Case Helsinki Shipyard
Scaling Helsinki Shipyard’s Design Team with Strategic Talent Acquisition
50+ Hires | 100% Hired Candidate Satisfaction | Trusted Talent Partner for Growth
Project summary
Helsinki Shipyard, a globally recognised pioneer in Arctic shipbuilding, partnered with Finders Seekers to scale its design team during a critical growth phase. With over 50 hires in two years, a 100% NPS from hired candidates, and a repeatable, structured hiring process now in place, our collaboration helped set the foundation for sustainable, long-term recruitment success.
Ville Korpela, Head of Design, DNY Finland – Helsinki Shipyard
“Of course we’d recommend Finders Seekers. We’ve been able to create real value together.”
Introduction
Helsinki Shipyard is not your average workplace. Located in the heart of Finland’s capital, this iconic site has built some of the most innovative cruise ships and over 50% of the world’s icebreakers, often in half the time compared to competitors. With its roots tracing back generations and recent international ownership opening new horizons, the shipyard combines legacy with innovation.
For professionals across design, sourcing, and finance, the shipyard offers something rare: the opportunity to see the impact of your work, from first sketches to the moment the ship departs the dock. Their work culture values curiosity, longevity, and purpose, and the addition of a new office in Turku has only strengthened the appeal.
To support this momentum, Helsinki Shipyard needed to grow fast, and smart.
The challenge
Helsinki Shipyard came to us during a critical growth phase: the company was getting new orders, building a global team, and needed to scale fast. But internal recruitment resources were limited, and hiring consistency varied across teams.
🔧 Some managers hadn’t hired in years
🧭 Existing processes lacked structure and scalability
🚀 The pace of projects required faster, high-quality hiring
“Our own capacity to scale quickly is limited. We needed quality, a repeatable process, and a partner we could trust.”
— Ville Korpela, Head of Design
Our approach
A Structured, Strategic Partnership
From day one, we worked side by side with Helsinki shipyard’s design management, co-creating a hiring engine that’s flexible, scalable, and built for their long-term needs.
This included:
🧑🏫 Hiring Manager Training – Coaching both first-time and seasoned hiring leads on best practices, interview techniques, and how to attract top talent in their field.
🛠 Process Design – Building a consistent, repeatable process tailored for a project-led organisation.
📚 Hiring Manager Toolkit – Creating practical guides for interviews and decision-making, now a permanent part of their internal hiring playbook.
🚢 Employer Value Proposition Workshops – Helping define and highlight what truly sets Helsinki Shipyard apart as a place to work.
🧩 End-to-End Talent Services – We handled everything from job ad writing and direct search to candidate communication and offer-stage support.
Our flexible model meant multiple consultants could step in as needed, adapting to shifting priorities without losing momentum.
Ville Korpela, Head of Design, DNY Finland – Helsinki Shipyard
“Quality of the candidates has been excellent. No trial period cancellations. FiSe’s consultants’ assessments have matched our experience.”
Anne Avento-Krapf, Head of HR, DNY Finland – Helsinki Shipyard
“We’ve attracted incredibly skilled marine professionals and client-facing talent, people we’re proud to have representing us.”
Results and impact
Over the course of our partnership, we’ve helped Helsinki Shipyard scale their Design Team by doubling its size to 100 professionals, a major milestone aligned with their strategic growth.
In numbers 🏆
50+ hires in 2 years
Candidate NPS: 27
Interviewed Candidate NPS: 86
Hired Candidate NPS: 100
Response rate: 60–100% depending on the role
"It’s been inspiring to recruit for such a tangible, large-scale industry, especially when the hiring managers are so open to working together to get it right."
– Roosa Holkko, Senior Tech Talent Advisor at Finders Seekers
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 client happiness
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 client happiness
What made this collab a success for Helsinki Shipyard?
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Flexible, full-service model
From sparring sessions to hiring manager toolkits, our support was tailored to every hiring manager’s needs and experience level. -
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Co-created structure and ownership
Instead of a one-size-fits-all process, we built it together, giving teams clarity, confidence, and control. -
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Scalable partnership
Whether hiring one or three from a single search, our consultants jumped in seamlessly and adapted to shifting priorities.
Final thoughts
“We like working with you so much, we don’t want you to work with anyone else 😄”
— Anne Avento-Krapf, Head of HR
This partnership has helped Helsinki Shipyard build a high-performing design team while laying the foundation for future growth. We’re proud to support one of Finland’s most iconic companies and are excited to continue strengthening their employer brand and talent strategy.
Services in this case study 💡
Embedded recruitment services
Perfect if you need flexible recruitment support. We’re your extra pairs of hands for periods of demanding hiring needs or to help optimise your recruitment processes, provide hiring manager trainings, or help develop sustainable and scalable talent strategies.
✓ Excellent candidate and hiring manager experience
✓ 97% recruitment case success rates
✓ 4.7/5 client happiness score
Need help building your winning team? Let’s chat! 😊