Do you have any questions related to automotive manufacturing?
On this page, we have collected questions we have frequently heard from applicants. Have a look, they might prove helpful to you!
SHOULD I SEND AN APPLICATION EVEN THOUGH MY EDUCATION IS NOT RELATED TO CARS IN ANY WAY?
What we value the most is that the applicant wants to produce quality products, learn new things and is able to work as part of a team. A wide variety of educational backgrounds provide exactly the competencies that we expect from battery plant employees.
IS BUILDING CARS or batteries PHYSICALLY DEMANDING?
Building cars or batteries is physical work, but we have had a strong focus on ergonomics and workplace safety for several decades now. Heavy work phases have been automated and we employ many solutions to facilitate work. In addition, job rotation allows changing tasks within a team or trying entirely different tasks.
WHAT DOES THE PAY CONSIST OF?
At Valmet Automotive the new employees are assigned either to group 1 (no work experience), group 2 (more than one year of work experience) or group 3 (more than five years of work experience). The starting pay and pay tiers will be determined according to this classification during the first six months of employment. From the first day, the starting pay is the pay for the job in question pursuant to the collective agreement, which depends on the demands of the job + Valmet Automotive’s Hero Bonus. The total remuneration also includes shift work bonuses, working time averaging bonuses, performance bonuses, other potential bonuses pursuant to the collective agreement, such as emergency work bonuses, overtime compensation, compensation for working on weekday public holidays, compensation related to annual holidays and employee benefits.
CAN A WOMAN WORK AS A CAR BUILDER or battery operator?
About one third of our car builders or battery operators are women. In many cases, we find that women have the long attention span, precision and dexterity needed in this line of work. Being physically small is not a problem either. Women are just as capable of working at an automotive factory as men.
WHAT IS A SUITABLE AGE FOR A CAR OR BATTERY BUILDER?
In our most recent round of recruitment, the youngest hires were under 20 years of age and the oldest ones were over 50. Age is no obstacle. We look for applicants who are of working age and are physically capable of doing the work.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE JOBS?
Especially in general assembly, where the majority of our car builders work, the employees are trained to operate in multiple positions and they can switch jobs within their teams during the day. Where possible, we also try to fill vacancies internally. A change of team or department is possible if there’s a good match between a vacancy and the individual’s skill set. Being promoted to a supervisory role is also possible.
How international are the battery and car plants?
There are over 70 nationalities represented at Valmet Automotive. Practically all of our customers are from abroad as well as many partners. Internationality is visible and continues to increase, but our work culture is consistent.
WHAT RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DOES THE AUTOMOTIVE FACTORY PROVIDE FOR EMPLOYEES?
Our employees’ ability to cope at work is a priority for us, which is why we support the well-being of our personnel in a variety of ways. As an in-kind benefit, Valmet Automotive employees get the ePassi application for their smartphones, which they can use to flexibly pay at indoor swimming pools, sports centers and many gyms. In addition, every employee at the Salo location is entitled to use the Kuntokampa facilities of the Salo IoT Campus, which offers a wide variety of exercise opportunities, ranging from using the gym to group exercise classes. Employees of the Uusikaupunki location get access to Hobby House Laturi, which offers a gym, exercise premises, table tennis and billiards, gaming consoles as well as a handicrafts room with a handloom.
MUST ONE SPEAK FINNISH TO WORK AT UUSIKAUPUNKI OR SALO PLANT?
We have two working languages at the Uusikaupunki plant, Finnish and English. We offer work training in English, and our work instructions are available both in Finnish and English. The number of non-Finnish speaking employees at the Uusikaupunki plant is growing steadily.