What is it really like to work in Sweden?

A couple of weeks back we conducted a poll asking the Newbie community, ‘How different is the business behaviour or work culture in Sweden compared to that of your home country?’ And 90% of our readers voted: ‘Very different’. No wonder then, that for a newbie in Sweden, feeling at home at work doesn’t come so easy.

Written by our Content Manager and Writer, Nidhi Dhingra

We went on to ask, ‘What, for you, makes the work culture in Sweden so different?’, and heard back from both newbies and oldbies in Sweden, originally from or having worked in countries across Europe, Middle east, Asia and the Americas, in varying professions.

Putting together the many conversations and our own experience together, here’s the bitter-sweet (though, mostly sweet) of working in Sweden:

Clear employee rights and work structure

‘In Sweden, I would say, employees have clear rights; also working hours, responsibilities and suchlike are more structured. In Yemen, most people work overtime, and job descriptions are quite vague so one person can have several roles’, says Rasha, a Social Media Researcher and Analyst.

‘Another thing that I saw can be described as “I do only my job, nothing more nor less”. Compared to Syria, where I admit that roles are not so clear and expectations not as it is here, but you can still feel that the workflow is almost never disturbed by just saying “not my job” when I can really and clearly do the task in question’, adds Sami, an Office Administrator and Coordinator in Gothenburg.

Work life balance is sacred

It won’t be an exaggeration to say that most countries do not give even one-fifth of the mind space to the idea of work-life balance that Sweden does, where it’s woven into the very fabric of society.

Sweden’s celebrated parental leave policy of 480-paid-days, reduced working hours, and a five-week long vacation during summer (mandated by law, no less!) are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s an impressively long list of benefits that the government offers, particularly to make it easier for parents. For instance, offering out-of-school hours care at a low price; a parental benefit that allows one to stay at home with their young children instead of working, if they so choose; and VAB – paid leaves to stay home with a sick child.

‘There is an understanding with regard to personal or family issues, like your child’s health or need for family time. Also, you have the option to choose what kind of tasks you want to work on, and the flexibility to plan your work timings according to your convenience (obviously within limit)’, notes Manini, a Software Developer, originally from India.

Ask anyone what they would most miss about working in Sweden, and it’ll be the quality time it allows one with self and family.

No prizes for over-working

Overworking is not celebrated in a Swedish organisation – at all. Rest assured that there will be no calls or emails past working hours or during vacation time.

‘In Singapore, if you leave at 6 pm, it’s like a crime. There is an unsaid mandate of staying till 7.30 pm, whether you have work or not’, Suresh, a Senior Solutions Engineer tells us. ‘Dubai is kinda similar; you don’t leave for home before your boss does’, says Hysen, a Director-Sales & Marketing.

In Sweden, working extra very often to impress your boss will only tell him or her that you can’t manage your workload very well. It also increases the risk for the company that you could burn out, have more days of sick leave, and feel overall less satisfied with your current workplace. Most Swedish workplaces want you to feel good and not squeeze that last drop of working power out of you. ‘Holidays in Sweden are to be respected and enjoyed’, notes Shanalie, an Internal Audit Specialist, from France.

That said, ‘it is also important to remember that while the system allows for work-life balance, it’s left up to the individual to ensure that he or she does not overwork. Your manager may not be to help you with it on a regular basis’, clarifies Naresh, a Digital Data-Analytics Lead.

Fika (or coffee) break, twice a day

‘The 9:30-am and 2:30-pm fika break in offices is the holy grail in Sweden’, quips Sachin, a Senior Software Developer.

For Swedes, the fika or coffee break is a key part of the daily schedule at work. There is an unsaid expectation to take that 10 to 30-minute break from work, twice a day, and join your colleagues for conversations over some tea/coffee and occasional baked goodies. In fact, if you skip one too many fika breaks on account of deadlines or some such excuse, it is often viewed with suspicion.

Great respect for time

Punctuality is the norm in Sweden, and it is very important to play by this rule if you’re to make a good impression on your teammates. A 2-pm meeting means that your colleagues will be ready for you five minutes prior. Hustling into the meeting room at 2:05 pm will only be seen as unprofessional.

This rule, in fact, extends to Swedish social circles as well. ‘When you set an informal appointment in Sweden, let’s say a 12.30-pm lunch, ten days from now, no one feels that it needs to be confirmed closer to the day. Whereas in Brazil, it is smart to check again if your lunch mate is still up for it’, shares Ivy, a Compliance Counsel.

