Employer perceptions towards the recruiting skilled immigrant professionals : SMEs in Northern Ostrobothnia

Abstract

Skilled immigrant employability has grabbed attention on a global scale due to its criticality for socioeconomic balance in every region. Finland also facing a similar situation, where skilled immigrant unemployment has become a major issue in the country. The main objective of this study is to assess SME sector employers’s perceptions towards recruiting skilled immigrant professionals. This objective was intended to be achieved by answering three research questions. Firstly study previous literature that has explained host country nationals (Native) and outgroup (immigrant) relationships using different theoretical models. Secondly, identify the potential for employers to fulfil their skilled labour requirements through immigrant skilled professionals. Finally, identify threats and benefits perceived by Finnish employers that determine the recruitment decision of immigrant skilled professionals. The research employed a qualitative approach that was based on the primary data collected from semi-structured interviews and a literature survey. The research sample consists of ten SME employers. All the responses of interviewees were analyzed using a thematic deductive approach based on two major themes called perceived benefits and perceived threats. As per the result of the literature survey the threat benefit model and stereotype content model have been recognized as the most appropriate models that can explain the employer's perception towards the immigrant skilled professionals. Results proved that the prevailing immigrant employee percentage remains low in the interviewed organizations. Though there is a high potential to recruit skilled immigrant professionals, prevailing drawbacks in operational readiness to promote multilingualism in SMEs prevent the number of opportunities that open up for non-Finnish speaking skilled professionals. Resolving human capital supply issues, fulfilling knowledge and skill gaps, improving international businesses and accessing the global market were perceived as major realistic benefits. Improving corporate image as an international company was recognized as the main symbolic benefit perceived by employers. The high work ethic of immigrants, capability to drive innovations and contribution to productivity received mixed opinions. Low wage expectations of immigrants were not perceived as a benefit. There were no prominent realistic threats perceived by the employers since discomforting peers, sense of insecurity working with immigrants and operational difficulties in the recruitment process received mixed opinions. Communication issues occurring due to insufficient language proficiency were the only significant symbolic threat expressed by SME employers. Cultural mismatches between natives and immigrants, unfavourable behavioral norms and conservative ideas of immigrants were not recognized as symbolic threats by employers. Both positive stereotypes and negative stereotypes were rejected by employers since they did not recognise the direct relationship between job seekers’ personality, competency and ethnicity of employees. Irrespective of some practical challenges, SME employer’s perception towards skilled immigrant recruitment was recognised as positive.