Recruitment checklist

If you do not have a business ID, you can hire an employee as a private individual, i.e. as a household. This means that you will become an employer and, as a rule, be subject to the same obligations as other employers.

When the employer is a foreign company that hires an employee to work in Finland, seek information on the following before the recruitment process:

• What social security contributions need to be made to Finnish authorities.
• Which country's labour laws apply to the employment.
• Whether your enterprises is required to register in the Finnish Tax Administration Employer Register.
• What insurances you must obtain for the employee.
• Whether the employee’s salary or compensation is subject to withholding tax.
• As an employer, what reports you must submit during the Finnish employment.

To succeed in recruitment:

1. Compare the best way to get an employee. Calculate how much the employee costs your company and how the costs affect profitability. In the calculations, take into account the subsidies that can be received for the costs incurred by the employee.
2. Make sure that the authorisations are in order so that online services can be used during and after recruitment.
3. Decide what type of employee you need Draw up a job advertisement based on your needs. At the same time, plan how to select the appropriate employee from among the applicants.
4. Find out how to search for a suitable person. Choose places for the job advertisement and publish it.
5. Review the applications carefully and interview the most suitable applicants.
6. Finally, select the most suitable employee and make the necessary agreements. Remember to also notify the applicants you did not select.
7. Plan the induction of the employee and get the practical matters right. Find out what to do before the employee starts working. Also find out which statutory obligations must be taken care of after recruitment.

If necessary, ask for help in planning recruitment, calculating costs and applying for an employee. Free advice is available via national counselling services:

• Enterprise Finland advisory service
• Work in Finland International Recruitment Advice Service for EmployersOpens in a new window.

During and after recruitment, take care of statutory obligations:

• Follow the legislation when recruiting and commissioning work.
• Find out whether a permit or professional qualification from the occupational safety and health authority is required for the tasks.
• Ensure that any agreements with the employee comply with legislation and Collective Labour Agreements.
• Make sure that you take out the necessary social insurances and that the employee receives at least statutory occupational health care services.
• Make sure that you know how to take care of your statutory obligations concerning pay, taxation, social insurance, occupational safety and health, and non-discrimination.
• Check the specific obligations if the employee is a foreigner or a minor.

Read more about labour legislation obligations

When hiring an employee through a temporary agency, you lease the employee from a temporary agency, which also serves as the employee's employer. Your company is responsible for guiding, instructing and supervising the temporary worker.

To lease a worker:

• Check the Collective Labour Agreements of your industry for any applicable restrictions on leased workers.
• As precisely as possible, define what tasks you need the employee for and any professional skill requirements.
• Contact the temporary employee agency of your choice.
• The agency seeks candidates that meet your requirements.
• Select the employee that best suits your needs.
• Sign an employee lease contract with the temporary employee agency.
• The agency signs an employment contract with the employee.
• Provide task and company orientation for the employee.
• Report the use of a leased worker to your occupational health care provider and occupational health and safety representative.

Note that your company and the temporary labour agency share responsibility for occupational health and safety:

• your company is responsible for everyday occupational safety
• while the temporary labour agency is responsible for observing the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act applying to employers, for providing the employees with occupational health care and for giving them general occupational health and safety guidance.

In an apprenticeship, you train the employee directly for the tasks you need.

To hire a worker on an apprenticeship contract:

• Define the tasks so that the student can practice tasks relevant to their field of study and degree.
• Contact your local apprenticeship office before publishing your job advertisement.
• Continue the recruitment process as agreed with the apprenticeship office.

Instructions for recruitment under an apprenticeship contract - Oppisopimus.fiOpens in a new window.

Apprenticeship providers - Oppisopimus.fiOpens in a new window.

A trainee must be paid a salary whenever the training is based on an employment relationship. The placement may only be unpaid if it is based on an agreement between the workplace and the education provider.

To hire a trainee:

• Define the tasks for the trainee; these tasks should support their studies. The trainee may perform tasks independently only if the traineeship is paid.
• Agree on the trainee’s supervisor.
• Check how to find a suitable trainee. You may find a trainee by, for example, contacting school career and recruitment services or student organisations, publish an apprenticeship advertisement via employment services, or find candidates from worker leasing businesses or your own networks.
• Sign an employment contract with your trainee. In case of unpaid traineeship, sign a traineeship agreement with the school or labour market training provider.

