Aarhus and Eastern Jutland is home to many international-minded companies and organisations that all contribute to the internationalisation of this area. International Community will take you by the hand and show you the diverse scene on which internationalisation is built. This month we give the floor to FGT Business Research.
Photographs: FGT Business Research A/S
Text: Aarhus International Community
FGT Business Research A/S (FGT) is one of the SME’s in Aarhus who has spotted the potential in hiring international employees, and they are aware of the resources internationals can bring to the company: “Here at FGT our work consists of calling B2B companies globally by phone. We are doing research, surveys and lead qualification. For this reason, our agents must be natives – they must know the culture and, naturally, the language to have a polite and relevant dialogue with the companies within our target groups,” says director Michael Flintholm. He continues: “International employees play a key role in FGT – without any internationals, FGT would not be able to do business.”
Internationals’ impact
Big parts of the businesses in Aarhus, to some extent, have international connections and are involved with the internationalization agenda. Therefore, hiring internationals with extensive knowledge of foreign markets can be a big asset for the companies.
“International employees have an extensive impact on the business environment and internationalization in Aarhus. It is incredibly important to use international resources in the right manner and to be able to keep the resources in the city. I think that many companies would hire more foreign employees to work in their export departments if they knew more about the skills of internationals living in Aarhus. More companies could benefit from their skills – especially if they are on the export market.
Furthermore, international employees are a brilliant way into new export markets. They have a great knowledge of their own countries, which the companies in Aarhus can make use of, as it is crucial to have international employees who know both the language, culture and history when you want to establish new contacts on foreign markets. Also, to our experience, they are hardworking and enthusiastic,” says Michael Flintholm.
An untouched opportunity
One thing that might keep some companies from hiring international staff is the idea that the process is too difficult and that it might pose a lot of challenges. To this statement, Michael Flintholm comments: “At FGT we rarely have any problems with hiring foreign employees. We only really encounter small problems, which we usually can solve quickly.”
Many companies could benefit from hiring internationals, especially SME’s. In Denmark SME’s make up just over 50% of the Danish private job market. While many of the larger companies in Denmark are aware of the potential of international employees, SME’s often disregard this. An international hire doesn’t necessarily mean attracting someone from abroad. There is a talent pool in Denmark that hasn’t been fully tapped into yet – the spouses. Many internationals moving to Denmark for work are often accompanied by a partner or spouse. The accompanying spouses are usually highly skilled, have work experience and are eager to get onto the Danish labour market. They are hidden gems for businesses alike.
Cooperation is key A strong international network is important if companies want to hire internationals. FGT is happy to work closely together with the International Community. Through several years, FGT has been using the network in the International Community, and it is an easy way to connect with internationals in Aarhus. Whenever FGT needs to hire an international employee, they can tap into the International Community’s broad network. Therefore, maintaining and nurturing the international network in Aarhus can hopefully bring the SME’s attention to the potential that lies in hiring internationals.
About FGT Business Research A/S - www.fgt.dk Number of employees: 30 Director: Michael Flintholm FGT has existed since 2004. FGT works with business research and telemarketing from a B2B perspective, where they coordinate and execute different telemarketing activities in national and international markets for both Danish and foreign companies.