Recruiters in Finland report a sharp rise in frustration and aggression from jobseekers, as long-term unemployment continues to grow and competition for jobs intensifies.
With the average unemployment duration reaching a record 70 weeks in May, many applicants feel ignored and overlooked, leading to outbursts directed at those handling recruitment.
Jenni Tontti, Recruitment Director at aTalent, said her team has faced personal criticism from jobseekers who were not selected.
“People have threatened to confront recruiters, questioned their competence, and even tracked down their information online,” Tontti said. “Mostly, though, they say they feel completely alone in the process.”
According to aTalent, only 206 applicants out of 19,120 secured jobs through them in the first half of the year. The situation has been especially challenging in the IT sector, where a surplus of qualified professionals now faces a shortage of available roles.
Recruiters said the tone of communication with applicants began changing last autumn and has worsened this year. Feedback often includes insults or angry messages. Some messages referred to recruiters as “completely incompetent” or worse.
Eeva-Maija Hiekkataipale, CEO of the recruitment firm Porkkana & Keppi, confirmed that applicants increasingly challenge recruiters’ qualifications.
“Sometimes applicants let out quite an outburst,” she said.
Academic Work, another staffing agency, said candidate calls that used to last just minutes now stretch up to half an hour. Applicants ask for detailed explanations and help with their next steps.
Laura Christie, CEO of Academic Work, said they now receive over 200 applications for some jobs that previously attracted around 40. Although her firm has not faced direct abuse, she confirmed that applicants’ frustration is evident.
Recruiters say the number of applications per job has doubled in recent years, but the number of jobs has not kept pace.
In Uusimaa, the most populous region in Finland, more than 10 percent of working-age people were unemployed in May. Vantaa was the hardest hit, with nearly 14 percent out of work.
Sanna-Mari Levijoki, account manager at Vantaa’s employment services, said their staff often face emotionally charged situations.
“Customers cry and speak of losing hope,” she said. “Some are worried about where their next meal will come from.”
She added that young people now compete for summer jobs against applicants with university degrees and years of experience. The repeated rejection weighs heavily on jobseekers.
“When you hear ‘you were not chosen’ dozens of times, it hurts,” Levijoki said.
HT