The #1 Mistake Danish managers make working with international talent It isn’t what you think You put a lot of time and effort into recruiting a talent from outside of Denmark…yet when this sought-after professional arrives in Denmark, things don’t go quite as planned. Your new hire is rather silent in meetings and seems a little afraid to speak his mind. He seems to wait for instructions instead of jumping into the job and proactively finding ways to add value to the team and move your projects forward. He rarely challenges you, his manager, and seems overly concerned with getting ..read more

What happens at a “How to Work in Denmark” workshop For mixed groups of Danes and internationals My “How to Work in Denmark” corporate workshops are active and creative. We talk about how to work together better across cultures….and then examine and reinforce those messages with reflection groups and improv exercises. Among the general topics we work with: Hierarchy Newly-arrived internationals may be hesitant to challenge a Danish boss, in particular if they are here on a working visa. We do improv exercises on how a Danish boss might give an international team member “permiss ..read more

Danish management style What do Danish bosses mean when they say “My door is always open?” “My door is always open.” It seems like something every Danish boss says, whether it’s during a job interview, on the first day at work, or at a feedback meeting when things are going well… or not so well. But what does it really mean? In some working cultures, bosses who say that their office door “is always open” to the people on the team may be indicating that they’re open to hearing about employees’ personal problems (is their spouse seeing someone else?) or are available for light gossip ..read more

Danish work hours Is it true that everyone goes home at 4pm? Danish working culture offers some of the best work-life balance in the world, and many people who work elsewhere envy the working hours in Denmark. The work week is generally 37.5 hours for people employed by companies, a figure that is set in the regular negotiations between employee unions and employer unions. (Wages are also set during these negotiations: Denmark has no minimum wage.) A work week of 37.5 hours divides into 7.5 hours a day of work five days a week, with 30 minutes unpaid for lunch. This means that in o ..read more

Business gifts in Denmark What should you give to your Danish business partners? Gifts are an important part of doing business in many cultures – but what about business gifts in Denmark? What should you bring to a potential Danish business partner? Should you give gifts to your boss or your colleagues at holiday time or on their birthdays? Generally, doing business in Denmark does not require any gifts at all. Denmark prides itself on its reputation as one of the world’s least corrupt countries, and any gift to a potential business partner can be misunderstood as an attempt a ..read more

Can Americans work in Denmark? They can, but it will take some finagling Can Americans work in Denmark? They can, although they will find it much easier to find a job if they have some type of additional passport from the European Union. Without an EU passport, Americans will find themselves the legal equivalent of people from China, India, Brazil, and African countries seeking employment in Denmark. They’ll need to have an employer sponsor them for a job, and the employer must prove to the Danish authorities that there is no Danish citizen available to do that job. “The positive ..read more

Working in Copenhagen The first five things to know Working in Copenhagen is a dream for many people – the Danish capital is often described as one of the best places in the world to live and work. Assuming you’ve arranged for a working visa, here are five things to remember if you’re planning to move to Copenhagen for work. #1 – Renting an apartment Renting an apartment is common for newcomers to Denmark, but the rules of renting are different than they are many other places in the world. Most apartments come unfurnished and many lack basic appliances like a washing machi ..read more

How high are the taxes if you work in Denmark? You will be funding the Danish social welfare state Denmark has an extensive social welfare state financed by taxes. When you read about great Danish benefits such as basic health care that is free to the user and college tuition that is free for the student, it is easy to forget that they are financed by some of the world’s highest taxes. But how high are the taxes if you work in Denmark? Many internationals would like to have a “tax calculator” to show exactly how much take-home pay they can expect after the Danish tax bite. Here’s a ..read more

Do you have to learn Danish to work in Denmark? A few thoughts about working in Denmark as a non-Danish speaker People interested in coming to Denmark for work often ask, “Do you have to learn Danish to work in Denmark?” The answer is no – in some cases. If you are an IT specialist or an engineer, finding an all-English speaking environment in Denmark won’t be difficult. Danish companies that specialize in technology, gaming, architecture, or infrastructure generally have customers and employees from all over the world, and they do business in English. In addition, many of Denmark ..read more

The Danish work environment A toolbox for success The Danish work environment can be exciting and fun. The salaries are generous (although take-home pay is less after the ambitious Danish taxes), working hours are reasonable, and employers generally put a premium on creating a pleasant, healthy workplace. That said, the Danish work environment is different than in many other European countries, including other Scandinavian countries. Here are a few of the tools you’ll need to be successful when working in Denmark. Danish openness and trust The first tool is a commitment to ope ..read more