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芬兰需要多样性人才,促进更多芬兰创新

芬兰的首都地区-赫尔辛基新地区在欧盟的社会进步指数(EU Social Progress Index 2020)中排名第二。

Tuula Palaste

芬兰是一个创新的国度。但它从二战后欧洲最贫穷的国家之一崛起成为世界上数一数二的创新国家,这个过程并非一蹴而就。相反,芬兰的成功归功于各种长期和短期公共政策和投资措施。自20世纪80年代以来,芬兰将研究和创新视为未来经济增长的重要动力,并在人员、专业知识和研发方面投入了大量资金。 芬兰国土面积虽小,却在多项全球排名中脱颖而出。例如,芬兰被《2021年全球幸福指数报告》评比为全球最幸福的国家,在2019年全球创新指数中评为全球最佳商业环境,并位列2019年世界最具创新力国家第三名。 在芬兰生活了15年后,我也已经将这个国家视为家乡。这段时间让我了解到,芬兰从贫困走向繁荣的过程中,芬兰文化和“sisu”(坚忍不拔)精神发挥着重要作用。气候条件恶劣和自然资源贫乏塑造了芬兰人的sisu精神。对我而言,“sisu”一词不仅代表勇敢顽强,更意味着勇于面对挑战,充分利用创造力用最少的资源获取最大效益。凭着这种精神,芬兰克服了许多前所未有的挑战,如冬季战争、20世纪90年代初的经济萧条、2008年全球金融危机和新冠肺炎疫情。 倡导自由贸易、面向全球投资开放的知识和创新是芬兰经济取得成功的基础。商业国际化是芬兰经济长期增长的关键。这表示产业及公司在产品、服务或商业模式开发的各个环节都要运用不同的专业知识和文化背景以创造附加价值。正因如此,包括芬兰在内的世界各国争先开展各种计划,以吸引国际人才在地就业。 运气并不是创新或进步的基石。惟有不懈努力、坚持实践才能收获成功。 目前,芬兰只有7.8%的公民在外国出生或具国际背景。因此,吸引和留住国际人才是芬兰政府和赫尔辛基新地区(Uusimaa Region)的重中之重。为增加国际就业,芬兰成立了人才促进(TalentBoost)等国家项目和名为捷径(The Shortcut)的地方倡议组织。赫尔辛基等城市已经启动匿名招聘,旨在增加工作场所的人才多样性。 我于2006年从台湾来到芬兰,当时刚刚毕业,获得国际事务学位。我对芬兰的了解主要基于自己为期一年关于芬兰欧盟一体化的论文研究。尽管困难重重,但我还是获得了一个为期九个月的工作机会,参与芬兰—亚洲合作发展项目。这份工作为我开启了从事欧盟事务公共行政管理的职业生涯。现在,我的任务是使赫尔辛基新地区成为全球最具创新力、最富创业精神和最可持续发展的地区。 商业国际化是芬兰经济长期增长的关键。 在聆听了许多国际人才在芬兰找工作的经验后,我深深感受到他们在过程中的挣扎。想到自己现今的处境,我只能说我真是好运气了。因为我的雇主愿意给我机会,他们不仅相信我的能力,还为我提供学习芬兰语的机会。这也正是居住在芬兰的外国人才所需要的:被给予机会,与雇主一起成长。 但运气并不是创新或进步的基石。惟有不懈努力、坚持实践才能收获成功。我们常说,“举全村之力才能养育一个孩子”。为了芬兰的未来,整个国家更应该为企业创造有利环境,推动企业在全球互联的世界中创新和发展。为此,不仅要采取行动改善芬兰的市场经济条件,还要公营、私营和第三部门奋勇前行——发扬芬兰的sisu精神——将人才多样性作为优先事项。

Finland is a land of innovation. But its rise from one of Europe’s poorest countries post-WWII to one of the world’s most innovative nations wasn’t achieved overnight. Instead, Finland’s success is a culmination of multiple long and short-term public policy and investment measures. Since the 1980s, the country has seen research and innovation as an important driver for its future economic growth and invested vast amounts of money in people, knowhow and R&D. 

Despite its small size, Finland triumphs in many global comparisons. For example, it has been named the happiest country in the world by the World Happiness Report 2021, the best business environment in the World Global Innovation Index 2019 and the third most innovative country in the Bloomberg Innovation Index 2019.

Finland’s capital region, Helsinki-Uusimaa, was ranked second in the EU Social Progress Index 2020. Image: Tuula Palaste

After living in Finland for 15 years, I now call it home. This time has taught me how the Finnish culture and the mindset of ‘sisu’ have played an important role in lifting the country from poverty to prosperity. The harsh weather conditions and scarce resources have shaped the spirit of Finns. To me, the term sisu is not only about being courageous and resilient but also about being open to challenges and using creativity to achieve more with less. This is how Finland has endured many unprecedented challenges, such as the Winter War, the early 1990s depression, the global financial crisis in 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finland’s economic success is built on knowledge and innovation which advocates free trade and openness to global investment. The internationalisation of business is key to Finland’s long-term growth. It requires involving diverse expertise and cultural backgrounds at every step of product, service or business-model development. That is why nearly all countries, Finland among them, are in a war for talent. 

“Luck doesn’t make innovation or progress. Concerted efforts and continuous practices do.”

Currently, only 7.8 per cent of Finnish citizens are foreign-born. Consequently attracting and retaining international talent is a top priority for the Finnish government and for the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. National initiatives such as TalentBoost and the local initiative The Shortcut have been set up to increase international employment. At a municipal level, cities like Helsinki have started to use anonymous recruitment which aims to increase diversity at the workplace. 

The City of Helsinki wants to produce increasingly diverse workplaces. Image: Business Finland

WhenI moved to Finland from Taiwan in 2006, I was only a fresh graduate with a degree in international affairs and a thesis on Finland’s integration with the EU. Against all odds, I was offered a job for a short development project on Finnish-Asian cooperation. It became a job that opened the door for me to have a career in public administration in EU affairs. Now I am on a mission of making Helsinki-Uusimaa the most innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable region in the world.

“The internationalisation of business is key to Finland’s long-term growth.”

After hearing about the struggles many international talents experience when trying to land a job in Finland, I consider myself lucky that my employer was willing to take a chance on me. They didn’t only believe in my potential but also empowered me to learn Finnish and develop my language skills along the way.  That’s what international talents in Finland need – to be given a chance to contribute and grow with their employer. 

Luck doesn’t make innovation or progress. Concerted efforts and continuous practices do. We used to say, “it takes a village to raise a child”. When it comes to the future of Finland, it takes a whole country to create a favourable environment for companies to innovate and grow in today’s globally connected world. This requires not only actions to strengthen the market economy conditions in Finland but also the courage and the Finnish sisu from the public, private and third sectors to make diversity a priority.