Tokmanni offers varied tasks and valuable work experience to about one thousand summer workers or trainees
Tokmanni Press release 11 June 2019 at 6:40 p.m.
This summer, as usual, you will meet lots of young people at Tokmanni who are taking their first steps in working life, as the general discount retailer is employing about one thousand summer workers or trainees in the Tutustu työelämään ja tienaa traineeship scheme. Tokmanni wants to offer young people information on working life and positive experiences, thus helping them to gain independence.
Tokmanni received about 23,000 applications for summer jobs and summer traineeships this year. Yet again, there was a pleasingly large number of familiar faces and new acquaintances among those chosen.
“At Tokmanni we want to offer young people opportunities to familiarise themselves with working life and its rules. We tell everyone that enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and a genuine desire to learn new things and get on with different types of people will help you do well in the retail sector, even if you don’t have any previous experience,” says Sirpa Huuskonen, Tokmanni’s HR Director.
“As well as those experiencing working life for the first time, we also offer summer jobs to young people who have already completed a period of work experience or familiarisation with working life. In this way we can show that we value previous experience,” she adds.
Tokmanni is participating in the Responsible Summer Job campaign, organised by the Economic Information Office and T-Media, once again this year. The target of the campaign is to ensure high-quality summer jobs for young people and a skilled labour force for employers also in the future. Tokmanni and the other employers participating in the campaign have all committed to the principles of a responsible summer job, which are there to ensure a good experience for both the summer worker and the employer.
“We want to offer an enjoyable, varied and inclusive work environment where employees can be themselves, feel important and have equal opportunities to succeed in working life,” says Huuskonen.
“It is really great that at Tokmanni we can operate responsibly by employing about one thousand summer workers and summer trainees in our sector again this year. Especially significant is that our store network, which has grown to include almost 200 stores, allows us to offer work all over Finland, even in small towns.”
Plenty of varied tasks on offer
The majority of young people employed by Tokmanni this summer will be working at stores, but meaningful work is also on offer at the store chain’s administration and logistics centre in Mäntsälä.
At Tokmanni’s stores, the job description of summer workers and trainees includes, in particular, stacking shelves with products, customer service and taking care of general tidiness. At the administration and logistics centre, most help is required at the logistics centre picking, for example. At the office, employees carry out the varied tasks involved in customer service, supply chain and corporate sales.
“Summer is a busy season for the store, so everyone will have the chance to participate in actual everyday work. I am certain that, as always, there will be a pleasing number of happy, customer service-oriented and hard-working young people at Tokmanni this summer,” says Huuskonen.
Summer workers generally accumulate about two weeks to three months of summer work experience.
Requirements related to handling money and occupational health and safety mean that summer workers must be aged 18 or over. Remuneration for summer workers is in accordance with the collective agreement for the retail sector.
Participants in the Tutustu työelämää ja tienaa summer traineeship scheme are young people who turn 14 years of age or are no older than 17 years of age this year. In the retail sector they are paid a maximum salary of EUR 365 for their two-week period of work experience.
It pays to be active
“In particular, those young people who are having their first contact with working life will learn a lot during the summer and will gain important information and experiences regarding their educational and career choices. Irrespective of the employer and work task, young people working at Tokmanni will be encouraged to consider work-related targets and the development of skills that are important in working life,” says Huuskonen.
“We encourage the young people to be active and to have an open-minded attitude to various work tasks, as this will mean employers are more likely to remember them, which may lead to further job opportunities in the future. For example, we have employed many enthusiastic summer workers and trainees from previous years as seasonal helpers and permanent employees.
“There are employees at Tokmanni who came to work for the company as seasonal helpers and who were then inspired to complete studies in the sector. They have then advanced in their careers to become store managers or assistant store managers, for example. There is a huge number of different ways to advance your career in the retail sector, and in addition to business professionals, Tokmanni also employs logistics, HR, marketing and IT professionals.”
Visit the website to find out how Tokmanni’s summer workers are getting on
Tokmanni’s employees want to show others what it is like to work in the retail sector and at Finland’s largest general discount retailer. You can find out what it is like to work at Tokmanni by visiting the website, for example, www.tokmanni.fi/kesatyo and watching the videos there. A few keen summer workers and trainees will, alongside their other tasks, also have the chance to create content on the subject of summer work for the Tokmanni Stories website that was launched by Tokmanni in the spring. Content will also be shared on Tokmanni’s social media channels in the summer and all contributors will be rewarded with a small surprise.
“We are really pleased that so many of our summer workers and trainees want to tell others about their experiences of summer work. In this way we can share information and provide concrete examples to others about what it is like to work at Tokmanni and in the retail sector,” says Huuskonen.
Principles for a responsible summer job
By participating in the Responsible Summer Job campaign, Tokmanni has committed to the six principles of a good summer job, which will help to ensure a positive experience for both the employee and their employer.
1. A good application experience
Applying for a summer job is one of the most exciting experiences of the year for a young person. A responsible employer will update the applicant on how the application process is progressing and will also inform the applicants who haven’t been selected for the job.
2. Meaningful work
Through a summer job a young person will get their first experience in a work environment and learn about various fields and professions. A meaningful summer job corresponds to the skills of the employee and is sufficiently demanding. The duties, the responsibilities, the authorisations and the expectations are carefully defined. A responsible employer gives a positive image of working life, which encourages students to finish their studies and to become employed sooner.
3. Introduction and guidance
The employer will appoint someone to be responsible for letting the employee know about the rules and customs at the place of employment. With a well planned introduction and good guidance the summer worker will quickly get acquainted with the work at hand and will learn and develop on the job. Giving feedback is an important part of the guidance.
4. Fairness and equality
The young employee will be treated equally with the other employees and will be considered a full member of the working community. Supporting the summer worker is a task for everyone at the place of employment and if possible they will be offered the same working environment and the same tools as the other employees.
5. Reasonable pay
The summer worker will be paid a reasonable salary according to the requirements of the job and the employee’s skills.
6. Written contract and testimonial
A responsible employer will always draw up a written contract with the employee. When the working relationship ends, the employee will get a proper testimonial, even if they do not remember to ask for one themselves. The employer will give the youth feedback of the work done and encourage them to share their own opinions.
TOKMANNI
For further information, please contact:
Sirpa Huuskonen
HR Director
Tel. 020 728 6520
sirpa.huuskonen(at)tokmanni.fi
Maarit Mikkonen
Investor Relations and Communications Manager
Tel. 040 562 2282
maarit.mikkonen(at)tokmanni.fi
Tokmanni is Finland’s leading discount retailer chain. Some 3,600 Tokmanni employees make customers’ everyday life and special occasions easier by offering a versatile and up-to-date assortment of Finnish and international brand-name products and other high-quality products at prices that are always affordable. With nearly 200 stores around Finland and an online store, Tokmanni is always close to its customers. Tokmanni’s revenue in 2018 amounted to EUR 870.4 million. Tokmanni’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
