People and Change

Significant forces of change are compelling organisations to rethink their operations, respond swiftly, and anticipate the future. These shifts introduce new demands on leadership and decision-making processes. Sustainable leadership for the future is grounded in values, purpose and objectives, verified impact, and the courage to renew.

We offer solutions for:

• Leading for impact and results
• Developing organisational capabilities to adopt coaching and service-oriented leadership practises
• Change management, ensuring continuous adaptation, learning, and competitiveness
• Renewing management systems and organisational structures to support strategies and leadership objectives

We support all aspects of leadership development, from strategic leadership questions to the practical requirements of implementation.

We support you in driving change and achieving the intended benefits.

Do you have the speed, courage, and readiness required for change?

Technological advancements, digitalisation, evolving legislation, rising customer expectations, and diverse societal trends mean that the need for change and renewal is here and now.

Determined leadership and effective implementation of change programmes determine who succeeds and who does not. Progress should be tracked with relevant metrics, and swift corrective actions should be taken as needed. Research shows that the most critical factor influencing change success is visible and active leadership. We help our clients create the conditions for successful change, ensuring that the targeted business and other benefits are realised.

We assist our clients in implementing changes efficiently, professionally, and within the planned schedule. Clear objectives, efficiency, and impact are the cornerstones of our services.

Our change management services

Our certified change management experts support you in areas such as:

• Outcome-driven change processes: providing necessary change support and finding solutions to potential challenges
• Assessing and measuring the impact of change
• Change communication and engagement
• Building change capability
• Ensuring the impact and sustainability of change

We help identify skills and capabilities – shaping roles and job descriptions to align with your strategy and objectives.

Do you know which skills and capabilities your organisation needs to successfully implement its strategy?

We support our clients in identifying critical capabilities and competencies. We assist in designing talent processes, roles, job descriptions, and total rewards to support strategic goals and objectives.

Competence is the most important competitive factor for modern organisations. The way capabilities, skills, and performance are managed and developed defines an organisation’s ability to anticipate changes in the operating environment and create competitive advantage through new business models, products, and services.

Defining the required strategic capabilities—and identifying and managing the practical competencies needed to support them, at the organisational, team, and individual levels—is increasingly impacting the success of modern organisations. Understanding the availability and scarcity of skills varies by industry and geography, shaping decisions related to talent acquisition and development.

Is your competency model ready to meet tomorrow’s demands?

A flexible and adaptive competency model is a necessity and a key differentiator for today’s organisations.

Leadership is increasingly expected to demonstrate responsibility, fairness, and transparency.

What does responsible leadership mean? How is responsible leadership practised in your own workplace?

Responsible leadership encompasses actions that promote a positive work environment and good working life. This includes setting objectives, monitoring progress, performance management, and matters classified under social responsibility. Social responsibility is reflected daily in words and actions: How do you maintain and support employees’ work ability and wellbeing? How do you promote equality and equity? How do you ensure fair compensation?

Below are examples of how to strengthen a responsible leadership and organisational culture:

• Diversity and inclusion. Are the benefits of diversity and inclusion recognised, and have clear objectives been set? Does your organisation have expertise in diversity-related matters?
  
  We provide training on diversity and develop diversity strategies and programmes. We also help set targets for diversity, inclusion, and equity, and support the renewal of desired culture and organisational structures.
  
  
• Psychological safety. Do employees feel safe to express their thoughts and propose areas for improvement in the workplace? Can teams be themselves, and do employees feel a sense of belonging?
  
  We develop and assess psychological safety, utilising measurement methods specifically designed for this purpose and our broad leadership expertise.
  
  
• Equality and equity in working life. Is pay equity between genders being realised? Does everyone have equal opportunities to learn and progress in their careers?
  
  We analyse payroll data and assist in reporting. We also develop recruitment processes and career path models to ensure equal and fair treatment.
  
  
• Work ability management. What concrete actions should be taken, and how can their impact be measured?
  
  We assist in developing leadership practises and processes that promote employee wellbeing, with special attention to factors affecting mental health.

Our HR and leadership experts are available to support you according to your needs, either on a part-time or fixed-term basis.

Do you need an HRD (Human Resource Development) professional for a fixed term, such as to cover a parental leave, or on a part-time basis during regular operations, for example two days per week? Is it difficult to find the desired expertise or a suitable specialist on short notice?

We offer comprehensive support across various HR functions, such as competence development, performance management, compensation, change management, process development, integrating social responsibility into existing practises, ensuring a positive employee experience, and change leadership—essentially all typical tasks of an HR director, manager, or specialist.

Our experts offer:

• Experience in leadership and HRD consulting
• A people-centric approach in change situations
• Excellent ability to find solutions to HR-related questions
• Flexible access to the full range of KPMG expertise—from managing the employment lifecycle to CSRD reporting and leveraging AI.

Are you looking to recruit talent from abroad?

Are you seeking several professionals or a specific area of expertise? Are you wondering how to integrate international talent into your work community and ensure their long-term engagement?

There are many considerations, as recruiting and managing international talent involves a range of unique aspects. We support you with legal, tax, and practical arrangements related to workforce mobility.

In addition, we offer services such as:

• Defining required competencies and assessing the need for international talent
• Developing recruitment and onboarding processes, as well as conducting employee assessments
• Building the capabilities of teams and supervisors to work in and lead diverse teams
• Promoting an inclusive and psychologically safe culture

We also actively participate in societal initiatives that support the smooth integration, education, and employment of international professionals in Finland.

Laying the foundation for success: Preparing for pay transparency

The EU Pay Transparency Directive introduces new requirements for organisations, calling for both proactive preparation and determined development efforts. Promoting gender pay equality, increasing transparency, and reducing pay discrimination are long-term objectives that require a strategic approach. Advancing pay transparency also provides companies with an opportunity to enhance their employer brand, attract and retain talent, and foster effective and fair performance management—supporting both growth and competitiveness.

The directive affects employers in both the private and public sectors. At its core are gender-neutral pay structures and objective job evaluation and classification methods. Developing these frameworks not only ensures compliance with legislation, but also supports the transition to equitable pay practises.

Pay transparency extends across all stages of the employment relationship. During recruitment, employers must inform candidates about the expected level and range of pay for a given position. In employment, employees have the right to information on the pay levels of colleagues performing equal work, disaggregated by gender. Regular pay reporting—both to authorities and internally—makes pay gaps and their underlying factors more visible.

If pay reporting uncovers an unexplained pay gap of more than five percent, employers are required to conduct a pay assessment in cooperation with employee representatives. This ensures timely and effective corrective actions.

How can we support your organisation?

Our experts offer comprehensive support in preparing for pay transparency: from resolving legal questions and analysing your current state, to developing pay structures and evaluation models, as well as implementing reporting and communication practises.

Together, we design solutions to help you successfully navigate change and realise the benefits of pay transparency—purposefully, efficiently, and sustainably.