How can immigrant capabilities be improved to increase their employment opportunities at small and medium businesses in Helsinki?
Werner, Angela (2021)
Werner, Angela
2021
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021060915217
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021060915217
Tiivistelmä
Finland’s unemployment rate is increasing, and more foreign workers in Finland are claiming unemployment benefits. Finnish SMEs encounter more challenges in regard to workforce diversity than other businesses in Finland.
This thesis project aimed to further understand a divers workforce’s contribution to small and medium businesses (SMEs) in the Uusima region. The research question was: How can immigrant capabilities be improved to increase their employment opportunities at small and medium-sized businesses in Helsinki? To answer this question, this thesis focused on three sub-questions: How willing are SMEs to hire immigrant workers? What are the needs of SMEs? Which SMEs are willing to hire immigrant workers?
Research was conducted remotely. Qualitative research was conducted via online literature reviews and online video interviews. Quantitative research was conducted in the form of a questionnaire via online social media platforms. Questionnaire respondents were SME business owners operating in the Helsinki region. Questionnaire respondents were asked questions to further understand their willingness to hire foreign workers, their demographics, and needs. Interview attendees were asked questions to further identify the needs of Finnish SMEs, and ways to help foreign workers increase their hire-ability.
The majority of the 29 questionnaire respondents expressed a willingness to hire foreign employees but did not express willingness to sponsor work visas for foreign workers. Interview attendees in Interview Group 1 were questionnaire respondents who agreed to follow-up interviews. Interview attendees in Interview Group 2 were individuals who provided support for immigrants looking for work in Finland, or for immigrants moving to Finland after finding work. Interview respondents provided reasons for firms to be hesitant of hiring employees including the fact that: many perceived the residence permit process to be expensive, time consuming, and cause too much paperwork.
This thesis project aimed to further understand a divers workforce’s contribution to small and medium businesses (SMEs) in the Uusima region. The research question was: How can immigrant capabilities be improved to increase their employment opportunities at small and medium-sized businesses in Helsinki? To answer this question, this thesis focused on three sub-questions: How willing are SMEs to hire immigrant workers? What are the needs of SMEs? Which SMEs are willing to hire immigrant workers?
Research was conducted remotely. Qualitative research was conducted via online literature reviews and online video interviews. Quantitative research was conducted in the form of a questionnaire via online social media platforms. Questionnaire respondents were SME business owners operating in the Helsinki region. Questionnaire respondents were asked questions to further understand their willingness to hire foreign workers, their demographics, and needs. Interview attendees were asked questions to further identify the needs of Finnish SMEs, and ways to help foreign workers increase their hire-ability.
The majority of the 29 questionnaire respondents expressed a willingness to hire foreign employees but did not express willingness to sponsor work visas for foreign workers. Interview attendees in Interview Group 1 were questionnaire respondents who agreed to follow-up interviews. Interview attendees in Interview Group 2 were individuals who provided support for immigrants looking for work in Finland, or for immigrants moving to Finland after finding work. Interview respondents provided reasons for firms to be hesitant of hiring employees including the fact that: many perceived the residence permit process to be expensive, time consuming, and cause too much paperwork.