“See talent!” – Aalto University Student Union challenges employers to more diverse recruitment

With the #seetalent campaign, AYY reminds employers of the benefits of diverse communities and wants to improve the opportunities of international students to find employment. Diversity refers to the factors and characteristics that differentiate people from one another. AYY stresses that the Finnish working life needs diverse communities. The position of employees belonging to minority groups must be improved and unjust, discriminatory or unequal treatment must never be accepted. With its #seetalent campaign, AYY wants to emphasise that the person who is best and most suited for a position should be hired, regardless of their origins.

A diverse community is essential to future organisations and future Finland for several reasons. First of all, diversity increases resilience: communities with more diversity are more flexible and better at making it through changing and uncertain times, as well as attracting more skilled workers. A well-led diverse community produces better financial results, performance and decision-making (1). In addition, cultural diversity improves international competitiveness. The more diverse a work community is, the more knowledge, experience, networks, cultural intelligence and flexibility there is in the community. However, diversity in itself should be valued in every work community – cultural diversity and human value should be considered beyond financial development.

"Being seen and heard is key to inclusion. People with diverse origins bring different lenses and perspectives. Making space for inclusion through incorporating this diversity can only contribute positively to the growth and success of the society it exists within. My time in Aalto ARTS has shown me this”, says AYY’s board member ImranShamsul.

For an employer, a good starting point towards building diverse communities and awareness of different backgrounds is to first identify the limits of their own perspectives and their unconscious prejudices.

“Diversity requires continuous management, because to achieve increasing diversity, everyone in the organisation – not just the management – must acknowledge the benefits of diversity. We must actively work on creating a culture of diverse role models and not be afraid to recruit professionals with different backgrounds. In Finland, there are some incredibly talented individuals available on the labour market at the moment”, says Chair of the Student Union Board Olli Kesseli.

Source 1: McKinsey & Company 

Further information: 

Olli Kesseli, Chair of the Student Union Board / +358 40 688 7711 

Imran Shamsul, Member of the Board, responsible for new students and internationality / +358 41 798 1581, contacts in English