It is not for nothing that Swedes are notorious for pulling out their calendars to schedule even informal engagements with family or friends.

Open and relaxed work environment

‘Openness and fairness is not just preached, it is part of the work culture’, observes Sachin, from India.

‘Workplace hierarchy is very palpable in our country [Yemen], while here you kinda forget who’s the boss and who’s the “subordinate”. It’s relaxed; you don’t need to be extra respectful or extra careful with what you say and how you behave,’ shares Shatha, currently an Administrative Assistant.
‘It took me a year to realise who my boss was in my previous company!’, quips Tatyana, a Freelance Video Editor from Bulgaria.

On the contrary, in Swedish organisations, subordinates often have more responsibility in conducting negotiations or closing a deal. ‘Top-down chain of command doesn’t work here. Best ideas mostly come bottom up’, says Atul, a Group Manager – Technology. ‘You can contradict the management with no hesitation, and the feedback is often received very well’, adds Koneru, a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer.

Even so, while a difference of opinion is easily expressed, it is most often shared as “maybe”, “perhaps”, “that’s interesting”, “let me get back to you”. So remember not to take these responses as an approval or agreement. Swedes don’t like direct confrontation and try to avoid it as much as possible.

Faith in the individual

When looking for a job in Sweden or working with a Swedish organisation, know that your word will be taken as your guarantee. ‘Here, you are accepted for the resume you share’, says Suresh, who’s worked in multiple countries in expat roles.

An adjustment for many is that supervision from the manager is a far cry; an individual is assumed to be responsible enough for his/her work and commitments. ‘Receiving feedback on your performance is rare. You don’t know if your work was appreciated or not unless you really ask for it’, Manini tells us.

Promises are honoured

There is trust and honesty both in the system and the individual. Even verbal promises are honoured in Sweden.

‘A big difference to Bulgaria is that Swedes don’t promise their clients things that are impossible to achieve, be it a deadline or completing a task. They are more realistic. In Bulgaria they would say “yes yes no problem, we fix it”, but most often they are unable to deliver’, remarks Tatyana.

Built on consensus

The other side of the coin to the egalitarian equation is that all decisions are made on a consensus. This turns decision-making into a long-drawn process, involving multiple meetings to get everyone on to the same plane.
‘It is not your boss you have to impress, but your colleagues’, notes Atul.

Process-driven

The work culture in Sweden is strictly process-driven, and sticking to the plan is most important. ‘Course corrections required during implementation are minimal. In India, many times, the decision making is top-down or taken on a majority consensus. Overall consensus-building would then happen in parallel to the implementation, resulting in quicker course corrections’, feels Murali, a Head of Finance.

‘There isn’t much out-of-the-box thinking in Sweden. Also, both organisations and individuals take forever to open up and hence collaborations can be challenging’, shares Vidhya, a Data and Information Architect.

Private and professional are separate

Swedes rarely build close friendships at work. They are very conscious of overstepping bounds by asking questions about their colleagues’ private lives. Even at fika breaks and after-works that are designed to encourage bonding with colleagues, personal queries are not common. So, it’s possible that you would’ve worked with the same set of people for years but don’t know them very well personally.

That said, there is also no superficiality in conversation with a Swede. There rarely is any small talk at the start of a meeting. Communication outside of work is brief but also real.

Lagom

The Swedish word lagom means “just the right amount”. It’s also widely translated as “in moderation”, “in balance” and “perfect-simple”, and applies to work just as much as life in Sweden.

Being an overachiever at work, celebrating one’s individual accomplishments, or harbouring a sense of competition are all looked down upon. Good performance, in this sense, is defined as anything that can benefit the entire team and is not a threat to others. It’s the quality of work that earns you respect from your co-workers or your boss, and not a spirit of competition or ambition.

Career growth

‘Salary growth within the company is nowhere near that of the Asian countries, where hikes could be as high as 15-20%. It is a pretty flat curve in Sweden; of course, as a socialistic approach’, shares Koneru. The only sure shot method for receiving a worthy pay raise is by changing jobs.

‘From a title point of view, to rise is hard unless you are in a non-Swedish management organisation or can speak and write fluent Swedish. You might be popular with your co-workers, but that does not imply a promotion’, thinks Naresh.

Gender equality is hyped

Despite Sweden being high up on gender equality, ‘it is doubly-hard for women to rise to leadership positions here’, feels Vidhya, from India.

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