Many companies in Boden are searching high and low for the right skills. Now they are getting help from the municipality’s robot Charlie, which connects employers with qualified candidates, quickly and easily.

Boden’s society and business community are facing historic growth. The municipality has set an ambitious target to increase the population from 28,000 to 33,000 inhabitants by 2030, not least as a result of Stegra’s establishment and the approximately 1,500 new jobs it will create. At the same time, many other companies in Boden are growing in line with the green transition, making skills supply one of the biggest challenges.

– There is a lot of pressure on the labor market, and we need more people with the right skills than are currently available in Norrbotten, says Annica Zakrisson, business manager at EBK Infra, a company that has grown from two to seven employees in two years.

To meet the growing demand for labor, the municipality of Boden has developed a range of digital services. A key part of the initiative is the database at Flyttatillboden.se, where interested parties have been able to register and upload their CVs. The site has around 45,000 visitors per month and 2,500 people have submitted their CVs in the past year. An analysis shows that 91% of those registered have relevant education or experience in the professions they are seeking – and have also expressed a desire to move to Boden.

Automated matching

However, connecting these candidates with employers has been a challenge. In the past, the onus has been on the jobseeker to make the connection – but that’s changing. On Tuesday, the municipality of Boden presented a new digital solution: the matching robot Charlie.

Charlie is an automated email service that primarily makes it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises without their own HR departments to find the right staff. The service is free of charge and filters matches in the municipality’s database, based on candidates “skills and employers” needs.

The employer receives an email with relevant candidates and an overview of their experience and education, while the candidate receives information about companies that match their profile. Automatic follow-ups take place to ensure that contact has been made and what the outcome was.

– We want to make the recruitment process as simple and efficient as possible. We also link our digital marketing about life in Boden to this. This way we find people who might consider moving here, then we invite them to register and be matched via Charlie,” says Beatrice Isaksson, digital marketer in Boden municipality.

Ten companies of varying sizes have already signed up to test the service this spring. After evaluation, it may become available to more employers. EBK Infra, a construction, land and civil engineering consultancy, is one of these companies and Annica Zakrisson is hopeful about what it could mean.

– We’ve been looking a lot at returnees, but this can help us find people who are willing to move here as well. That’s exactly what we need.

Not a solution to skills shortages

The Charlie matching service is part of a broader strategy where the municipality actively works to make Boden and the opportunities that exist here visible. Through Flyttatillboden.se potential residents can get an overall picture of life in Boden – not just job opportunities, but also housing, leisure and community services.

– We should be clear that Charlie alone will not solve the skills supply, but it is an important support in recruitment and a tool that can help companies find relevant candidates, concludes Beatrice Isaksson.