Relocating employees to a new country is a significant investment in talent and growth. At Intero Integration, we understand the importance of ensuring your new team members transition smoothly into their new roles and lives in Finland. Our comprehensive relocation and integration services are designed to support your employees every step of the way, allowing them to focus on their professional contributions from day one. In this newsletter, we provide an in-depth look at our process and highlight why our services make a significant difference for businesses and their relocated employees.
Step-by-Step How We Do It
Step 1- Initial Consultation and Needs Assessment Our partnership begins with a detailed consultation to understand your company's specific needs and the individual requirements of your relocating employees. We assess their preferences, concerns, and any special circumstances to tailor our services effectively.
Step 2 - Pre-Arrival Support To ensure a smooth transition, we provide your employees with comprehensive pre-arrival support. This includes guidance on visa and immigration processes, cultural insights, and practical advice on what to expect upon arrival in Finland. We understand that moving to a new country involves more than just logistics, so we also offer personalized advice on what to pack, including essentials and important documents. If your new team member is relocating with a spouse or family, we make sure to have a dedicated chat with them to address their specific needs and concerns. This holistic approach helps everyone feel prepared and supported. We also assist in arranging temporary accommodation, ensuring your employees have a comfortable place to stay from day one.
Step 3 - Home Finding Assistance Finding a suitable home is crucial for your employees’ well-being and productivity. Our home-finding services include presenting a selection of properties, arranging viewings, and negotiating lease terms. Our local market expertise ensures your employees find homes that meet their needs and budgets. Even before arrival, we can provide a video of the surroundings of the desired apartment or home so that your team member knows exactly what to expect. We offer detailed information about different areas to ensure the new home is well-connected with transportation links. Additionally, we suggest reputable rental companies and provide information on various shops and services your employees will need to buy all the essentials for their new home. This thorough approach helps your employees feel settled and supported from day one.
Step 4 - Settling-In and Services Upon arrival, we offer hands-on 3-month support to help your employees settle in quickly. This includes setting up essential services like utilities, internet, and banking. We accompany them to important offices such as DVV and Kela, ensuring they complete necessary registrations smoothly. Additionally, we provide comprehensive information about the transportation system, education options, where to find various forms of support, and where to buy essentials for their new home. We also provide walking tours and cultural training to help your employees acclimate to their new environment highlighting important locations such as grocery stores, healthcare facilities, and public transportation options. This thorough approach ensures your employees feel confident and supported as they integrate into their new community.
Step 5 - Language and Cultural Integration Adapting to a new culture and language is crucial for your employees’ successful integration. While we don't offer a language course directly, we provide valuable resources to help your employees find suitable courses and tutors. Through our partnerships with language tutors, we offer access to their services, ensuring your employees receive quality language instruction tailored to their needs. We provide information about language cafes and other places where they can practice Finnish in a supportive environment. Additionally, our comprehensive cultural training workshops provide insights into Finnish customs, traditions, and social norms. Understanding these cultural nuances is essential for effective communication and building strong relationships both in and out of the workplace. We also offer guidance on navigating everyday situations, such as greetings, social norms, dining etiquette, and workplace interactions, to help your employees feel confident and comfortable in their new environment.
Step 6 - Ongoing Support and Community Engagement Our support doesn’t end once your employees are settled with the bureaucratic paperwork. In fact, ongoing support is the most crucial part of our mission. We provide ongoing guidance to focus on any challenges that may encounter, including bureaucratic procedures and social integration. This part of our service is personalized and focuses on what the new team member or their spouse needs the most. Whether it's joining them for a networking event to demonstrate how networking is done in Finland, assisting with filling out university applications for a spouse, offering support on making friends, finding a therapist, finding a hobby, suggesting hiking trails, providing travel tips for visiting Estonia or helping a spouse build their CV and find a good career coach, we are here to support them every step of the way. Our network of expatriates and local communities offers a valuable support system for your employees and their spouses, ensuring they feel welcomed and empowered in their new environment.
Step 7 - Open Communications and Regular Updates Staying connected and communicating regularly is the key. As we support you, we're flexible and can adjust to your needs. Throughout the 3-month support period, we'll give you monthly updates and hear your feedback on how things are going. Our monthly updates serve as checkpoints, opportunities to reflect on the progress made and the milestones achieved. We celebrate the journey together. Our Customer Journey Report provides a summary of the steps taken, the obstacles overcome, and the growth experienced along the way. It's a reminder of the incredible transformation that occurs when resilience meets resourcefulness, and community meets compassion.
The Difference Our Services Make
The impact of effective relocation and extensive integration services goes far beyond simply moving belongings from one place to another. It's about fostering a sense of belonging, supporting individuals to thrive in their new environment, and ultimately, maximizing the investment in global talent. 85% of companies that use professional relocation services report higher satisfaction and retention rates among relocated employees. This isn't just a number - it's proof of the real difference that personalized support and local expertise can make in the lives of individuals and the success of businesses.
Language barriers are often marked as a significant challenge for relocated employees, with 70% identifying it as such. Our support and guidance to find the right language course or tutor is a vital bridge, helping to break down communication barriers and foster meaningful connections in both the workplace and everyday interactions.
The most significant impact of our services lies in the moments of created connections, the friendships formed, the access to the information at the right time, and the memories created while making Finland a new home. It's about the sense of community integrated through cultural workshops, networking events, and shared experiences. It's about the confidence gained through personalized support and guidance, empowering individuals to embrace new opportunities and realize their full potential.
For us the meaning of a relocation is more than just a physical journey, it's a journey of the heart and mind. It's our privilege to walk alongside you every step of the way, providing the support, guidance, and inspiration needed to turn this journey into a warm welcome to your new team members.
If you have any questions or need assistance, we are happy to help you. Thank you for choosing Intero and for being curious!
Warm summer wishes,
The Intero Integration Team
Marii, Chiara & Maija
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Written by @Marii Juht
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