Please give us a chance: highly-educated Sumaiya's urgent appeal

Twenty-nine-year-old economist Sumaiya Ferdaus from Bangladesh had hoped for a long-term career at Northvolt. However, last week, she received the disappointing news of her dismissal.
– It was a huge shock, she said.
Now, she's appealing to other Skellefteå employers to consider giving people like her a chance.

Sumaiya Ferdaus: "Being made redundant was a huge shock to me."

Foto: Donna Richmond

Engelska2024-10-31 09:00

Last Wednesday afternoon, 29-year-old Sumaiya Ferdaus had a day off from her Northvolt shifts. She was pottering about at home when she saw an SMS pop up on her mobile phone. It was from Northvolt, asking her to attend a meeting the next day regarding her employment.

– I checked with other colleagues and some of them had also received the message. I pretty much panicked - it was obviously not going to be good news, she says.

At the meeting the next day, Sumaiya and a large group of colleagues were told they were being laid off.

– Being made redundant was a huge shock to me, says 29-year-old Sumaiya Ferdaus, who had worked since May this year as a process operator at Northvolt.

Sumaiya Ferdaus has a degree in economics, and a master’s in applied economics and data analysis

Foto: Donna Richmond

– Every day, almost since I started, my supervisors and manager praised my work and effort. I thought I might have a chance to stay and progress in the company, but that didn't happen. Around me, when we found out we were being laid off, there were lots of tears. It was awful.

Sumaiya, originally from Bangladesh, is another well-educated newcomer from outside the EU. She has a degree in economics, and a master’s in applied economics and data analysis from Jönköping University. She worked her way through her master's at Bastard Burgers in Jönköping. She clearly knows how to graft.

Sumaiya is clever, qualified and hard-working. She should be deluged with offers from local busineses. But whenever she approaches a company they demand fluent Swedish.

– Northvolt didn't require any Swedish language skills. So most of the people who are laid off or are still working at Northvolt don't speak fluent Swedish.

Sumaiya is in an almost impossible situation. She needs Swedish to get a job but most of her time is spent looking for a job in which she'd almost certainly need fluent Swedish.

– My main focus is my need to renew my work visa by finding a job that pays the minimum threshold wage (currently 28,480 kronor per month). I can start learning Swedish once I have a secure job. I'm in a vulnerable situation and don't have time to become fluent in Swedish right now.

Sumaiya Ferdaus: "I'd have no problem spending additional time learning Swedish. It would benefit both me and the employer."

Foto: Donna Richmond

Sumaiya understands that in situations when dealing with machinery, Swedish knowledge is essential.

– We could be hired, then instructed to learn basic Swedish within a certain timeframe to address safety and security concerns, she says.

But immediate Swedish fluency is just not possible for most ex-Northvolt people looking for jobs.

– We're already stressed from being laid off, and we need to find new jobs, apply for work permits, and worry about our salaries. Language is just another added stress. If I had a secure job, I'd have no problem spending additional time learning Swedish. It would benefit both me and the employer. But first, please, just give us a chance.

How can Skellefteå help?

It's time to be flexible, Skellefteå, says Paul Connolly, editor of Norran English.

These are highly-educated, well-qualified people who are already here, at a point when the region needs many such talents. Half the recruitment job is done – they’ve already agreed to live in Skellefteå!

Companies' insistence on immediately fluent Swedish for newcomer new hires is unnecessary. According to the annual EF English Proficiency Index, Sweden ranks sixth in the world on the English-speaking skills of its citizens.

However, we do understand that speaking English can sometimes make local Swedes feel anxious and self-conscious.

But please compare that level of nervousness with the extreme anxiety levels of many ex-Northvolt workers who moved their families halfway across the world for a new life, and who now find themselves without a job and with just three months to find one.

And let's not forget that many of these very bright people have families: Andrew Obosi has three children for example, as well as a teacher wife. We'll need these future generations in Skellefteå - they'll be our teachers, doctors and engineers. Yet we appear to be willing to lose them because we cannot be flexible.

Instead of demanding that newcomers have instant Swedish fluency, Skellefteå companies and organizations should focus on language and cultural fit during the onboarding process, rather than during recruitment.

Hire a corporate language teacher for foreign employees and give them a deadline to become fluent if fluency is essential. Get a work visa specialist to give you a quote and expectations of how long the process takes.

Hire a specialist to give workshops and training to your new AND existing staff for cultural integration.

And what's in it for Skellefteå companies and organizations? Higher profitability and more effective problem-solving, that's what.

Several studies highlight how companies with diverse workforces tend to outperform those without. Research from organizations such as McKinsey & Company and the Boston Consulting Group, including studies in Nordic countries, has shown that diverse teams often exhibit greater innovation and higher financial returns.

For instance, McKinsey’s studies found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability.

This is attributed to varied perspectives, which lead to better problem-solving and decision-making, directly impacting productivity and growth.

Another report by Deloitte (subtitled, "Celebrating our people not for how well they fit into our culture, but for everything they bring to it") found that diverse teams are 1.8 times more likely to be change-ready and 1.7 times more likely to be innovative leaders in their markets.

Additionally, a study by Harvard Business Review highlighted that diverse organizations make better decisions up to 87% of the time, particularly in complex problem-solving situations, where varied perspectives offer critical insights.

Seriously, this should be a no-brainer - we all need to be more flexible.

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