I want to hire an employee

Need and costs of an employee

Before you become an employer, consider how much work you want to give the employee. Do you need an employee for regular tasks, for a project, or to offset the workload during specific periods?

You should also calculate the estimated cost of your own employee in advance. In addition to pay, the employer must also pay insurance premiums and arrange occupational health care.

Employer register

If you employ more than one employee, it is likely that you will have to join the Tax Administration's employer register. This is affected by the number of employees and the length of their employment relationships. You can check on the Tax Administration's website whether you should join the employer register.

Help from advisory services

Plenty of information and help is available for the early stages of employership. If you are looking for a suitable worker, please review our content on finding a suitable worker. Do not hesitate to contact advisory services: public actors, such as TE services' customer service, provide advice free of charge.

When you are looking for a new employee, you should first go through your own networks, as well as those of your acquaintances and employees. The right person can be easily found this way. However, a person with the required skills is not always found in these networks, and this is when you should publicly announce the vacancy.

Nowadays, there are a lot of different job search and job posting sites online that allow you to easily search for new employees. Also publish the vacancy on your own website. Make sure to submit your job posting to Job Market Finland.

As an employer, you should also utilise social media. For example, LinkedIn has a wide range of experts from various fields who are looking for a new job. Many employers report their vacancies on Twitter with a # recruitment tag. In addition to this, Facebook and Instagram can be used to find suitable employees. With paid marketing, you get more visibility for your job postings on social media. Job postings are also still published in newspapers.

A recruitment event is a good way to find employees quickly, easily and efficiently. When you want to organise a recruitment event, you can use the premises of the TE Office or its partners. You can also get free expert assistance on event planning. Contact the TE Office and arrange an event.

If an employee cannot be found regardless of efforts, you can apply for support from the TE Office or the municipal employment services.

If you would like to recruit a young employee or skilled labour from abroad, please refer to our related content.

Financial support for recruitment and services for training a new employee

The employment subsidies granted by the TE Office and local government pilots, i.e. the pay subsidy and the subsidy for arranging working conditions, are based on the needs of both the job seeker and the employer. A job seeker needs help in finding a job and, as an employer, you need to find a skilled person for the job. A new suitable employee may be found in a job seeker whose job seeking is supported. A person who is partially able to work, has been unemployed for a long time, or is young, can also have useful skills and the right attitude to work and learn new things. You should also find out if your municipality offers employment bonuses.

You may also know a person that you would like to hire for your service but who does not have the skills required for the job. You can train employees in your organisation through an apprenticeship, Recruitment Training, vocational labour market training, or pay subsidy. In some situations, you can test a person's suitability for work by means of a work try-out. 

Working ability coordinator in support of the employer

The task of the working ability coordinator is to create practices and a procedure to promote the situation of job seekers and employees with partial working ability. The coordinator cooperates with employers and other regional networks in a goal-oriented and developmental manner.

The working ability coordinator helps you find solutions to your organization's labour shortage and offers hiring job seekers with partial working ability as an alternative. The coordinator will help you to understand the possibilities of employing job seekers with partial working ability and the appropriate tasks for them.

The working ability coordinator will also guide you in finding the right solutions for your already existing staff with partial working ability.

In addition to this, the working ability coordinator informs employers about various support services related to the employment of people with partial working ability.

Työkanava forwards service packages to employers produced by employees with partial working ability

Työkanava Ltd is a state-owned company that employs people with impaired capacity to work who are in the most difficult position regarding employment. The company hires employees for an employment relationship and forwards their work input to companies, organizations, public entities, and individuals who need employees.

If you are an employer, Työkanava can subcontract to you service packages produced by its part-time employees. You can also hire labour. The person's remuneration in Työkanava and other working conditions are determined in accordance with labour legislation and the applicable collective agreement. Työkanava is responsible for the job guidance and orientation of its employees at workplaces.

You can hire an employee in your organization, but, instead of traditional recruitment, you can also buy or commission a service from another entrepreneur or professional. You can also use temporary hired-labour through an agency.

Different ways of employing skilled people give you flexibility to face changes in the labour market. The essential thing is that you understand what your needs are, what professional skills you need from the employee, and how often the task recurs. This way, you will be able to find the best possible employee for the vacancy, even in the long term.

All work carried out is paid either as pay or as compensation for work. When you commission work, you are usually subject to the contractor’s obligations and liability. This means that you have an obligation to determine whether the contractual partner has fulfilled their legal obligations. The client liability applies to temporary work and subcontracting contracts, but does not bind all private traders or households.

It may also be possible to commission business activities as voluntary work, but, in this case, taxation and other legislation related to voluntary work must be taken into account.

As a household, you can employ, for example, a personal assistant, a cleaner, or a renovator.

If you are interested in different ways of working from the job seeker's perspective, read more about self-employment.

When a new employee starts working, prepare and sign an employment contract before the first workday. An oral employment contract is valid, but it is recommended to draw up the employment contract in writing. It is easier for both you and your employee to check the agreed tasks, pay, and other terms in a written agreement. 

If you wish to enter into a fixed-term contract, you must have an acceptable reason for doing so. The most common reasons relate to the work being substitute work, seasonal work, or project-based.  

You must also consider the minimum provisions of any collective agreement. Familiarise yourself with the collective agreement of your field, if applicable.

If you would like to read more about the topic, visit the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's website, which contains comprehensive information on employment contracts and the related legislation.

Give a good first impression and provide as much information and help as possible at the beginning of the employment relationship, as your new employee will certainly be nervous. This makes it easier for the employee to start working and become part of the work community.

Explain the basics of your organisation, present the workspaces and, if working requires special work clothing, make sure that suitable work clothes are ready for the employee on their first workday.

It is worth investing in orientation so that your employee knows what their tasks are and what they are expected to do. Plan the orientation carefully and ensure that the workplace has both an orientation plan and material.

You will certainly give an excellent impression of yourself as a work supervisor if you remember the following points:

• Be there when your employee arrives to work for the first time.
• Make sure that the orientation resembles the work tasks: an appropriate mix of self-study materials and practical exercises is often a good combination
• It may be useful to select someone from the work community to help the newcomer get started in a new environment. 
• Talk freely and get to know each other during lunch or afternoon coffee break.