Denmark is hungry for foreign labour

BY MARLENE LYHNE SØRENSEN

Illustration by Lars Chrois

A low crime rate, a good balance between working life and private life, and a bus driver who wakes you up if you are asleep when you reach your destination. These are some of the things foreigners can expect, if they move to Denmark to work. The Danish labour market needs foreign labour, so there are great opportunities to build a career.

The Danish national anthem begins with the words Der er et yndigt land [There is a lovely land]. And indeed it is, with green hills and valleys, gently waving fields of corn and foaming blue sea, although not necessarily lovely enough to coax foreign labour to these shores. But from the Danish business community, the message is clear: foreign labour is wholeheartedly welcome and demographic trends clearly indicate a present and future need.

“Attracting foreign workers hinges on being able to offer a step up the career ladder in relation to what they can otherwise achieve,

and Denmark frequently has some something to offer. There are many job opportunities and a modern management style which gives employees a fairly large say in decision-making. This can be especially attractive to foreigners who have grown up in more authoritarian environments,” says Australian Skip Bowman, who is a consultant at Life in Denmark, a network for foreign workers in Denmark.

Microsoft Development Center, which develops global business systems, is one of the companies in Denmark with a strong interest in attracting foreign labour. The center currently employs 850 people, one third of whom come from foreign countries including Ukraine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, USA and India.

“It has always been our objective to create an international workplace, and because of the shortage of IT specialists in Denmark, we intensified our recruitment efforts outside Denmark’s borders three years ago,” says site leader Charlotte Mark.

Microsoft Development Center offers the opportunity to work in a highly technical environment and the prospect of an international career, which can pave the way for starting up one’s own company.

CONTENTEDNESS COUNTS

But the chance of a challenging and well-paid job is only one side of a successful life in Denmark. It is another matter entirely to offer conditions that encourage foreign workers to stay in the tiny kingdom for an extended period. It is not about fringe benefits, promotion and pay rises, but rather about cinema trips, dinners and friendships, not least for the employee’s spouse and children in those cases where the whole family has moved to Denmark. If families are not content, experience shows that foreign workers leave Denmark within a few years.

“It costs about half a million kroner each time you recruit someone to Denmark, so everyone has an interest in making sure that the family settles in properly,” says Charlotte Mark.

More and more companies have realised that the contentedness of staff and their families needs to be safeguarded, and so they have launched a number of initiatives to make it easier for foreign staff and their families to create networks.

Two years ago, Microsoft started a special integration programme to help make Denmark a pleasant experience. Spouses are offered coaching to ease the path to finding a job, and social events are planned to help expand the family’s network in Denmark.

“We quickly discovered that it was important to involve spouses. If he or she does not settle in, then the entire family will leave,” says Charlotte Mark.

DIVERSITY IS A STRENGTH

The Danish language is one of the challenges that foreigners encounter, for example in relation to contact with public sector authorities and in social contexts, so many companies offer Danish language courses.

One of these is toy manufacturer The LEGO Group, which offers twice-weekly Danish tuition. But as HR consultant Anette Klausen points out:

“Lego’s corporate language is English, so it is not a requirement that our foreign staff can speak Danish. We also think it is important that society is ready to receive foreign nationals, for instance that the tax office and the bank have people who can speak English and that documents are available in English. Fortunately this is largely the case.”

In the development department, The LEGO Group has recruited a third of its staff outside Denmark’s borders for a number of years, and the internationalisation has gradually spread to the rest of the company. Recruitment is carried out in close contact with educational institutions around the world:

“We want to be a company with great diversity, since in our opinion it creates the best conditions for inspired work,” says Anette Klausen.

Jytte Assenholm is personal assistant to The LEGO Group’s foreign staff. She assists when foreign staff need to open a bank account, when the tax authority knocks on the door, or if they need a new place to live:

“We do not want our staff to feel left to fend for themselves. So we have established an Expatriate Club, just as we make living accommodation available to our foreign staff,” says Jytte Assenholm.

CHILDREN CYCLE TO SCHOOL

The LEGO Group is an international brand, just like other major Danish companies such as pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and shipping concern A.P.Møller-Mærsk, which gives them a head start in the competition for foreign workers. One of the challenges of attracting labour to Denmark is that very few people know much about this small Scandinavian country.

Regarding Denmark’s positive attributes, many newcomers mention the low crime rate and high level of safety, which means for example that you can let your children cycle to school. The LEGO Group is headquartered in Billund, a small provincial town, and several foreign staff have noticed the well-developed public transport system.