Note the following when hiring a minor:

• Ensure that no the tasks are restricted or prohibited for people under the age of 18; such work is considered too dangerous or harmful for minors.
• Heck whether the occupational health and safety authorities require advance notification.
• If the worker is under the age of 15, include their guardian in the employment contract process.
• If the employment lasts for a minimum of 2 months, keep the following information: the name and date of birth of the worker, the name and address of their guardian, the starting time of employment a report on work tasks.
• If the employment lasts for a minimum of 3 months, arrange a health check for the worker.

Employment pension insurance fees do not apply to workers who have reached the maximum age for old-age pension.

Note the following when hiring a minor:

• Facilitate applying for a job, and encourage diverse people to apply.
• Contact the employment services for help.
• Check the possibility for work try-outs.
• Prepare to adapt work tasks to the employee's limitations and skills, to provide flexible working hours and to involve an occupational healthcare representative in the planning of work tasks.
• Plan the orientation to suit the needs and disabilities of the employee.
• It is a good idea to name a support person at the workplace who can give advice and help the employee also later during their employment.

Instructions for accessible recruitment: Accessible recruitment of people with disabilities (in Finnish) - esteentonrekrytointi.fiOpens in a new window.

If your employee is a foreigner who already lives in Finland:

• Ensure that the worker has a residence permit and has the right to work in Finland or that they do not need a residence permit.
• Ensure that the employee has the right to work throughout the employment relationship.
• Report the employee's name and the applicable Collective Labour Agreement to the elected official in the workplace.
• Submit an employee notification to the Finnish Immigration Service if the employee comes from outside the EU and has a valid residence permit and right to work.
• Check whether the employee’s salary is subject to withholding tax or tax at source.
• Retain your data on the foreign employee and the basis of their right to work for two years after the termination of their employment.
• Report the termination of employment to the Finnish Immigration Service if the employee is a citizen of a country other than the EU, EEA or Switzerland and works in Finland with a residence permit issued on the basis of employment.

If your employee is a foreigner who does not yet live in Finland:

• You can seek employees from abroad if workers with the required skills are unavailable in Finland.
• Please note that citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland can work in Finland without a residence permit, but citizens of other countries usually require a residence permit and the right to work in Finland. If you hire an employee from outside the EU and EEA countries and your employee applies for an employee's residence permit or a seasonal work residence permit lasting more than 6 months, the Finnish Immigration Service may conduct a Labour Market Test as part of processing the application.
• The employment services and the Work in Finland can help you in the recruitment process.
• Ensure that the worker has a residence permit and has the right to work in Finland or that they do not need a residence permit. If necessary, assist the worker in obtaining a suitable residence permit.
• In orientation, pay special attention to introducing the characteristics of Finnish working life, labour legislation and occupational safety requirements.
• Help your employee with the practicalities of moving to and living in Finland.
• Check whether the employee’s salary is subject to withholding tax or tax at source.
• Retain your data on the foreign employee and the basis of their right to work for two years after the termination of their employment.

Help with international recruitment:

• Search for EURES AdvisersOpens in a new window.
• Work in Finland International Recruitment Advice Service for EmployersOpens in a new window.

If your employee is not a citizen of an EU or EEA country, they must have a valid residence permit before starting work.

Do as follows when your employee needs a residence permit for an employed person:

• Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the residence permit of an employed person.
• Create an account in the Enter Finland for Employers web service.
• Instruct the employee to apply for a residence permit for an employed person in Enter Finland.
• Inform the employee of your company’s business ID and ask them to add it to the application so that you can supplement the terms of employment.
• Fill in the terms of employment when your employee has sent their application in Enter Finland.
• Instruct the employee to book an appointment for proving their identity at a Finnish mission or a VFS service centre.
• Instruct the employee to collect the residence permit card before travelling to Finland.
• Help the employee to book in advance the appointments with the authorities that are required after the move.

You can follow the progress of the application in the Enter Finland service.

When the employee arrives in Finland:

• Give the employee the employment contract for managing matters with the authorities.
• Instruct the employee to register their personal, address and necessary family relationship data in the Finnish Population Information System at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
• Instruct the employee to obtain a tax card from the Tax Administration and deliver it to you.
• Advise the employee to contact Kela if they need Kela’s benefits.
• Inform the shop steward of the workplace of the foreign employee's name and the collective agreement applicable to the employment relationship.
• Retain the foreign employee data and the grounds for their right to work.
• Submit a notification of end of employment to the Finnish Immigration Service.

Information package on applying for a work-based residence permit and moving to Finland on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website (PDF)Opens in a new window.