By: AmCham Denmark (May 25, 2010)

When it comes to attracting and retaining highly qualified workers, the devil is often in the details. On May 21 AmCham Denmark met with Minister for Employment Inger Støjberg to ensure the details are addressed.

The discussions focused on the 6 issues highlighted in AmCham's white paper, "The Talent to Succeed", as well as recommendations on what needs to be done to remove the barriers that have made it challenging for companies to attract and retain the talent they need.

Prior to the meeting, the Ministry published "International Recruiting", a strategy to strengthen Denmark's ability to attract and retain highly skilled foreign workers. Many of the areas in the Ministry's publication overlap with AmCham's white paper and were highlighted at the May 21 meeting. Additionally, the Minister elaborated on some of the key initiatives in their recruiting strategy, including the creation of a one-stop-shop for foreign workers and the increased digitalization of public services used by companies recruiting foreign workers and the workers themselves.

Furthermore, looking beyond the specific details, AmCham emphasized the need for Denmark to develop a recruitment strategy focused on the skills needed both now and in the coming years. It was emphasized that a start to a long term recruitment strategy is to take into consideration the success in previous years in attracting foreign investment. Additionally, the strategy should make a realistic evaluation on Denmark's ability to compete with growing markets outside of Europe. Examples given to the Minister included clinical trial research investments, IT development, and research and development within specific renewable energy segments.

Minister Støjberg was joined by Permanent Secretary Bo Smith; Deputy Director of the Danish Labor Market Authority Helle Rasmussen; Head of Division at the Danish Labor Market Authority Maria Nørby, and Personal Secretary to the Minister Vibe Westh. AmCham was represented by Mike Connell, VP & General Manager at GlaxoSmithKline Denmark; Charlotte Mark, Managing Director at Microsoft Development Center Copenhagen; Kaare Sand, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles; Chris Eberhart, Deputy Director at AmCham Denmark and Scott Dille, Policy & Government Affairs Manager at AmCham Denmark.

To down load AmCham's White Paper in English, click here.
To down load AmCham's White Paper in Danish, click here.