Establishing your company abroad or applying for a job outside of Sweden is getting more and more common. With the globalisation many Swedish companies look outside the domestic market when searching for new suppliers or widening its clientele. The whole world has become a potential market place. In order to succeed, expanding companies need to take advantage of strengths and benefits in other countries. Outsourcing your production to China, where labour costs are lower than in Sweden or consulting technical expertise in New Delhi, India, are two examples.
Thanks to the technological development, information is spreading faster around the world and people communicate from wherever they are. A video conference thousands of miles away from each other is no longer impossible. Apart from the technical progress, a reduction in trade barriers and lower transportation costs have forced globalisation and transformed business.
The whole world as a potential job market is a common attitude in the younger generation that grew up along with the globalisation. Compared to my parents, who grew up in the 40s, there is a big difference in mindset when they were 20 and us born in the 80s. The opportunity to working abroad is high on the list for many young academics today. Last year, for example, four pharmacist graduates from the University of Gothenburg, moved to England or Norway. And the pharmacists are not alone - business graduates, engineers, HR and designers. They all want to go abroad. Swedish companies need to think cross-border to remain an interesting employer. Apart from attracting Swedish manpower, they also need to attract skilled personnel from other countries. Don’t forget that today we have the whole world as a playground.