“A foreigner from Sweden, I discovered a world of work where we trust the employees”.

“When I announced to my loved ones that I will go to Sweden in 2018, many did not understand. I am leaving a permanent contract Paris that I have worked for two years in Renault, a group of CAC 40, for a two-year contract, with no guarantee of employment back. It doesn’t matter, I want a change of scenery.

Direction Gothenburg, a Sweden, on the west coast, at Volvo Group headquarters, as part of the organization’s international volunteering mission (VIE). Why did I pray there? First, because the position interests me: it is the mission of the buyer in consulting services for IT and engineering activities of the group. A position not too far from the one I held at Renault, where I was a program buyer. All in a world-class company. Volvo Group is a Swedish group that manufactures trucks, buses, construction and marine equipment and engines for industry. Contrary to what its name might suggest, it is not a car manufacturer, which is another company called Volvo Cars and owned by the Chinese group Geely since 2010.

Another argument that has equal weight: the city where the head office is located, Gothenburg, has about 600,000 inhabitants, it seems to be strong, it is a stone’s throw from the sea and large forests. Good for me who really wants to be close to nature, charge my batteries and run. And then, I am very interested in Scandinavian culture. During my studies at Rennes business school, I went on Erasmus for six months to Finland, an experience that I really enjoyed.

Directors available

I started my job in 2018. Among the differences that interest me at work: relationships and leadership. In France, I felt that the leadership was very clear. If you want to talk to your number + 2, first you had to go through your number + 1. Here, if you have a question to ask the director of the company, no problem, he is available. It really changes human relations, we feel not considered as “little hand”.

At the end of my two-year VIE, I was employed by the Volvo Group, on a local contract, still in Gothenburg. But a year later, The covid pandemic. Like many others, the company is facing problems. A downsizing program was launched, and unfortunately, I was one of those who had to leave, being one of the last to arrive.

I’m a little frustrated. Would it be better for me to return to France? But where to go? I have loved my work environment here and I don’t see myself leaving yet. So, I looked for a job and thanks to my network, I got a position with the car manufacturer Volvo Cars.

I am employed as an embedded software buyer. My mission: to find software to install on car screens, negotiate their prices with suppliers, ensure their implementation and contract monitoring.

My offices are in the headquarters of Volvo Cars, where more than 10,000 people work, on the outskirts of Gothenburg. Almost a city within a city, it’s so spread out. There are offices there but also a factory, warehouses, test stations, car test tracks.

Flexible schedules

Three years after being hired, I still hold this position. Since my arrival in Sweden in 2018, I have noticed that the working environment is completely different from what I saw at the beginning of my career, inside. Bouygues Telecom and with a permanent contract at Renault. Here, we trust the employees more, they have more chance to make decisions.

This confidence is also felt in terms of schedule. Employees are free to plan their own schedules, as long as assigned tasks are completed on time. Here, we’ve never heard comments like “Did you take the afternoon off?!” » if someone leaves early. People arrive by the river, some at 8 in the afternoon, others at 10 in the morning, and leave the same way, some at 3 in the evening, others at 6 in the evening.

As for myself, I set a French rhythm. Normally, I work from 9 am to 5:30 pm. I see two reasons for this. In Sweden, the family plays a central role. Therefore, many prefer to finish early to take their children to school. The weather also plays a role: in winter, it gets dark very early, which is why some people want to finish early to benefit from a little light.

I signed a work contract for 40 hours a week. Of course, I don’t have someone on my back to check my schedules. Sometimes I work more, sometimes less, depending on my workload. As for holidays, I am entitled to thirty days (or six weeks) of paid holiday per year, five days more than the legal minimum.

Additional benefit: I am free to telecommute as much as I like. Teleworking already existed before the pandemic, but it was not as democratic as it is now. Normally, my colleagues come to the office three days a week. For me, it’s more than four days a week. There is no agreement governing the practice of teleworking in my company, instead we tacitly agree with our manager.

“arrive”, worship

Another major difference that I see with France: the lunch break. Here, workers generally bring their own lunch box and take a short break, half an hour. There are company restaurants on campus but these are not subsidized like in France, so lunch costs around 12 euros. As we don’t have food vouchers, many prefer to bring their own food so they don’t spend too much money. And we have lunch early, around 11 or 11:30!

Apart from lunch, as in other Scandinavian countries, we do not rest at all. If your partner asks you to go for coffee, it’s actually going to get it, not to chat for fifteen minutes. And no smoking breaks either, as almost no one smokes in Sweden.

On the other hand, there is a time of friendship loved by Swedes: “fika”, which includes sharing coffee and cake. This is done in business, but also outside, with friends and family. In my company for example, we plan this once a week.

And it is planned in advance! At the beginning of the year, a schedule is sent to my department of about thirty people to give each person the dates on which he or she will have to meet with two or three colleagues. The idea being to bring back cakes, preferably homemade, and get together for half an hour in the middle of the afternoon to chat informally.

Despite this, I have the opinion that the border between professional and private life is more marked than in France. Incidents outside of work are rare. If we are planning something, a drink after work for example, we expect three weeks in advance for colleagues to reserve this slot. There is little selfishness. Maybe because here too, family comes first.

At the office, I communicate with my colleagues in English. It must be said that in Sweden, almost everyone speaks it very well. I’m learning Swedish, I’ve taken courses offered by the municipality, but it’s not easy to continue because when I try, the Swedes answer me in English, seeing that I’m struggling (laughter)

Better work-life balance

Gothenburg is a lovely city, with many pedestrian areas and cycle paths. From the city center, you can go to the sea or the forest in twenty minutes by bike. On the other hand, I find winter very difficult. From November to January, the light is very low. In December, it is light between 9 am and 3 pm And during the day, it is gray. It affects my morale a bit! Therefore, many Swedes invest in vitamin C tablets and have a light therapy lamp that simulates daylight. On the other hand, from the sunny days in April, it is good: you can have a good day, and in summer, the temperature is pleasant, around 25 degrees.

In terms of cost of living, it is similar to that of Paris for food, entertainment and accommodation if you are a renter. As for myself, my salary allows me to have a more comfortable life than what I had in Paris.

Today, I feel very satisfied. I have a good work life balance and I work in a good work environment. I bought a house and I see myself staying there for at least a few years. »