Teollisuuden Voima finds hard-to-reach experts through targeted direct search

In highly demanding industrial environments, the right talent is not always found through a job advertisement. Teollisuuden Voima requires experts in Olkiluoto whose skills are highly specialized, business-critical, and often difficult to find. Targeted direct search helps reach professionals who are not actively looking for a new role but may be open to the right opportunity.

How do you find the right experts for a demanding industrial environment?

Olkiluoto is an environment where the importance of the right expertise is reflected in every recruitment decision. Required competencies are often highly specialized, and suitable experts cannot always be reached through traditional recruitment methods.

Some positions require experience from demanding industrial and nuclear environments, which significantly narrows the potential talent pool in Finland. At the same time, many of the right candidates are not actively monitoring job advertisements.

Staffing needs can also change rapidly due to projects and business requirements. In such situations, recruitment requires more than reviewing applications—it requires industry expertise, the ability to identify the right profiles, and the confidence to approach passive candidates.

For TVO, it was important to find a recruitment model that could flexibly support hiring needs, even when talent requirements arise quickly or suitable experts are difficult to reach.

Trust is built on understanding—not promises

Our partnership with TVO began at a point where a traditional staffing model alone was not enough. TVO was looking for a partner that truly understood the realities of a highly demanding industry and could identify the type of expertise required in critical roles.

Trust was built through industry knowledge, experienced recruitment professionals, and a targeted approach. From the beginning, it was essential to demonstrate a genuine understanding of the specific requirements of nuclear and industrial environments.

A key factor was the introduction of direct search methods. This made it possible to reach experts who would not have been found through traditional job advertising alone.

Direct search reaches passive candidates

The collaboration combines traditional job advertising with targeted direct search. At the heart of the approach is the ability to reach professionals who are not actively seeking new opportunities.

Long-term cooperation, industry understanding, and a flexible way of working have made recruitment smoother, even in changing circumstances. When hiring needs arise quickly, the process adapts accordingly.

According to Hannu Nieminen, Resource Partner at TVO, the greatest benefit of the partnership is reliability: when recruitment needs emerge unexpectedly, support is readily available and there is no need to start the process from scratch.

An especially important factor has been the ability to identify professionals whose expertise is suited to a safety-critical environment such as Olkiluoto.

Predictability and confidence in recruitment

The partnership has brought predictability and confidence to TVO’s recruitment efforts. When the operating environment, safety requirements, and talent needs are already understood, launching new recruitment processes becomes faster and easier—even when circumstances change rapidly.

Reaching passive candidates has been particularly valuable. Targeted direct search helps identify the right experts even when the talent market is limited and suitable candidates cannot be reached through job advertisements alone.

At the same time, the collaboration supports TVO’s employer brand and visibility in the talent market. The goal is not only to fill open positions but also to strengthen TVO’s reputation as an attractive employer offering a wide range of career opportunities.

According to Nieminen, one of the most significant benefits is peace of mind regarding talent availability.

“We don’t have to worry about where we will find people if our staffing needs suddenly change.”