Denmark needs international employees like you and me. An analysis from DI states that more than half of Danish companies expect challenges related to labor shortage as they look toward 2030. The green transition succeeded the digital transformation, and an ageing population are some of the factors Danish companies are facing when it comes to securing a qualified workforce now and in the future.
We know that employees with an international background play a significant role in the Danish labour force. In 2023, 13% of employees did not hold a Danish passport and over the last 10 years, the number of non-Danish employees has more than doubled. Internationals contribute significantly to the Danish GDP, with a record-high 282 billion DKK in 2023, constituting 11% of the GDP increase. International employees make a difference every day in many Danish companies and are also helping uphold the Danish welfare state. But we can do better for the many international employees who choose Denmark as a destination for their professional careers.
Coming to Denmark
I understand why many internationals choose Denmark as their career destination: innovative work environments, flat hierarchical structure, flexibility, and work-life balance are just a few of the characteristics that distinguish Denmark from other countries. However, being an international myself, I know that we can still do more in Denmark to make it easier for companies to hire internationals and, not least, for internationals to feel more at home here. Internationals enrich our workforce and society, and we should make them want to stay as long as possible.
The administrative procedures around, for example, hiring and onboarding internationals could very well be simplified. It should be easier for the Danish companies to get the employees they need and to ensure a smoother start to life in Denmark for the internationals. When you move to a new country, possibly with a family, you need to focus on many important issues, like settling into a new home and finding a school for your children.
Network and language
Offers like free Danish lessons, introductions to the Danish club culture, social life, and other leisure activities are key to a prosperous private life in Denmark. Language, for one, is so important. I took Danish lessons from day one and could order bread at the local bakery after a week. It opened doors to the Danish culture and gave me a sense of belonging to Danish society.
I also joined a Beach Volley Club when I first moved to Denmark, and it turned out to be a lifesaver. I became part of a great community of Danes and formed long-term friendships. Furthermore, friendly and curious colleagues invited me to their homes, which made a huge difference and gave me a network outside of work. This is not necessarily the norm at Danish workplaces, but it paves the way for easy access to learning Danish and joining other forms of networks in Denmark.
Support is there – and we can do even better
Administrative support, access to Danish language lessons and access to the rich Danish association network are already supported by many initiatives. For example, settlement consultants throughout municipalities in Denmark can help with practical matters such as registration with authorities, institutions for children, and finding a job for an accompanying partner. Dansk Industri facilitates a ‘Best Practices’ network for municipal settlement consultants to strengthen their work and presence in Danish municipalities.
The Expat in Denmark initiative, facilitated by Dansk Industri, has been created to support international employees and their families with the life outside of work by providing information on Danish culture and events.
The administrative difficulties that many internationals face, as well as the rhetoric around foreigners in Denmark, pose a great challenge for many internationals’ lives in Denmark. I have faced them myself and chose to embrace Denmark early on and make my international background one of my strengths. I hope that in the future, we talk about international employees not only as a source of much-needed labor but also as individuals we want because diversity and different ways of thinking enrich working life with innovative solutions and better results, thereby developing our society.
About Dansk Industri
- Dansk Industri (Confederation of Danish Industry), or DI, is Denmark’s largest, most representative, and most influential business and employers’ organization. It is responsible for negotiating collective agreements with the labor unions.
- Officially founded in 1992, its origins date back to the end of the 1800s.
- DI has more than one thousand employees and offices all over the world. As of today, around 20,000 companies are members of Dansk Industri. The organization is among those advocating to bring more internationals to Denmark to sustain the economy.
*Kinga Szabo Christensen is the Deputy Director at General at Danish Industry
