Work in Finland - Build Your Dream Career

Finland’s values and strengths can help you to become a better version of yourself.

Year

2022

Project scope

Talent attraction
Immigration services
Digital journeys
Brand foundation
Visual identity

Project in a nutshell

WorkinFinland.com provides a holistic user experience by compiling all of the available services the country offers for international job seekers into one easy-to-use online resource. This platform is designed to strengthen Finland’s national brand, promote the country as a desirable destination to work and live in, and share practical information about applying for jobs here. Ultimately, the goal is to positively impact our nationally set talent targets.

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Content strategy
Digital design
Campaign design
Web development
Web analytics

Project background

The global talent shortage has disrupted the requisites for talent attraction

Finland, like many countries, is facing a talent shortage. A continuous decline in birth rates combined with increasing labour demands and a scarcity of skills in many industries is hindering economic growth and obstructing our welfare society.

Simultaneously, workers across the globe are searching for a more meaningful life and career. The ongoing Great Resignation reflects a massive change in values as workers across sectors demand careers that are more than just “work.” Instead, they want work/life balance – a meaningful career with time and space for family, friends, and hobbies.

In this new reality, Finland has the power to become an extremely attractive destination for foreign talent. Our country’s strong emphasis on well-being, sustainability, and education – along with a smoothly functioning social welfare society – is ideal for professionals looking for a fulfilling life and career.

Process

The factors motivating international talents are diverse, and no journey is the same

The project was developed for two reasons: to attract international talent in an effort to address the talent/skills shortage, and to create and consolidate Finland’s many positive attributes into a single, cohesive national brand. We prioritized the holistic customer journey by taking a customer-centric mindset, focusing on espousing the many benefits of working and living in Finland, and describing the immigration process and procedural requirements to move to Finland clearly and in depth.

Once we had outlined the issues impacting the attraction of international talent, our team started a qualitative research process utilizing various service design methods to further elaborate on problem areas and solution requirements from users' perspectives.

In total, about 30 international talents from diverse backgrounds (and approximately 40 stakeholder representatives) were involved in our research, which first involved asking them to retrospectively probe their end-to-end expatriation journey. We also used quantitative methods to extract data that highlighted important considerations for international job seekers. These data-driven insights were then fused with real-life learnings gained through interviews.

After we questioned our research subjects and developed an idea of the issues regarding work-related immigration, we created a rough outline of the various decision-making stages and the overall immigration trajectory. We also determined the key touchpoints we’d need to address and streamline in order to create the optimal user experience.

Based on our research, we created a linear customer journey, with multiple entry points for users based on their varying needs and aspirations. Now, users can easily find accurate information that’s tailored to their specific needs while navigating a single, easy-to-use website.

Design

A brand users can relate to

At its core, WIF.com core aims to be a service for anyone and everyone. Our goal is to provide the content international talents want and need, with respect to different cultural and professional backgrounds and family structures. These key principles are reflected in the website’s content, imagery, and branding.

For example, two key user journeys – promotional and informational – are designed to meet users’ needs and address their questions about housing, healthcare, transportation, safety, family life, and more. A third, the call-to-action journey, leads to a customised job search for English-speaking open positions across Finland.

In this brand work, it was critical to us to stay true to Finland’s national values while also remaining authentic and relevant to the target audience. We created a visual design we feel embodies the look, feel, and essence of Finland, pairing iconic Finnish blue and white with accent colours that evoke warmth, welcome, and multicultural flair. Finally, fresh, colourful photographs and videos of diverse subjects and professions work together to create an authentic and inspiring snapshot of work and life in Finland.

The WIF.com platform was constructed in an environmentally conscious and efficient manner. Our comprehensive design system was comprised of standardized, reusable elements and patterns, which reduced costs and streamlined digital token management. We took an agile approach to the work, incorporating DesignOps and DevOps, to maximize the capabilities of the entire team within a short period of time.

Execution

Agile, comprehensive, responsive

WorkinFinland.com prioritizes the user experience, mining subtle micro-interactions and using them to enhance understanding and provide visual cues, and ensuring a seamless experience across devices. Ultimately, we relied on close collaboration between internal and external stakeholders, a continuous and consistent feedback loop, and the work of our talented and diverse team to ensure the final product was responsive, consistent, and delivered on-schedule.

The Work in Finland platform is designed to consolidate information about various Finnish professional and immigration services into one comprehensive package that promotes Finland as a highly desirable destination for international talent.

Results

One-stop shop for international talent

To evaluate the effectiveness of the website, we used KPIs such as the System Usability Scale (SUS). WIF.com received an average SUS score of 82.5, which is significantly higher than the average website’s score of 68 (Sauro, 2013), suggesting that our website has been well-received by its intended audience and that users are likely to recommend it to others within their network.

As of January 20, 2023, WorkinFinland.com has received 14,292 visitors from 167 different countries for a total of 80,301 views. The website regularly receives positive feedback from clients and users and will continue to serve as a critical resource for anyone who’s interested in relocating to Finland.