High-quality technology expertise – Fastems Oy

Fastems Oy Ab supplies intelligent factory automation solutions that help manufacturers of metal products to increase their productivity. Fastems has delivered over 4,000 installed systems to its main markets in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Since the fall of 2021, Avila has supported Fastems’ active recruitment strategy with direct search services. Anu Erkkilä, Fastems Oy’s HR Specialist, tells how Fastems’ recruitment is predicted to remain active in the coming years, and new employees are being sought at an increasing pace, both for the offices abroad and for the head office in Tampere.

“Our company is constantly growing. With new developing products we also need new experts as team leaders as well as for various expert roles. Due to the market situation, direct search is helping us to find employees in addition to the advertised search,” says Erkkilä.

During the last year, Fastems and Avila have carried out several recruitments together and employees have been found e.g. for Head of Technical Support, Electrical Designer, Quality Assurance Engineer, System Support Specialist, and Software Developer roles. Through the collaboration, the understanding of Fastems’ industry and the company’s operating methods has deepened.

“To us, it is very important that our direct search partner transmits expertise and that they have an understanding of our industry and services. It’s great that the people at Avila really know our employees and recruiting managers, and they also have an understanding of what kind of employees we are trying to recruit, Erkkilä describes.

The agility of the process together with modern tools, guarentee an effective collaboration 

Fastems’ HR team paid attention to Avila’s agile process and tools and hereby, the collaboration started in December 2021 with a direct search for the role of Hardware Quality Assurance Engineer. “Avila’s modern direct search process has been working well within our HR teams and recruiting directors”, states Erkkilä.

With the help of new digital tools that make the direct search process faster, Avila always strives for high-quality services. The process includes an extensive target group mapping, which helps to find the most suitable and high-quality candidates for each role. Also, an industry-specific understanding of companies operating models and values, guarantees that Avila’s communication stays in line with the client company and that the employer’s brand image is supported. 

“We can trust that we will be represented in the best possible way. Avila’s recruitment consultants are taking good care of our candidates throughout the entire recruitment process. In addition, Avila’s recruitment consultants know how to communicate correctly from the beginning of the process, so we don’t have to worry about not being on the same page when a candidate is interviewed by us,” says Erkkilä.

High-level technology knowledge and the well-being of the employees as the cornerstones of the company 

“I have heard Fastems to be called the ‘engineers candy shop’, which I think is kind of aptly said”,  says Eliisa Nissi, HR Specialist at Fastems. Nissi tells how Fastems’ activities focus on high-quality technology expertise, and they provide several growth opportunities for their employees, both horizontally and vertically. The employees can challenge themselves in an innovative and skilled environment, and if they wish, career paths can also be opened abroad for new developing projects.

Fastems’ employee’s well-being is taken into consideration in daily work life as various activities are organized frequently at work, says Nissi. Fastems also acts as an active employer for technology students by giving them opportunities to learn and develop alongside and after their studies. 

“Our workprint is concrete and it can be seen in practice whilst the multidimensional systems operate. Fastems also invests a lot in teamwork and we are constantly striving to create opportunities for learning and growth”, Nissi describes. 

Fastems’ current Head of Technical Support, Janne Hietaranta had also paid attention to these important company values. At the end of 2021, there had been an advertised search for the Head of Technical Support role, but the recruitment needed support from Avila’s direct search services in early 2022.