Vaasa HR report 2024: key themes include wellbeing, safety and competence

The transfer of employment services from the state to municipalities marked one of the most significant administrative reforms in recent history, with more than 80 new employees joining the City of Vaasa at the beginning of 2025. In 2024, preparations for the transfer were actively underway: a joint Ostrobothnia Employment Area was established, comprising nine municipalities, with Vaasa assuming the role of lead municipality. In the autumn of 2024, a Director of Employment Services was selected to oversee the operations of the Employment Area.

Coaching, wellbeing at work, and AI pilots

In 2024, the focus was on staff wellbeing, occupational safety, and skills development.

City employees were offered coaching and a €100 benefit for use with Epassi. The ‘Turvavartti’ sessions continued during workplace meetings as part of safety information sharing, and staff were encouraged to make safety observations. Colleagues in management positions were supported with coaching leadership training, the introduction of the Supervisor Pass, and the development of tools to promote mental wellbeing.

– We want to encourage our employees to enhance their skills and further develop their work and practices. To support this, we expanded our network of internal developers to cover the entire city organisation. We also established guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence and piloted its application, says HR Director Tuulikki Kruhse-Poutanen.

Employer appeal and responsible recruitment

Efforts to promote Vaasa’s employer appeal and strengthen collaboration with educational institutions continued. This included participation in the Study & Stay network, coordinated by VASEK, as well as meetings between city leadership and board members of various student unions. A key partnership agreement was signed with Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK).

– Our city strategy recognises the long-term integration of students into Vaasa as a critical success factor. This is why we offer summer jobs and internship opportunities to higher education students, and listen to their thoughts on the development of the city with a keen ear, says Kruhse-Poutanen.

Open job positions and summer jobs with the City of Vaasa attracted more interest than the previous year, and the number of voluntary resignations also decreased.

– Our goal is to be an equitable and diverse employer. We favour anonymous recruitment, which is one concrete way to reduce discrimination during the recruitment process, says Kruhse-Poutanen.

Key figures

The aim of the HR report is to provide elected officials, city leadership, employees, and external stakeholders with an overview of the city’s personnel and the key focus areas in human resources over the past year.

• The number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) was 2,691 at the end of 2024. The city had a total of 3,114 employment relationships.
• The average age of permanent employees was 48.3 years.
• Women made up the majority of city employees, accounting for 75%.
• There were 173 people in managerial positions, 113 of whom were women.
• The turnover of permanent staff was 145 employees. 59 people retired on old-age pension during the year. According to exit surveys, career development and personal reasons were the main factors behind employees’ decision to leave.
• In 2024, the City of Vaasa had 394 job vacancies and 450 summer job positions.
• 76 percent of respondents to the workplace well-being survey would recommend the City of Vaasa as an employer.

The City Council noted the HR report at its meeting on 5 May.

Study here in Finnish Henkilöstöraportti 2024 or Swedish: Personalrapport 2024 (pdf)