Talentor has been helping Health Care organizations for over 20 years in Finland. We help our clients to acquire the best talents from the fields of medical care, medical equipment, pharma, consumer health, biotech and other health care areas.
Healthcare Workforce Availability Challenges in Finland in 2025
Healthcare workforce availability challenges have continued to intensify in Finland throughout 2024 and into 2025. Doctors’ salary demands remain high, and the shortage of healthcare professionals continues to significantly affect both primary and specialized care services.
There are still regional and professional disparities in workforce availability. Retirements further aggravate recruitment difficulties, especially in northern and eastern Finland, where the proportion of staff retiring is highest. It is estimated that around one-fifth of the workforce in the well-being services counties will retire by 2030.
Finland’s population is aging and requires more services than before. At the same time, the working-age population is shrinking, birth rates remain low, and the dependency ratio continues to worsen. High-quality social and healthcare services cannot be provided without a competent workforce. Currently, the healthcare sector places special emphasis on improving working conditions, the work environment, employee well-being, and leadership.
In 2023, public healthcare expenditure in Finland totaled €20.97 billion. Public funding accounted for 80% of healthcare expenses, while out-of-pocket household payments covered 17%.
The aging of healthcare personnel remains a major concern, as by 2025, over 40% of those employed in 2014 will have reached the age of 65.
Meanwhile, new private sector experts continue to enter the healthcare market, creating innovative business models to promote health and well-being. The ongoing social and healthcare reform (Sote reform) remains a transformative force aiming to make public services more client-oriented, timely, effective, and efficient. The reform still targets approximately €3 billion in savings to address the sustainability gap in public finances.
In the future, the roles of individual healthcare professionals and leaders will continue to evolve. It is the responsibility of leadership—especially immediate supervisors—to communicate necessary changes resulting from the reform and engage employees in the implementation. The ongoing transformation of the healthcare sector also requires continuous skill development and the adoption of new technologies.
References
Talentor’s Managing Partner, Mika Nevasuo, has over 20 years of experience in recruiting doctors. Nevasuo has assisted companies, foundations, municipalities, cities, and healthcare consortia in recruiting doctors, chief physicians, and chief medical officers specializing in various medical fields.
Examples of executive search recruitments conducted by Mika Nevasuo for his clients:
- Leading Occupational Health Physician
- Director, Insurance Medicine
- Chief Physician, Medical Solutions in Pension Insurance
- Chief Medical Officer, Student Health
- Occupational Health Physician
- Department Chief Physician
- Chief Physician
- General Practitioner
- Specialist Physician and more
Examples of clients
- Finland’s largest pension insurer
- Large publicly listed company in the retail sector
- National foundation responsible for student health
- Entrepreneurial and grant recipients’ pension institution
- Medium-sized occupational pension insurance company
- Various healthcare consortia of hospital districts
- Various healthcare consortia
- Various occupational health organizations
- Private organizations providing medical services
