Want to keep your international talent? Start by telling them it’s okay to leave. This counterintuitive approach addresses one of Denmark’s most hidden career dynamics – and could save your company significant recruitment costs.

Meet Ana. She is a senior project manager who left Denmark early – 3 years into her 4-year contract. Her departure cost her company nearly 600,000 kroner in replacement costs and much more in lost knowledge and the vacancy she left behind. When asked why she didn’t explore other Danish opportunities, her answer was revealing: “I did! I applied for a number jobs in Denmark but I was never invited for an interview. My former boss has said that he feels bad about it. He would have helped me. I had no idea he would do that. I would never have asked him for help.”

The Danish mobility network: how it works

After 2-4 years in a job, many Danes become a bit jittery. They are ready for development (a need ingrained in our Danish DNA), and it is, of course, not always possible in their current company. So they look for their next job, and they ask colleagues or others in their network to help them. Sometimes they even ask their own manager if they have a close and trusting relationship. Even if the new job is with the competition.

In many countries, this would raise eyebrows. In Denmark, it raises your career. This informal promotion network extends naturally from Denmark’s “flexicurity” model, where switching jobs isn’t just accepted, but often expected. What’s less discussed is how this mobility is enabled by the support you get from your colleagues. Danes rarely just apply for a job. Someone puts out a feeler, connects them – and they may even return, in a month or five years. This works well for everyone – people are switching places, networks are built, people are developing their competencies in other parts of the sector, and getting a new job doesn’t feel quite as risky when you can always come ‘home’ again.

The international blind spot

Most internationals don’t know this. They don’t realize they can ask colleagues for ideas on where to go or that it’s normal to do so. And Danes rarely think to explain it as they think it is well-known. (Of course, this is a dance, like all networking in Denmark. And internationals seldom do the dance very elegantly at first. But the only way to learn is to try, one small dance step at a time).

The result? When an international employee has a year left of their contract, they start looking for a new job in Denmark. That is most likely unsuccessful, as getting a job as an international is very difficult unless you have someone promoting you. So they look for jobs outside the country, for non-EU employees, knowing they will lose their own and their family’s right to stay in Denmark if there’s a gap in employment. Then they leave – not just your company, but the country.

This turnover costs Danish companies millions annually in lost productivity, recruitment costs, and depleted institutional knowledge – all because we haven’t made explicit what Danes implicitly know: mobility isn’t betrayal, it’s how we develop careers and build resilient networks.

Making the Implicit Explicit: What Leaders Can Do

If you lead a diverse team in Denmark, here’s how to address this:

• Start the “what’s next” conversation during the first six months

• Share specific examples of how Danish colleagues have moved between companies

• Introduce them to your broader industry network, not just company contacts

• Explicitly state: “When you’re ready for a new challenge, I’ll help you find it – here or elsewhere. You will then be my connection in their company – great for me as well.”

• Most importantly, say: “You’re welcome back”

That simple phrase, so common among Danes, can be transformational for someone who feels like they’re on the edge of exile.

By helping your internationals navigate Denmark’s career mobility system, you’re not just preventing talent loss, you’re building an extended network of alumni who understand your company deeply and may return with enhanced skills. In Denmark’s tight talent market, this isn’t just kindness, it’s talent management – a strategic priority for most companies.

This week, identify one international colleague and have an explicit conversation about Danish career paths. The 15-minute investment might save your company months of lost productivity, while transforming someone’s experience of working in Denmark.