do it. They do not wait for a supervisor to tell them to do the job. If an employee does not know what should be done or how something is done, they can ask a supervisor or a colleague.

A good employee is punctual and hardworking

Taking initiative, punctuality, good work ethic and diligence are appreciated in an employee in Finland. If an employee is often late for work or does not stick to schedules, they are considered untrustworthy and this may even be a reason to terminate an employment contract. During working hours, employees strive to work hard and do the work as efficiently as possible. Diligence means that the employee does the tasks assigned to them the best they can and that the employee can be trusted.

Cooperation skills are valued

Work requires a lot of cooperation. That is why it is important to know how to cooperate with colleagues. Typically, employees help each other and are flexible in helping with different tasks when needed. People trust each other and trust that everyone will do their assigned tasks.

People are straightforward at work

People at work are typically outspoken and say what they think. It is normal for people to go straight to the point without chit-chat. Negative matters are usually discussed directly. You should not be offended if a supervisor or colleague tells you that you have done something poorly. Everybody makes mistakes at work. Nowadays, feedback is encouraged at work. Feedback is appreciated between colleagues, from employees to supervisors and from supervisors to employees. Feedback should always be appropriate and constructive.

Tell someone if you do not know how or do not have time to do a task

If you are asked to do a task that you do not know how to do, it is better to openly state right away that you have not done this task before or do not know how to do it. Colleagues and supervisors see this as a sign of honesty. You can say that you would like to learn how to do the task and ask someone to help you.

Similarly, if you are asked to do an additional task when you are in a hurry, you should be honest and say that you do not have the time and you can ask if the task could be done later.

If you do not understand the instructions or the task, you should say so directly. In Finland, it is not considered shameful to admit to not understanding something. It becomes a bigger problem if something is done wrong or something is left undone because the instructions have not been understood.

In addition to honesty, modesty is appreciated in Finland. What a person does and how a person acts are considered more important than what they say.

More information about Finnish work culture: Finnish working culture (infofinland.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Estonian, Ukrainian, French, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Farsi, Arabic)