International student experience of employment integration in Finland

Abstract

International students have the potential to contribute significantly to host countries through cultural enrichment, economic growth, and human capital development. However, their successful integration into the host society is crucial to realise these benefits. By applying the framework of the two-way integration process from acculturation theory, this study examines the employment integration of international students in Finland, a non-native English-speaking country. Our semi-structured, qualitative in-depth interviews identify several key challenges encountered by international students, including limited information about the labour market, unfamiliarity with recruitment practices, a lack of industry connections, communication gaps from recruiting companies, and host country language barriers. We provide recommendations to organisations and recruiters on how to embrace diversity in their recruitment processes, as well as suggestions to universities on how to better support international students’ transition into the workforce of the host country.