The Most Expensive Line in Your 2026 Budget Isn’t Salaries - It’s Turnover

What if the real risk to your growth wasn’t who you hire next… but who you fail to keep?

Every autumn, companies sit down to plan for the next year.Spreadsheets open. Targets are set. People argue over line items.

“Let’s cut events.”

“Do we really need another HR tool?”

“Can we freeze hiring for Q1?”

Everyone debates where to save. Almost no one looks at where they leak.

As Finnish companies sharpen their budgets for 2026, conversations often orbit the usual themes: salary increases, benefits, recruitment targets, and the ever-present question of how to stay competitive in a shifting economy. But while all eyes are on payroll projections, the most financially damaging line in your budget may not be visible at first glance.

It’s not salaries. It’s turnover.

In recent years, Finland has made significant progress in attracting skilled professionals from across the globe. Companies are sourcing talent far beyond national borders, bringing in specialists, engineers, and creatives to fill critical roles. But too often, these hires are treated like a finish line: once the relocation is done and the onboarding complete, the job is considered “filled.”

Until it’s not.

When international employees leave, the cost is multiplied. You don’t just lose a person. You lose months of immigration paperwork. Tens of thousands of euros in relocation and integration support. Deep institutional knowledge. Cultural perspective. And trust - both internally and externally.

And here’s the part many don’t factor in: when an international professional decides to leave their job, they often go and work at your competitor’s company, or they often leave the country altogether. That’s not just a blow to your team. It’s a setback to Finland’s employer brand.

Retention in this context isn’t about perks. It’s about purpose, belonging, and long-term vision.It’s about asking harder questions:

• Do our leaders understand the cultural and emotional needs of a global team?

• Are we building environments where internationals can see a future, not just a job?

• Are our DEI efforts strong enough to move beyond buzzwords?

• Is our culture truly inclusive, or merely tolerant?

Salaries are simple to model. Retention? That’s the nuance most budgets miss.

When a local employee leaves, you activate your hiring funnel. When an international leaves, you trigger a logistical, financial, and human ripple effect that impacts more than just headcount.

So, before you pour more resources into talent attraction, take a moment to audit what happens after the contract is signed. How you support, challenge, and retain your people, especially those who have chosen to build a life here, isn’t just an HR function. It’s a strategic advantage.

In 2026, Finnish companies that thrive won’t be the ones who hire globally. They will be the ones who keep them.

The companies that win in 2026 won’t just count hires, they will count who stayed.

If you are ready to shift the conversation from “how do we hire more” to “how do we stop losing the ones we already have,” we would love to hear how you are approaching it. Let’s open the door to a new standard for international retention in Finland.

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Have a lovely Autumn time,

Intero's team