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By Tom Griffiths
THE VIEW FROM VESTAS
Relocation Guide - Autumn 2012
THE VESTAS WAY
Getting settled in Denmark requires working on two fronts: holding down your day job and putting effort into getting settled. Wind turbine maker Vestas has programmes to help, but two of the company’s employees says it all boils down to personal effort
VESTAS VOICES
Planned happenstance – Joachim, digital marketing consultant Joachim came to Denmark from Poland six years ago after speaking to representatives of the University of Aarhus at an education fair in Warsaw. Eighteen at the time, he had been considering his next step in life. Poland had only recently joined the EU, and this meant that there was an increasing range of opportunities available. He liked what he saw about the University of Aarhus and was accepted as one of the first full-time Polish students at its Herning campus. During the summer vacation of 2008 Joachim responded to a Vestas advert on the university’s job portal and the rest, as they say, is history. Joachim says he finds Danes and their culture very different from Poland. He thinks Danish people are very creative businesspeople and designers. “Creativity is screaming out
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International Club – Internal social network for foreigners working in Denmark. Spouse Community – Network offering opportunities and assistance with job searching and other practical areas. Language classes – Held twice a week at a Vestas location and available to employed expats and accompanying spouses. Cultural training – Full-day introductory Danish culture course as well as access to online tools for continuous learning. Vestas Gateway Programme – Buddy program supporting internationals in their initial integration period. Vestas is also linked with other agencies and organisations that facilitate the attraction and retention of expats and their families, including International Community and the Consortium for Global Talent.
arhus-based Vestas is one of the largest companies in Denmark. But it is very much a global company, with a presence on five continents, and consequently, “international talent is indispensable” according to Karina Boldsen, director of
of this country,” as he put it. But as with everything, there are pros and cons, and he finds Danish culture, “a bit more closed compared with Polish culture. I would say we are a bit more outgoing but our countries are not that different. I know some people from Mediterranean countries and they really see the difference. For me it’s more like just adjusting to the new situation.” One of the things that Joachim has learned is the importance of putting the effort in early to build social networks with Danish people. “It takes time to build relationships with them. If you don’t start the conversation, if you don’t show interest in actually being friends, then most likely they won’t reach out to you first. So, for some people the level of interaction between Danes and foreigners can be different from what they expected. They are very friendly in terms of helping you out and showing you things, but that’s different from building relationships.” Thinking back: Joachim says his relocation might have been smoother if he had taken the time to learn a bit more about the country before he came. “If you get to know the history, just simple facts, then it is much easier to understand why things are the way they are.” Advice to newcomers: Make sure you make some Danish friends as soon as possible.
global HR. That explains why the company currently has more than 400 international employees in Denmark. However, being a global organisation means that Vestas faces tough competition to attract and retain its international talent. Recognising this
Return on investment – Naresh, cost performance controller Naresh first visited Denmark in 2008 on a business trip whilst working for Vestas in India. Over the following couple of years, he was here on business a number of times. He was offered a position at Vestas in Denmark in 2010. The job was an obvious attraction, but Naresh also liked the focus on work-life balance and social opportunities available in Denmark. Among Naresh’s main difficulties after getting here: a lack of detailed official information on the internet in English and finding a place to live – something he said,was probably only possible because Vestas helped. Other little day-to-day things were, he says, if not challenging then at least surprising. “When I moved into my house there were no light fittings,” he recalls. Buying a bed, too, was “somewhat disorienting”. Beds, it turns out, are
challenge the company has put in place a range of measures and opportunities to help expats and their families to successfully make the transition to life in Denmark. We spoke with two of their foreign employees about what they thought about making the move to Denmark.
very different in Denmark than they are in India. In 2011 Nareesh wound up moving to Aarhus from Skjern, in western Jutland, because as a young, single guy, he wanted to be in a place where there were more people of his own age. Aarhus offered more social opportunities, and he describes moving there as “a great success. Now, after being here for about eighteen months, it’s rare if I don’t get asked to do something.” Naresh admits to putting a lot of effort into creating his network – by getting involved with and organising events for the Aarhus Internationals Meetup group for example – and he acknowledges that without such a pro-active approach, his social life might not be quite so successful. He feels the effort has paid off, however. “I’ve never felt at any time that I don’t have a social circle in Aarhus.” Thinking back: Naresh would have found it helpful to have known about some of the little details of the Danish system. For example, he thought he needed to go to the doctor to get paracetemol. Advice to newcomers: Come with an open mind. “It may be different from what you are used to, but just because it is different doesn’t mean that it’s better or worse; it’s just different.”