SAMK faces: Karoliina Forss knows the secrets of recruitment

Karoliina Forss enjoys her job as a recruitment specialist.

Although Karoliina is a new face at SAMK, she has a long experience in the area of recruitment, for example from developing recruitment at Enersense. She admits that applying to SAMK was a bit of a surprise to her herself, but the job proved so interesting that she couldn’t pass it up.

– I remember my own interview well, she laughs.

– I said I couldn’t just ignore the job vacancy. I have always been interested in the world of higher education. I wanted to know what the job would be like and really see if I could meet SAMK’s needs.

Karoliina got the job and took it. She says she was happy to accept the job because she liked the positive and efficient working culture at SAMK. She also appreciates the benefits SAMK offers, such as working areas, and staff, sports and health services.

Working with people is motivating

In recruitment, Karoliina is particularly motivated by the opportunity to work with people, and she also emphasises the importance of internationality in her work.

– What better feeling can there be when you realise that recruitment really works! When the company and the new employee are happy. The workplace is such an important part of a person’s life. I also like to use English as a working language. It’s just part of everyday life here. Just yesterday, some of the interviews were in English, she says.

Sometimes you hear about successful recruitment by accident, for example in a coffee break discussion. It makes Karoliina feel really good.

She is actively involved in the various stages of recruitment, including the outlining of the profiles for the employees to be recruited and the interviews of the candidates.

– It is important to think about who you are looking for, with what kind of skills and in what kind of team. Then we consider which channels to use in this particular case, she says.

Karoliina’s tasks also include harmonising and clarifying recruitment processes. In addition, SAMK is in the process of implementing a new recruitment system that will streamline, diversify and automate many functions.

The right person can be found in in-depth discussions

Karoliina stresses the importance of choosing the right person in the recruitment process and says that in-depth discussions with candidates are key.

– It helps to look “below the surface”. When we talk about the job and ask candidates about it, many people give very similar answers at first. When we then talk about expectations and how to meet them, we often have quite deep conversations. That’s where we get the answer as to whether this person is right for the job. And, of course, we also have a set of indicators that we use.

Although the work can be time-pressured, Karoliina handles it without excessive stress.

– It is important to think about the actual realization of the work in your mind; what is possible and what is not. Sometimes you also have to say that you can’t do this recruitment in the given time, she says.

Karoliina assures that work does not follow her home either, and the balance between work and free time is maintained by leisure-time activities and gardening in her one-family house. A particularly important role is played by her daughter, the soon-to-be 11-year-old “Princess of Pori Day”, whose hobbies she actively participates in.

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