The survey produced a great deal of data, but perhaps the cornerstone of the conclusions rests on the fact that more than half of employed immigrants are working in jobs that have nothing to do with their education or work experience. Perhaps this is why, according to the polls, most of them feel their jobs are monotonous.
The working experiences of Russians and Estonians did not diverge a lot from their Finnish colleagues, even though one in four say their jobs are too difficult. Seventy-five percent also feel that by in large, immigrants and Finns get along fine at work. Estonians feel they get the most support at work.
These figures are more pessimistic for immigrants from Somalia and sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty percent say they have been treated badly at work, mostly by Finns but also by other immigrants.
Perhaps because of this, people from Africa are more likely to gravitate to colleagues from their own country and culture, but most say they would like more interaction with both Finns and immigrants from other countries.
Not surprisingly, a key issue for both immigrants and their Finnish peers is language. Two-thirds of Finns say their foreign colleague's Finnish was inadequate, while two-thirds of immigrants feel their Finnish was sufficient.
The Institute of Occupational Health concluded that more research needs to be done. Employers also need to be given more tools to effectively manage multi-cultural workplaces. The Institute points out that nearly every employer surveyed feels that foreign workers are an important resource, as is their positive attitude at work and good treatment of customers.
