Why is finnish speaking an absolut requirement?

[AleksiP]

As many of us noticed, it's really hard to get a job if you don't speak finnish.
It's not just for positions you deal with customers, from cleaning and construction to IT and international companies, finnish is a requirement.
I can't understand why since Finnish people speak english SO GOOD. Even an 85 year old person spoken with me in perfectly good english. A Finn's accent is so great and clear, it's easier to understand them even than people from countries who's native language is english.

[AnnikaL]

<sarcasm> I know what you mean, because I live in England and speak reasonably good French, I would be OVERJOYED if someone started working with me who didn't bother to learnt the English language and so forced me to speak French for half of my life, imagine how relaxed and stress-free that would be</sarcasm>

I think it's worth thinking that just because you are good at something, doesn't mean you feel comfortable and relaxed with it... or want to be forced into it.

[rinso]

Remember that you're often not the only option the employer has.
When he can choose between equally capable candidates, one speaking Finnish, the other not. Guess what his decision will be.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

First of all, it's not _everyone_ that speaks English. You have to consider it from the employer's perspective and how their operation is set up. If there is even one person you need to interact with that doesn't speak English well enough, there would be need for someone to translate. Also any written guidelines etc. would have to be translated for you. It's a matter of hiring someone who fits right in vs. someone who is unable to communicate with everyone else.

[Upphew]

I can't understand why since Finnish people speak english SO GOOD.

It's the Law:

The Constitution of Finland
11 June 1999
...
Section 17 - Right to one's language and culture
The national languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish.
The right of everyone to use his or her own language, either Finnish or Swedish, before courts of law and other
authorities, and to receive official documents in that language, shall be guaranteed by an Act. The public
authorities shall provide for the cultural and societal needs of the Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking
populations of the country on an equal basis.
The Sami, as an indigenous people, as well as

I can't understand why people need cars and whatnot since they walk SO WELL.

[AleksiP]

So it's a matter of inconvenience. I understand that, i like english but i prefer to use my mother tongue because it comes more naturally.
My point is it's getting a little too far. When you don't get an interview or they tell you that we require finnish so send your application but don't expect a call, you don't lose to someone equally qualified who also speaks finnish, you've lost before you started.

Don't get me wrong, finnish is the most beautiful language in the world. I want to learn it even if i don't manage to stay here.
My purpose is to understand how the other side thinks and what (if anything) can i do to improve (except learning finnish, i'm already doing that )
Also i wanted to tell finns that your english are great, better than in most countries and when they say "i'm sorry i don't speak english very good" i used to think that my english sucks and they try to degrade themselves so i won't feel embarrassed

@Upphew if you use the car to go everywhere and never walk, ok can't argue with that.
I hope this doesn't turn into another complaining /defending post...

[Upphew]

So it's a matter of inconvenience. I understand that, i like english but i prefer to use my mother tongue because it comes more naturally.

Pretty much so.

My point is it's getting a little too far. When you don't get an interview or they tell you that we require finnish so send your application but don't expect a call, you don't lose to someone equally qualified who also speaks finnish, you've lost before you started.

In those cases you lose someone _less_ qualified, at least in the eyes of the employer. If they get someone they can interview more easily or someone who fulfills all requirements (like language...) of course they take that route.

Don't get me wrong, finnish is the most beautiful language in the world. I want to learn it even if i don't manage to stay here.
My purpose is to understand how the other side thinks and what (if anything) can i do to improve (except learning finnish, i'm already doing that )
Also i wanted to tell finns that your english are great, better than in most countries and when they say "i'm sorry i don't speak english very good" i used to think that my english sucks and they try to degrade themselves so i won't feel embarrassed

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

For me speaking English is extra effort that I might be willing to make, or might not. Force it on me and I'm not willing to make it.

@Upphew if you use the car to go everywhere and never walk, ok can't argue with that.
I hope this doesn't turn into another complaining /defending post...

Maybe I should change my nick to "badanalogueguy"...

[Ellah]

Haha, finns speak so good english ok.

Just have to add a phonecall I made yesterday to an immigrant office in a certain city here (Not Helsinki though):

- Maahanmuttajatoimisto päivä
-Hello, do you speak english?
-... No
- ...... ok

[AleksiP]

Haha, finns speak so good english ok.

Just have to add a phonecall I made yesterday to an immigrant office in a certain city here (Not Helsinki though):

- Maahanmuttajatoimisto päivä
-Hello, do you speak english?
-... No
- ...... ok

lol
i've had this type of conversations, usually (not always of course) it turns out he/she can understand enough to communicate
the exact oposite conversations i used to listen to at home

- Do you speak English?
- Yes
and that was the only thing he understood, everything else was "what?", "errr", "you go *point*, down down this, left"
my favorite:
- Thank you.
- Nothing!

I guess we have different standards but i insist, my standards are not so low, finnish standards are high (which is natural to expect more from yourself when you have the best educational system in the world)

Maybe I should change my nick to "badanalogueguy"...

You seem like a bad guy but you gave me some insight with your answers, thanks
and thanks to all who are giving some perspective

[ajl]

my father's golden rule: thems with the gold makes the rules.

[zcotty]

I understand the feeling of "If I can do the job as well as anyone else, maybe even better, then why do I need to speak Finnish?" Many times the employer doesn't speak English (or any other language for that matter) or the other employees you might be working with only speak Finnish.

I've worked in a place where the majority were from Russia. I don't speak Russian and they didn't speak anything else. There were many situations where we spent close to a half an hour trying to work some very simple problem, because we just didn't understand each other and the "translators" were busy elsewhere.

So I understand if employers feel the need to have their employees understand each other by speaking the same language.

[Upphew]

I understand the feeling of "If I can do the job as well as anyone else, maybe even better, then why do I need to speak Finnish?" Many times the employer doesn't speak English (or any other language for that matter) or the other employees you might be working with only speak Finnish.

With added requirements should come added pay. So If my employer hires someone and as a result I _have_to_ speak more languages, I expect to be compensated for that.

[BartS]

As many of us noticed, it's really hard to get a job if you don't speak finnish.
It's not just for positions you deal with customers, from cleaning and construction to IT and international companies, finnish is a requirement.
I can't understand why since Finnish people speak english SO GOOD. Even an 85 year old person spoken with me in perfectly good english. A Finn's accent is so great and clear, it's easier to understand them even than people from countries who's native language is english.

I can't understand that too. Did you know that we have another official language too: Swedish. For certain jobs fluency in both Finnish and Swedish is the requirement.
Did you see the tv-documentary yesterday about the very peculiar case. In that program they told that 60% of constructor workers in Helsinki area are from Estonia? any way the figure was pretty high. Not many Finns understand Estonian language. Thus they must speak English I suppose.

[EP]

Not many Finns understand Estonian language. Thus they must speak English I suppose.

No, they usually speak Finnish. I have listened closely two contruction sites with mainly Estonian workforce. Finns may not understand Estonian, but Estonians (not all, but many) tend to understand Finnish.

[kalmisto]

Did you see the tv-documentary yesterday about the very peculiar case. In that program they told that 60% of constructor workers in Helsinki area are from Estonia? any way the figure was pretty high. Not many Finns understand Estonian language. Thus they must speak English I suppose.

They speak either Finnish or a mixture of Estonian and Finnish. Finnish is very easy for Estonians to learn because the two languages are closely related.