I have recently spent time with Danish companies talking about how they are on board international. Why the conversations? Because the small and medium-sized companies in Denmark have a great need for specialist skills, and the Danish workforce cannot deliver fully.
In addition, the internationals bring competencies to the table that enable companies to excel – driven by the insight and innovation that different talents provide.
Onboarding research
Recruiting ‘international talent’ is not without challenges. A soft landing, a welcoming company, and a broader environment that embraces the international (and any family that accompanies them) are essential to ensure i) that they can successfully deliver the expertise and support the company’s productivity and innovation; and ii) that they remain. After all, it is expensive to recruit someone from abroad, and companies must have a return on their investment.
That is why I, together with my partners – Danish Industry, the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Capacity, Business Region Aarhus and TalentED Consultancy – have set up a research project to look at how companies can be onboarded successfully. ODIS, a three-year project, has received DKK 5.7 million from the Innovation Fund Denmark.
Bottle best practice
Even though we all think we are capable of recognizing good onboarding – what does it really contain? Why is it good? And can it be bottled?
We have just started our research and it is underway, but so far we have found two key areas of interest: the critical role of management in the internationalization of a company; and the role of an inclusive culture to ensure successful onboarding and retention of foreign employees.
Important questions
We would like to bottle onboarding when it is done well – but we are not ready to do it completely yet.
Questions are left. We know that leadership and inclusive culture are important – but how important? And can we turn this knowledge into the tools companies can use to help them improve their onboarding? There are already a number of tools out there, so we will i) develop tools needed based on our research findings; ii) supplement and expand rather than reinvent existing tools; iii) maybe even create tools that will give companies answers to questions they have not even thought about asking yet.
As part of our research, I would very much like to talk to you if you are: leading a company looking to hire foreign talent; if you are involved in hiring international; or if you yourself are international.
Send me a message and let’s have coffee (or tea if you prefer).
Source: The Nordic Page