The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) provides healthcare services for higher education institute students. At the beginning of 2021, the operations of the FSHS expanded considerably, as the services were expanded to students of universities of applied sciences in addition to university students. This meant a doubling of operations and the number of customers – which would also result in a radical increase in the number of employees. However, they wanted to manage the increase in the number of employees in a smart and controlled manner.
Preparation for the recruitment needs of the operationally critical changes started at the end of spring 2020 by identifying the company’s needs and comparing suitable solutions. At the FSHS, hiring an inhouse HR consultant was considered the best option, although they did consider hiring a fixed-term employee as well. The HR consultant’s lease contract ensured excellent expertise, security of supply and achievement of objectives. When competence is purchased as a service, the underlying service provider also brings security and support to a rapidly advancing change project in the event of temporary absences, for example.
So why did the FSHS end up working with Eilakaisla in particular? Thanks to Eilakaisla’s overall approach, customer orientation and the perfectly agile model that fit the FSHS perfectly.
“Eilakaisla is a competitive, reliable and well-known family business in Finland. They also have a good reputation and, as a whole, were most suited to our needs,” says Anne Tomperi, Director of HR and Legal Affairs at the FSHS.
The cooperation resulted in a solution where the FSHS selected an Eilakaisla HR consultant as their recruitment coordinator under an agency worker contract. The agency worker became part of the recruitment team of the FSHS, where their job description was formed as the employment and project progressed. The solution offered flexibility in a situation where the foundation was facing new challenges. They solved solutions and refined the scalable operating model as the change project progressed. At the same time, the FSHS trusted that Eilakaisla will support them and the selected employee in the success of the project.
“During the bidding process, I had thorough discussions with the providers. In the initial survey, Eilakaisla’s experts listened to us carefully, and they truly learned about the customer’s needs, based on which they then offered a suitable solution. The solution was built together, and the process started off well from the beginning,” adds Tomperi.
As one of Eilakaisla’s strengths, Tomperi mentions that they presented different candidate profiles. The proven approach helped assess what they actually needed the most. The decision was easier to make when the candidates had different backgrounds and strengths.
The consultant who came to work for the FSHS through Eilakaisla had an extensive and important job description as part of the project, and they became a natural part of the existing team. Among other things, they handled the internal workforce survey, monitored the staffing, initiated and coordinated recruitment, provided support and practical assistance to the recruiting managers, and participated in the planning and implementation of the orientation of new staff. Recruitments were made all around Finland, and they also focused on building a team for the new centralised digital unit, for example.
In addition to their comprehensive and proactive work input, Eilakaisla’s consultant provided a diverse perspective on HR work that they had gained from working in other organisations as well as on how the recruitment processes and related steps should be implemented. However, the benefits of cooperation were not only temporary.
“We also renewed our recruitment and induction process quite permanently in parts. The consultant gave us fresh and good ideas, an outside view, benchmarks on how others operate and information on good practices. These are examples of the benefits that an inhouse consultant can bring. Our supervisors were also very grateful for the personal and active service they received,” Tomperi sums up her experiences.
Eilakaisla and the FSHS share the same values about the role of a responsible employer. Both the service provider and the customer must ensure that the temporary agency worker is treated like other workers: as an important part of the work community. Eilakaisla was also happy to see how the FSHS invested fully in this.
When asked whether cooperation was smooth, Tomperi’s answer is simple: contact was maintained at regular intervals to ensure satisfaction, and the customer was not forgotten at any stage of the process.
“Eilakaisla’s contact person was in touch with us at regular intervals in a nice way, and they ensured that we were satisfied with the service and that everything is proceeding as expected. They took care of us. All in all, we have no complaints,” says Tomperi.
Eilakaisla’s experts’ ability to listen to the customer improved satisfaction. We could picture the required service concept together – it can be challenging to put it into words at times. Through cooperation, the FSHS gained a concept that best served them and their unique situation.
“I can warmly recommend Eilakaisla. Eilakaisla was able to predetermine the concept that the customer will get. It’s not just a question of personification and that the customer can get a temporary agency worker at the push of a button, after which everything will either go well or badly. The overall picture has been thought out and they are good at listening to the customer. That’s why the process works so well. They also know how to help the customer in understanding their own needs during the initial stage. On the whole, they have a very customer-oriented approach”.
Although Eilakaisla already gave a good impression of having high quality, they exceeded the expectations during the cooperation. All in all, the recruitment coordinator gained from the cooperation proved to be an invaluable part of the team.
“Eilakaisla supported us in achieving our goals with our own conditions and resources. Everything went as well as possible,” sums up Tomperi.
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