“Some come from big cities with a ceaseless myriad of people and traffic. Here in Denmark, several have recounted how they are woken by the bus driver if they have fallen asleep when they reach their destination. It impresses them that the driver gives such attention and service” says Jytte Assenholm.

The lack of corruption and the balance between working life and private life are also often on foreign workers’ positive list when they assess Denmark’s pros and cons. On the other hand, some think that Danes can be difficult to get to know.

“Danes are highly individualistic people, who do not immediately open up to people from other lands. So foreigners must be prepared to venture into many new things and initiate social activities themselves,” says Skip Bowman.

Charlotte Mark from Microsoft agrees. But she thinks it is not difficult for Danes to open up – in most cases it is just a matter of overcoming their shyness:

“I have been contacted by many Danes who would like to help. One wanted to hear whether a couple of the foreign staff would like to sing in the local choir. I am sure there are many out there who are keen to socialise. So it is very important that companies continue to arrange events where newcomers, their families and Danes can meet,” says Charlotte Mark.

I NEVER FEEL FAR FROM HOME IN DENMARK

23 year old Fenella Holden is from London, and has been a designer at The LEGO Group in Denmark since October 2007. She lives in the town of Kolding and expects to stay in Denmark for at least 3-5 years.

HOW HAVE YOU LIKED IT SO FAR?

My experience of Denmark has so far been very positive. I have never felt very far from home, because everybody speaks English, and the culture is not so different from what I am used to in England, so the transition has been quite easy. I think Danish people are quite open and interested in getting to know you. When I go out, people want to chat, and the same thing happened the other day on the train. Also it has been quite easy to find a place to live.

WHAT HAVE THE CHALLENGES BEEN?

Danish is a challenge but luckily I do not have to speak Danish in my job, and outside work most people also speak English, so it is not really a problem. The biggest challenge I think, is the level of prices. Everything is very expensive. And I miss my family sometimes.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND OTHER FOREIGNERS TO MOVE TO DENMARK FOR WORK?

Yes. I am glad I did not miss out on this opportunity. The job is great and generally it is a rewarding experience living abroad.

TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU USE THE BENEFITS OFFERED TO EXPATRIATES AT THE LEGO GROUP?

I use the expatriate club and the international network provided at LEGO very much. My whole network is from LEGO. The HR staff have been unbelievably helpful in my relocation to Denmark and I would not have been able to adjust so easily without them.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

I do think about staying permanently in Denmark as I feel very happy and settled here and I think it would be a great place to live for a long time.

I HAVE BECOME A MORE INTERESTING PERSON

It has been a long and at times difficult journey, but it has been worth it, says Australian Skip Bowman, who moved to Denmark in 1993. Today he is married, has two children and is a consultant in the Life in Denmark network, which helps to create contact between foreign staff and their families across workplaces in Denmark.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF DENMARK?

I came to Denmark for the first time in the summer of 1992. It was a festive time and the highlight was the European Football Championship. The whole country was wrapped up in celebrations and I have never seen so many happy people in Copenhagen’s streets. I was in Denmark for 2 months and got a really positive impression. After a year I decided to move back to Denmark and found a place at Roskilde University to begin studying.

WHAT HAS BEEN GOOD ABOUT YOUR LIFE IN DENMARK?

Denmark quickly became a part of who I am. My investment in the language and culture was huge, but it has paid off. I am a much more interesting person because of the journey. To be a part of two cultures: Australian
and Danish, adds much more than it takes away. But you never stop being homesick. The biggest positives about Denmark are the quality of life and the ambition to make a society that is equal, sustainable and kind. There are also strong professional and academic traditions, and it’s a great place to study and work. Being in Denmark, you are also a part of and close to the rest of Europe.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEGATIVES?

The weather, though traditions like Christmas, candles and the ability to go skiing in nearby countries make up for the long nights. Socially, it was tough at times, though younger Danes, especially at university, are more likely to make you feel welcome. I spent evening after evening trying to listen and understand Danish. It was frustrating and to be honest boring, people were less sensitive than perhaps was fair. But in the main, it was a personal journey and in my case it has been both a challenging and rewarding experience.

Sometimes I miss the cultural diversity of other countries, where difference is celebrated more and where people are more extrovert and socially adventurous and open to making new friends.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER FOREIGNERS CONSIDERING MOVING TO DENMARK?

For expats looking for short to medium term work and a limited attachment to Danish culture and language, they need to consider the standard things: Am I really ready or suited to living in a foreign country for an extended period of time? Is my family ready to move and will they be happy?