ABOUT BARONA
Founded at the turn of the millennium in Finland, we at Barona have reformed the working life in the Nordics and abroad for over 20 years. Our roots are in the staffing business, but these days, we are a company with a wide variety of services in HR and everything that helps our customers grow.
Over 30,000 people find a job through us every year. We have offices in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Poland, and Slovakia and operate in Eastern Europe and the Philippines.
At Barona, we are excited to offer a solution to the challenges businesses in Nordic countries face. Because of changes in demographics causing fewer people to be of working age, many companies need help finding the skilled workers they need to grow and thrive. That’s where we come in. We can connect businesses with talented people worldwide by offering international recruitment and relocation services. This not only helps companies deal with talent shortages but also helps people worldwide to change their lives. For international jobseekers, we open the doors to the Nordic region, ranked as one of the best places in the world to live and work.
We believe in the power of diversity and inclusion and are proud to give everyone a chance to succeed. By being open to new ideas and working together, we can create a better future for businesses and foreign workers in the Nordics.
Barona’s story
Barona was established in Helsinki, Finland, in 1999. The story began with an idea two students had that summer at a construction site. In those days, the construction industry was booming, with a high demand for qualified workers. This gave Markus Oksa and Mikko Leppänen the idea to use their extensive network of skilled workers to help businesses look for talented employees. Thus, Barona was born.
The first employee of the new company was personally escorted by bus to their work site by Markus Oksa. During those initial years, the company set up offices in student housing and in a garage. The company’s first significant investment was a fax machine, the height of telecommunications technology back then. We have come far since those early days. Today we serve our clients in eleven different business sectors, and our services cover a wide range of needs from recruitment to outsourcing and warehousing. We see growth opportunities and increasingly global solutions when we think about how the next chapter of our journey will be written.
We are proud of our Finnish roots and will continue to draw from them while taking our solutions to a broader market.
English language in the workplace
Did you know that English is the official language in 44% of Finnish workplaces? And accepted working language in 61%?
Some of them have openings right now – see them for yourself!
Our values
Aside from just cultural integration, we are looking for people with the same interests and principles with similar objectives and values.
Our core values are now part of our DNA:
Responsibility
Together, we will promote an equal and ethical working life. We encourage transparent operations that support diversity and respect differences. Everyone deserves to find their place in working life. We will tackle even complicated matters where necessary and develop our processes. We encourage everyone to act responsibly—to go the extra mile and help someone else. Barona employees are known for their ability to take responsibility in working life.
Courage
We encourage experiments and rolling up one’s sleeves without fearing mistakes. We would rather be pioneers than followers. We set ambitious goals and create a happier and fairer working life through them. We respect those who take responsibility and come up with creative new things on their own initiative by utilizing their strengths.
Freedom
We give people the freedom to be exactly who they are and the possibility to work in any way they see fit, as long as they respect the principles we have set together. With us, you do not need to hide the rest of your life, not your religion, not your hobbies, or who you love. We believe in people and a working life that works for them.
Working together
We create a happier working life by working together. We share our competence and expertise with our colleagues, employees, and customers. We respect each other’s opinions and strive to find solutions together. We do the work we have done together visible and give thanks for and celebrate successes.
Our Nordic companies
We operate in the Nordics with offices in four different countries: Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
WE ARE A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
Barona is a part of Bravedo, a supergroup of over 30 technology and service companies that operate in 11 countries.