Valuing migrant workers – Lessons learned in the EASWork project

In an increasingly international higher education (HE) and world, new demands are placed on universities that are expected to contribute to supporting the employment and integration of international students into the labor market. The geopolitical situation is creating new challenges regarding immigration and educational needs. Therefore, Arcada UAS has made investments in supporting international students both during their education and to employment. The EASWork project External link has highlighted the different aspects of working life that persons with an international background face, both in terms of opportunities but also challenges as direct discrimination, racism and labour exploitation in early recruitment processes as well as later on as these persons become members of the working force in Finland and Estonia.

The project has collected first hand data through interviews conducted in respective countries. The recommendations from the study include steps to be taken already in the recruitment process by companies, as well as ways to increase fairness in working life and reduce discrimination and exploitation in the workplace at large. The promotion of awareness of labour rights and fair employment is one of the key aspects highlighted in the recommendations towards inclusive employment practice.

Recommendations for promoting fairness and reducing discrimination and exploitation in Finland and Estonia

The Finnish and Estonian data that was collected based on 60 in-depth interviews with migrants of various ages from different parts of the world providing a nuanced understanding of the challenges these individuals face and the potential solutions to address them. The EASWork report (Gylfe et al, 2024), offers practical solutions by giving recommendations based on barriers that have been identified by the actual stakeholders themselves. As such, the personal stories of people with a migrant background of which most are holding a Bachelor's degree (34%), the second biggest group holding a Master's degree (28%) and one-third of respondents being students, give evidence for structural barriers that these persons face in both Estonia and Finland. The data revealed four different categories of barriers to employment: language, the lack of networks and local experience, unrecognised qualifications and work experience and demanding and arduous application processes.

For each category a set of recommendations have been formulated to address the specifics of these challenges. The results from the interviews shows that employers can improve the wellbeing of international staff, refugees and migrants, by tackling racism and discrimination that occurs in the work place by several means, including marking that there are clear consequences for racist behaviour at the work place. Employers are recommended to providing mentorship and networking opportunities for migrant employees, and pathways for migrants and refugees to gain local experience through internships, trainee programmes, trial-periods and entry level positions.

In the study, the recommendations include ways to address language barriers and the job seekers lack of networks and local experience.  These barriers can be addressed by the employer through the offering of language courses, use of simplified local language, English, repetition and using multimedia during onboarding. It is also important that the employer values international experience and recognising transferability during recruitment and avoiding relying solely on local references and personal connections when making hiring decisions. The employer is encouraged to offer mentorship and networking opportunities to help migrants and refugees build professional connections and provide pathways for migrants to gain local experience.

Migrants feel that employers often prioritise local candidates, even when migrants have equal or better qualifications. This preference extends beyond language to perceived cultural fit and familiarity with local work practices. Some migrants reported being considered mainly for low-paid manual jobs, while locals were preferred for roles requiring responsibility. A foreign-sounding name can further disadvantage applicants, with some finding success only after adopting locally familiar names - a bias affecting interview opportunities and job access.

Recommendations for inclusive employment practices include recognition and validation of foreign qualifications and degrees, implementation of standard skills assessment during the recruitment process to ensure fair assessment of all candidates and design job descriptions to be open to international experience, emphasising of competencies and relevant skills over specific educational backgrounds.

Improvement of anti-discrimination policies together with companies

The EASWork project has engaged with 20 companies to discuss and support measures they can take to improve opportunities for employees with foreign backgrounds. The level of progress varied among companies, some had well-established diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with documented anti-discrimination policies, others had basic frameworks such as a Code of Conduct, while some were just beginning to formalise these principles. The extent of engagement also differed, depending on each company's priorities, schedules and available resources. However, what became clear during this work was that even small steps and simply acknowledging the issue are better than doing nothing at all. It has been encouraging to see the overwhelmingly positive reception from most companies toward the project and the collaboration it entailed.

Recommendations for inclusive employment practices include recognition and validation of foreign qualifications and degrees, implementation of standard skills assessment during the recruitment process to ensure fair assessment of all candidates and design job descriptions to be open to international experience, emphasising of competencies and relevant skills over specific educational backgrounds.

Also in the companies one of the most commonly discussed challenges was language barriers, which affected both internal communication and customer-facing roles. While some companies had already implemented bilingual or English-language policies, they often faced external challenges from clients and customers who demanded services in Finnish. This created a difficult balance, as companies sometimes felt that the most skilled person for a role was an English-speaking employee, but customer requirements forced them to prioritise Finnish speakers even at the cost of service quality. To address language issues, companies took various steps, including translating onboarding materials and key documents into English, offering language training programmes and introducing mentorship initiatives where international employees were paired with Finnish-speaking colleagues.

Recruitment was another key area of focus, as many companies struggled to attract diverse talent and ensure fair hiring practices. Traditional recruitment methods often led to unintentional exclusion, particularly due to unconscious biases and rigid job requirements. Some companies began refining job descriptions to emphasise skills rather than formal qualifications, while others introduced structured interview methods to ensure impartial assessments. A few organisations explored the possibility of anonymous recruitment, while others worked on providing clearer feedback to international applicants to make the hiring process more transparent and supportive. Some firms introduced job-shadowing, mentorship- and English trainee programmes to provide international employees a fair chance.

Creating an inclusive work culture was also a priority. Some organisations launched DEI training programmes, particularly for management, to increase awareness of biases and discriminatory practices.

Despite these positive steps, challenges still exist. Language requirements, established workplace norms and industry regulations often make full inclusion difficult. Larger organisations, in particular, find it hard to achieve fast changes due to the need for multiple approvals and complex administrative processes. However, companies recognised that meaningful progress happens gradually and that small, strategic steps can lead to long-term improvements. Many companies intend to sustain and build upon their diversity efforts beyond the EASWork project, with ongoing evaluations planned to measure impact and ensure continued progress.

Conclusions

To foster a more inclusive work environment, employers must recognise the socio-political context that affects employees with foreign backgrounds (Fang et al, 2022, Shore et al, 2018). While companies may not control broader political trends or social norms, they can actively work to reduce the negative impact these factors have. The path to meaningful employment is often fraught with challenges. Systemic barriers from language hurdles to unconscious biases, can stand in the way of their full integration into the workforce (OECD, 2023). In higher education, it is essential to support international students by investing not only in high-quality education but also in concrete support aimed at a good career in the Finnish labour market. This means that higher education institutions must also actively cooperate with the industry and strive to influence political decisions (Mathies & Karhunen, 2020).

EASWork is an Interreg Central Baltic financed project. The project partners are: Arcada University of Applied Sciences (FIN) (Lead), Vamos Diakonissalaitos (FIN) and the University of Tartu (EST).

Sofia Gylfe
Elina Sagne-Ollikainen  External link
Camilla Wikström-Grotell

References

Gylfe, S., Autiosaari, S., Saari, P., Hayford, M., Denysenko, O., (2024) Breaking barriers – Inclusive employment practices for refugees and migrants in Finland and Estonia A report by the EASWork project 2024. Available: https://centralbaltic.eu/wp-content/upl… External link

Fang, T., Xiao, N., Zhu, J., & Hartley, J. (2022). Employer Attitudes and the Hiring of Immigrants and International Students: Evidence from a Survey of Employers in Atlantic Canada. Canadian Public Policy, 48(S1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.3138/cpp.2022-007 External link (96)

Mathies, C., & Karhunen, H. (2020). Do they stay or go? Analysis of international students in Finland. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 19(3), 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2020.1… External link

OECD/European Commission (2023), Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2023: Settling In, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d5020a6-en External link.

Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07… External link