The search for summer jobs in Finland peaks between January and March, creating a major task for both employers and job seekers. While many companies rely on traditional hiring methods, some have introduced innovative approaches to streamline the process and promote fairness.
In Nurmijärvi, the local municipality selects its young summer workers through a lottery system, a method that stands out from the mainstream hiring process.
"This method ensures equality and fairness for all young applicants," explained Katja Günther, the municipality's youth director.
"Young people don't have the kinds of CVs that adults with longer work experience have. Even if they've participated in hobbies or completed job shadowing programs, it's difficult to base hiring decisions solely on these factors," Günther said.
The lottery system also benefits employers by simplifying the selection process. Once selected, the chosen applicants are contacted and offered the positions. In recent years, the municipality has received hundreds of applications for its 80 available summer positions, which span various roles.
A recent episode of the the podcast All Points North recently dove into the Finnish job market and offered some tips for job seekers. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
DNA's CV-free application process
Telecommunications company DNA has also adopted a non-traditional hiring method by forgoing CVs and cover letters altogether when recruiting summer workers.
DNA's head of human resources, Marko Rissanen, explained that the CV-free approach aims to make the application process simple and fast. The company's summer jobs are open to adults, and this is the third year it has used this method.
Since eliminating the CV requirement, the number of applications has surged. DNA offers around 100 summer positions, and in recent years, they have received thousands of applications.
"We do have more applications to process, but by focusing on essential factors — such as skills and motivation — through a small set of questions, it actually makes the process easier for us," said Rissanen.
Traditional hiring methods still dominate
While some employers are experimenting with new methods, the majority of companies continue to rely on the traditional combination of CVs and cover letters.
"There are many ways to hire, but most employers still trust the conventional approach," said Lotta Viljamaa, recruitment and communications manager at the job search platform Duunitori.
However, Viljamaa noted that many employers are increasingly aware of the importance of social media in reaching potential summer job applicants.
According to Duunitori, the summer job market looks slightly better this year compared to last year. Job postings for summer positions between November and January increased by nearly 10 percent compared to the same period last year.
"Last summer was weaker than previous years due to the economic situation, and this year's uncertain economy is expected to have a similar dampening effect," Viljamaa said.
The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) also reported a similar outlook. Based on its survey, EK member companies are expected to offer around 110,000 summer or internship positions this year, up from 108,000 last year.
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