Helsinki Employment Services currently have 530 employees working there. When employment management will move to become the City's responsibility under a public enterprise to be established at the beginning of next year, the number of employees will be 700. Some of this increase will come from the TE Office experts moving to work for the municipality. The Employment Services are also constantly recruiting new professionals.
"Our employees include class teachers, social workers and translators, among other professions. Others have come from youth work, non-profit organisations and corporations. This is wonderful, since our customers also come from various fields. We gain competence capital precisely from having expertise from different angles," says Director of Employment Services Annukka Sorjonen.
Because of the diversity of their workforce, the recruitment of Employment Services staff focuses more on the individual's approach to work rather than on specific skills or education. A good approach and a focus on customer service are required since the experts mainly work with customers. Another aspect that requires attention is the norms and laws that govern the work. Fortunately, you do not need to know everything, because there are other experts close to you, and you can find the right solutions by working together.
"We have created various job descriptions since there are many different paths of progress. You can find new dimensions for your work by mentoring others, or you can deepen your knowledge of a specific topic," Sorjonen says.
In addition to customer service, there are various other types of ongoing work in the background, related to development and data, for example. In all cases, each position is directly connected to helping customers find employment.
From the customer's perspective, the Employment Services deal with matters that have a great impact on their life. The Employment Services play a significant role, especially in the current challenging economic situation where the number of customers is high. The staff find it important that they are able to do meaningful work.
"The work community also plays a significant role for our employees: it's a resource. We have good community spirit, and this isn't just my opinion; it's also brought up in employee surveys," Sorjonen states.
A talk show gathers employees to enjoy morning coffee together
The Employment Services staff work at various locations, which is why it is difficult to reach all of them at the same time. Because of this, the services have chosen the TyöllisyysTV talk show as one of their communication channels. The show is broadcast about six times a year. In addition to current topics in employment, the episodes also cover topics related to working for the City. They aim to complement the topics brought up in information sessions and deepen the viewers' expertise. At the same time, it offers the opportunity to share news from various offices and showcase various types of skills.
"The talk show is aimed at everyone working at the Employment Services. The live broadcasts feature discussions about current topics in employment and the people behind them. Our viewers are interested in phenomena in employment management since that is part of their daily life," says the reporter and host of the broadcasts, Chief Specialist Susanna Snellman.
The talk show has been broadcast since September 2023, and many teams and offices gather up to watch the show together while having their morning coffee. In fact, one of the show's goals is to strengthen the discussion culture and build community spirit. Each episode also encourages viewers to join the discussion via Mentimeter surveys, for example.
Annukka Sorjonen is a recurring guest on TyöllisyysTV, while the other participants are employees of the Employment Services. A live broadcast can make many people nervous, but everyone who has been asked to join the show has agreed.
"For those joining the show, it's also an opportunity to practise pitching their work and expertise," Snellman says.
Episode for everyone interested in working at the Employment Services
The TyöllisyysTV broadcasts are only available internally. The exception to this is the episode to be shown on 7 June 2024 at 13.00. This episode will focus on the Employment Services as a career option. It will cover the positions available in the Employment Services and the impact that they have. The June broadcast of TyöllisyysTV will also cover the meaning of the Employment Services for realising the City Strategy.
In addition to Annukka Sorjonen and the Employment Services staff, the June episode will feature surprise guests from the City of Helsinki.