Useful nine characters to adapt to life in Sweden
Tue, 26.11.2013.
Falling short to care for the families of foreign employees assigned to Sweden can cost globally-minded businesses money, alerts a Stockholm-based HR specialist who has commenced paid work and other services to help accompanying families find their way in Sweden.
"When I speak with executives, they always stress that their people are their company's most valuable asset," Claudia de Leeuw-van Wijk, president of Global Expat Partners, tells The Local. "But they don't all have HR managers who act accordingly."
De Leeuw-van Wijk says she's come across some truly appalling attitudes toward globally recruited staff and their families who have relocated to Sweden from abroad.
"Some HR managers tell me, 'Do we also have to care about how they feel? We already think they earn too much compared to Swedes'," she recalls, adding that many HR professionals in Sweden seem unaware of statistics linking failure rate of assignments abroad with partners dissatisfaction.
Since 2009, Global Expert Partners has worked with the City of Stockholm and industry heavy-weights Atlas Copco - whom de Leeuw-van Wijk credits alongside Absolut, EA/Dice, Sandvik, Klarna, and Oriflame as companies that are taking the opportunity to understand and make life easier for staff recruited from abroad. Their task? Not only finding talent overseas, but making sure they stay.
In addition to Swedish companies, Global Expat Partners and the city have also worked with international firms like Nike, Siemens, Novartis, KLM, and others to forge what has become known as "The Stockholm Model" of support for the families of foreign professionals relocated in Sweden. In 2011, they opened the Global Expat Centre Stockholm, which has since been recognized as a leading support programme in the
Baltic Sea region.
Apart from the personnummer jungle, there are Sweden-specific challenges that need to be dealt with. Workshops in English and Mandarin form part of Global Expat Partners' core activities in Stockholm, which also include spousal support classes and good old-fashioned networking for a group of foreign professionals who, despite different backgrounds, have similar needs.
Money-back guarantee
Long-term experience accumulated our experts are fully responsible for their quality of work and results. Good relationship with the Department of Immigration, Tax Inspectorate, the Social Insurance Inspectorate, Centre of Registers and other state and non-state institutions helps to ensure the highest quality services.
We do not operate in automatic machine principle and look deeper into the needs of each client. Whether it is business acquisitions, advice on migration, finance, accounting, or other issues - this is a unique process.
Only in this way we can ensure the highest quality services. Therefore, we provide our clients 100% money back guarantee if due to our fault you do not receive a temporary residence permit. We also guarantee that the company You will purchase has no debts or other liabilities. Our accounting services are insured, so if fees are wrong calculated, we or our insurance company will cover all losses.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
Process time for a temporary residence permit for each country depends on that country's laws. Usually it takes 2-6 months. If you have additional questions, the Migration Department may extend length of the proceeding up to 3 months. The answer may be a negative if the client:
- Was deported;
- Punished for crime;
- Has records in the police department;
- Other negative entries of personal biography;
- The information about the client is false, untrue;
- Going to false immigration.
If it turns out that the negative response to the temporary residence permit is due to one of these reasons, we will not return your money.
If the client has a clean biography and correct data about him/her, but due to our fault do not receive a temporary residence permit, in this case within 30 days we will return 100% of his/her money and will not ask for any compensation concerning experienced costs.
Business acquisitions and start-up
All of our sales companies do not have any debts or obligations. If you buy a new company (without any history), the company has absolutely no bookkeeping records. If you are going to buy an existing company with a history of activity, in this case you will provide the company financial reports and you will be able to assess the Company's status. If after the acquisition of the company, there would be unforeseen events and it would be our fault, we will take all the responsibility on ourselves.
Accountancy services and consultations
We take full responsibility for the provision of accounting services. Our accountants have many years of experience, good skills in preparing various reports to the state institutions; also we provide representation during an inspection. We look very responsibly to our work that is why we insured our employees from the possible errors, so if fees are calculated wrongly, we or the insurance company will compensate them.
