21.02.2025 | Articles
Sometimes a job is so hidden that the employer doesn’t even know it exists. The large number of applicants for job vacancies in open recruitment shows that it is worthwhile to also consider the opportunities provided by hidden jobs. In Finland, a significant proportion of jobseekers are hired specifically for hidden jobs.
When a hundred qualified applicants apply for a job advertised through open recruitment, it may feel a lot like filling out a lottery ticket. What if your job search focused on hidden jobs instead?
Päivi Montgomery, a senior consultant, psychologist and non-fiction writer working for the recruitment service provider MPS, encourages jobseekers to seek out hidden jobs. The first step is to determine what your own skills are, who could benefit from them and which direction you would like your career to take.
When it comes to an open recruitment process, someone else has already figured out where you would be working and what you would do. When looking for a hidden job, you are free to determine yourself who your next employer might be and what job role would be most ideal.
“It is also worth investing in finding a hidden job because there are fewer jobs available through open recruitment due to the economic situation. There is no reason to shy away from contacting potential employers. Usually, they’re happy when someone asks about job opportunities”, says Montgomery.
A hidden job can also be a job or role that an organisation has not yet realised it needs. In this case, a jobseeker who can identify the need for their skills in an organisation will have the upper hand. The jobseeker explains why the organisation needs their specific expertise and what benefits they could bring to the employer – for example, additional growth, process development and, thus, resource savings.
This was the approach taken by Rosa Auffermann, who works as a business development manager and work coach. A few years ago, she researched companies offering working life coaching and was particularly impressed by the origin story of one. Auffermann called the company’s CEO, Riikka Pajunen. Pajunen answered the call in the middle of lunch and stated that she did not have any available job positions. Auffermann explained anyway why the coaching company had impressed her and why she would fit well into the team. “At the end of the conversation, Riikka said that we should meet for lunch. The end result was that we came to the conclusion that there was no choice but to develop a job for me in the company”, Auffermann says.
According to Auffermann, it worked out because of the similar values and personal chemistry of both parties. “We shared a vision for the development of working life.”
She says that when applying for a hidden job, you should justify to a potential employer exactly why you would be a good fit for them in particular. It is important to recognise and be proud of your expertise. “Perhaps, in Finnish culture, we should learn to develop the courage to reach out and contact interesting employers and individuals. You can request, for example, a short remote meeting to ask more about another person’s interesting work.”
Hidden jobs refer to the resource needs of companies that have not yet been realised or publicly announced. An unexpected need for a new employee can arise when people move within an organisation. It may be that someone in a supervisory position wants to get back to doing expert work, someone may be taking an extended sick leave, someone may be changing jobs, an employment contract may be terminated during the trial period, or the company may be growing at a rapid pace.
Not all jobs are advertised using an open recruitment process because the process is laborious and time-consuming. The aim is often to offer work first to those already in-house or to select an employee from among existing open applications. Sometimes, the company may simply be in such a hurry that they don’t even stop to think about initiating an open search.
Sometimes, the new employee is found through existing contacts before any recruitment process has even begun. This was the case with Sara Kauppi, a credit risk controller working in the banking sector. Her former colleague mentioned Kauppi’s expertise to their current employer and recommended Kauppi, although there were no open positions at the time. Kauppi held negotiations on the job description and salary, and when a mutual agreement was reached, she got a job that would otherwise not have been advertised for several months to come.
Kauppi’s example shows how colleagues and supervisors – both former and present – can be the key that opens doors to a hidden job.
“It is important to maintain good relationships with colleagues. The recommendation was a great show of confidence. We used to work together a lot”, Kauppi says.
Päivi Montgomery recommends approaching a job search as a form of making connections or developing networking activities.
“Even taking a child to gymnastics lessons and chatting with other parents is networking. Or asking your former classmates how they are doing through LinkedIn. You don’t have to start listing all your competencies, just be curious. Ask others what they have going on and where help might be needed.”
“When it comes to jobseeking, no does not always mean no but rather maybe. It's worthwhile to be active and contact an interesting organisation every couple of months to find out if new job opportunities have become available. Of course, you also need to be able to read the situation”, says Päivi Montgomery, Senior Consultant and Psychologist.
It is very important to let your network know that you are looking for a job. This may get you information about internal searches that are currently underway to fill jobs. “If you can’t send an open application for a job, adjust your LinkedIn settings so that recruiters can see that you are looking for work. A recruiter may also find it appealing that the applicant is currently unemployed. Then they do not have to work so hard to sell the available position.”
LinkedIn is a natural channel to approach interesting employers. Sometimes it is a better method for reaching the right people, such as team leaders or HR people, rather than trying to approach people by email.
If your job search proceeds to an interview but you don’t get the job in the end, you shouldn’t think that it ends there. “Instead, keep your foot in the door and ask if there are other places opening up in the organisation. I know of cases where the applicant has been slotted afterwards into a different position.”
According to Sitra’s 2017 survey, only one in four have found employment by responding to an open job advertisement. The majority find employment in hidden jobs – often by changing positions within the same organisation.
Montgomery reports that at least one quarter, and some years as many as half, of the jobseekers her employer trains are hired into hidden jobs. About one quarter are employed by responding to a job advertisement. The rest find their jobs either through direct searches or by becoming entrepreneurs or students.
“When looking for a hidden job, you need to have the stamina to do the necessary groundwork and find the places where your own expertise might be needed. Always be upfront about the fact that you are looking for work. People usually want to help out if they can.”
Text and photos by Iida Ylinen
The article has been published on the ASIA membership magazine 1/2025.