Peter Leys, has lived and worked in The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and Dubai and brings valuable experience when it comes to working in very successful organisations, due to the hires of an international workforce. Here he will share his advice on why companies can benefit from working with internationally skilled employees, and how to embrace the – to many – complicated inclusion process.
This is one of several interviews on the subject of diversity within the recruitment process. As a true believer in transferrable skills and ‘different is good’, Beyondo would like to introduce you to personal points of view concerning this subject and the role it plays in doing international business, now and in the future.
Peter, what is Diversity in your opinion?
"Diversity is all about being open to new ideas instead of being afraid of them." It’s about embracing creativity instead of pushing it away or ignoring it. One should try to keep a helicopter view at all times and look at issues from all possible angles.
Furthermore, the market in general in which we do business is also very diverse and multicultural. I believe that every business should be a true reflection of that.
During my Unilever time, I was very impressed by the slogan “The multi-local multinational”. It was one of the reasons for my wanting to work there. Unilever already understood the importance of diversity in the market.
What is your personal experience on the subject of Diversity?
I did find that head offices should be more open to Diversity otherwise they are going to miss the boat. On an executive level, it is already common, but I seldom see businesses taking the step down towards middle management for example.
The Netherlands is a good example where you can find a lot of Diversity, as the country has a relatively small domestic market and a large market outside their own. In many ways, the Netherlands has a lot of similarities with Sweden.
However, having said that it is my experience that diversity needs leadership and that is always an issue in a lot of companies. It doesn’t matter how big the company is, there is a fear towards diversity in general without any reason.
For diversity to work properly in any market or country you want to work or live in, I truly believe there is a necessity to learn the language. You must show at least interest in the country and its culture. You have to get rid of the “visitor” status and that is something not all people do.
On the subject of external recruiting and diversity, my personal experience is very positive. Beyondo, in my opinion, has succeeded in many ways to understand the international needs of businesses on a higher level and also on a middle management level. They are good at persuading businesses to access this field of candidates; but, it’s most of all the willingness of the businesses to invite candidates and to offer them a job. In my case, it’s been a positive experience from beginning to end.
Why should Swedish companies embrace diversity and how can they see the added value of this?
I honestly believe, for example, that Sweden and the Netherlands are alike in many ways. It’s a constant tossing of a coin in who comes up first. Take for example the use of the English language.
Sweden has a very big growing service industry and in my opinion, they should be focusing on this. This industry requires diversity now and even more in the future. Take it from me that it’s very important to understand and interpret the small cultural differences in the world age differences. It takes a different approach in many ways.
Sweden is currently going through a generation switch. The older generation is very hesitant to take on the new challenges and give the youth of today the chance to take on a new role. The social culture in Sweden is currently more working against Diversity than with it. There is a fear of it which I think isn’t necessary. The Swedish culture is great in many ways and I think the companies should cherish this, but you know what? They mix also very well.
Is there a necessity for Swedish businesses to use English as a company language?
It depends on the area and level in which you work. If, for example, you work on a technical operating work floor, it’s understandable that you speak Swedish, as most of the people working there probably do. Then again, the Swedish “Fika” and “Friday Mingle” also work perfectly in the English language. Here too they match very well.
Last question to Peter:
You have hired candidates from Beyondo in the past. Why, in your opinion, would you use Beyondo as a vendor?
As said before, Beyondo delivers diversity in many ways. They work in another way by using a personal approach. This takes extra time from both candidates and also businesses but pays off in the end.
"They read CVs differently."
Many jobs have special needs and those qualities are seldom written in a CV. I have looked for them myself, but this is where the expertise of Beyondo comes in. It’s therefore possible that they send you a candidate who on paper isn’t a 100% match. Their positive approach and different view on certain things do pay off. I’m especially very happy with the quality of people. They stay for a longer period with the employer and deliver for many years. I do believe that this is the utmost important thing.
Thank you Peter for your willingness to share this information with us. To finish off, is there anything else we have?
There are a lot of other things I could say; but, I want to say to all the people who read this interview that Sweden is a great country to live in. The quality of life, in general, is amazing. The balance between working and living is there 100%. Children are cared for and this care is fully integrated within the working life. There is no such thing as a hierarchy. Most of the businesses are pretty flat and this makes working in them also very pleasant. If offered a position in this country, or if you are seriously considering relocating, don’t hesitate!
