Navigating work and culture in Finland

It’s been a little over 3 years since I moved to Finland. I’ve been lucky to meet many wonderful and welcoming Finnish people, many of them being my colleagues. Looking back at my first year, I was invited to participate in the Finnish tradition of watching the Presidential Independence Day reception on the 6th of December. We sat in front of the TV and commented on the guests as they arrived at the reception. It was an odd yet interesting first glimpse of Finnish culture.

I have since experienced many more traditional Finnish celebrations. Vappu, which is on Labour Day, is perhaps my favorite. It celebrates the arrival of spring after the dark cold winter. People start coming out of social hibernation, days get longer, and I enjoy a glass of sima with some munkki.

Working at Druid

In my first year, Covid restrictions limited social interactions, and during the summer, I began my internship at Druid. While most people worked remotely, a handful were regulars at the office, including the reserved Finns I had heard about. Initially, our interactions were brief, with short greetings or a simple nod. It took some time, but gradually, we warmed up to each other. Despite their reserved nature, they were always nice and helpful, readily answering my questions from the start.

My experience at Druid has been marked by an admirable work culture. With an 8-to-4 work schedule, clear boundaries between work and personal time allow me to unwind and pursue personal interests without lingering work-related thoughts. I was acknowledged for going the extra mile when an initiative of mine resulted in a promotion and a raise – a gesture that highlighted how the company values and recognizes its employees.

Living in Finland

As an introvert, I found it easy to adapt to Finnish culture. There's no pressure to be social and do 'small talk'. People mind their own business and respect personal space. There's a joke that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Finns were happy when the 2m social distancing rule was lifted because it meant they could go back to their normal 4m distance. However, it does not mean all Finns are cold and reserved. I've befriended plenty of warm and outgoing Finns. I find Finnish humour appealing, and I want to be fluent in Finnish to understand it better.

Learning Finnish has been both challenging and rewarding. Despite the difficulty, the pronunciation is predictable and exceptions are few. Most of my colleagues at Druid are Finns. They understand that I am learning a difficult language and are happy to help me practice. I am hoping to become fluent in a few years. In the meantime, I am grateful for my colleagues who make sure that I am included, switching to English when possible and briefing me when not.

Working for Druid has exposed me to Finnish culture through daily interactions with colleagues. My journey as an immigrant in Finland has been fortunate, marked by adapting to reserved Finnish personalities and embracing cultural differences along the way. I’ve yet to grow accustomed though to the most important one: saunas! But I am working on it.

Updated on October 14, 2024.

This post was originally published on Druid's blog.