An international knowledge worker is an expensive, but worthwhile investment. Yet, if an employee moves within the first year it will result in a loss of millions of Danish kroner, loss of time and dissapointments from the team.
When Denmark is rejected by the employee and/or family the high tax burden or a too low salary is rarely the reason.
Relocation is an investmetn in retention, faster focus on the job, better teamwork due to cultural understanding and a family that truely feels at home in Denmark.
An international knowledge worker is an expensive, but worthwhile investment. When an expat choose to leave, it is rearely the work environ. Far more often it is problems outside the workplace, the cultural challenges and a lack of belonging.
Relocation companies that focus on full service relocation and retention rather than a quick relocation are rare to find! The name of the leading company within retention of foreign employees is Relocare with companies in Denmark and Sweden and offices in Sealand and Jutland and partners globally.
“It all begins with what I experienced myself. After working in both Switzerland and France for many years, I took a Master’s Degree from De Montfort University, where I focused on the challenges of relocation and retention of highly educated, international employees,’
Else Christensen says.”
‘When you accidentally have poured yogurt in your coffee too many times, or electricity has been closed down, because you don’t know the Danish system and language, it gets hard to have the energy required to do your job,’ Else Christensen says with a serious smile.
“63% of all expats handles their own relocation, while 87% would advocate for relocation assistance. 59% think it is important that the spouse gets help finding a job. (Oxford Research, The Expat Study).
“As for international staff, an external adviser has a significantly greater chance of completing a family relocation, or handling an emergency situation because few nationalities mix private life with their professional life.”
Danish employees don’t give a surplus until their employment have lasted for several months. For international employees it normally takes even longer, and there are compliance demands for both company and employee which must be taken care of due to safety.
Companies are thus investing in relocation services in order to remain competitive and to ensure that the know-how stays in the companies and does not disappear together with the candidate who could not settle down.
Lacking compalince is futher much more costly and controlled since 2020 in Europe in particular, and can result in huge fines, deportation and exclusion from public contracts.
“An unemployed spouse or children who are bored in their new school, weigh heavily in the individual employee’s life. Family is more important than work!
That is the way it is for all of us, and the business leaders must give priority to that for their international workers, because it is difficult to move with a family cross boarders.
Therefore, Relocare also assist with the job search for the spouse, cultural courses, and school and recreational activites for the children, in addition to the practical assistance with immigration, tax, insurances, and finding a home etc.,’ Else Christensen says.”
It is with good reason that there is now more focus on the cultural challenges of attracting international employees to Denmark. The newest figures from the Labour Market Recruitment show that many international employees have begun to settle in Denmark, rather than to commute. In addition, more and more people arrive from more distant countries.
The unemployment rate in several municipalities is below 1% again and a huge lack of qualified and highly educated work force is a fact. Companies must look beyond the borders for skilled and highly skilled employees, and it is important to have the right tools to avoid that the newly onboarded talent moves to the compeditor instead.
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