Onboard Denmark (ODIS) - Onboarding in Danish SMEs of International Specialists
Drawing together new empirical material and using a multi-disciplinary framework, ODIS aimed to:
- help to make a business case for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and
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create new tools that support the recruitment, retention and ensure the full potential of international specialists is unleashed.
THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
Photo: Colourbox
Too few Danish companies are exporting, there is a slowing down in innovation, and many companies - especially SMEs – are not recruiting or able to retain international specialists. Yet we know this group of professionals are key to growth and innovation. ODIS aimed to provide multi-dimensional solutions for businesses.
Objective
Create an evidence-based and sustainable Onboarding Package to facilitate the recruitment and retention of international specialists, with a focus on innovation and export growth within Danish SMEs.
Sub-objective
Extend the State-of-the-Art through a comprehensive analysis of the challenges around the recruitment and retention of international specialists in the Danish labour market.
ODIS will:
- Research in greater depth where the problems are in recruiting and retaining more international specialists – from the perspective of SMEs, regional business consultants, the international specialist themselves and soon-to-be graduates from key university programmes.
- Show-case best practice already occurring across companies working in Denmark.
- Develop, test, review and further adapt initiatives and specific tools for assessing whether and how an SME could benefit from recruiting internationally and capitalise on this investment.
- Support SMEs interested in recruiting and retaining international specialists over time.
- Run workshops and training events for HR professionals, senior managers, business consultants – to develop greater capacity to internationalise the Danish workforce.
ODIS is comprised of 5 Work Packages (WPs). There is an overlap in the timeline, to ensure maximum cross-fertilisation of ideas – where we research the issues, barriers and possibilities; and then develop, evaluate and adapt tools for increasing the recruitment and successful retention of international specialists.
The Work Packages integrate research, with dialogue between stakeholders, action research and the creative development of practical tools – making it an innovative project that will translate knowledge into practice with key outcomes for the Danish economy.
- Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen
- Copenhagen Capacity (CopCap) - the official FDI of Copenhagen, CopCap works to bring international investments to Greater Copenhagen and helps companies access necessary international talents.
- The Coaching Room – executive coaching for leaders and executive teams to facilitate organisational culture change, with a particular focus on internationalisation of work practices and staff teams.
- TalentED – conducting audits, training, strategy formulation consultancy that enables mindset shifts to nurture inclusive workplace environments, which seek to harness the value of cognitive diversity.
- DI Global Talent & Mobility, Confederation of Danish Industry - DI is the main representative organisation for Danish companies with close to 18,000 members. The Global Talent & Mobility team provide advice, training and advocacy for increasing international mobility of talent into and out of Denmark.
- Business Region Aarhus - is a partnership of 12 municipalities in East Jutland, working to ensure the continued competitiveness and growth of the region. A specific target is the recruitment and retention of international specialists and several initiatives are underway to work with companies and municipalities to meet this.
Researchers
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Funded by:
Onboard Denmark (ODIS) has received three years of funding from Innovation Fund Denmark
Project: Onboard Denmark (ODIS) - Onboarding in Danish SMEs of International Specialists
Period: 2021 - 2023
Contact
Department of Sociology
University of Copenhagen
Phone: +45 35 32 74 11
E-mail: cm@soc.ku.dk