I'm From the World's Happiest Country—Our Work Culture Is Different to the US

A headshot of Miika Mäkitalo (L). Miika pictured running in nature (R).

In Finland we have a saying “kell’ onni on, se onnen kätkeköön”. In short, it means “whoever has found happiness, that happiness she should hide”.

At first hearing, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this doesn’t sound very uplifting, but it is phrases like this that I believe have contributed to making Finland the world’s happiest country for the last six years.

Not wanting to ignore this correlation, I have spent some time reflecting on what it is to be Finnish in a bid to help others maximize their happiness.

It feels fitting that I write this as CEO of an organization dedicated to measuring happiness for businesses. Yes, those smiley-faced feedback buttons you see in airports and stores, that’s our Finnish company, HappyOrNot.

I must start by saying that this happiness title is not self-proclaimed. I can assure you that Finns would never be so bold as to come up with this.

On the contrary, we regularly pinch ourselves as a reminder that we live in what is deemed to be the happiest place on earth.

In reality, this title is part of a UN-backed list released annually called the World Happiness Report.

To this point, I must caveat that my observations in this piece don’t guarantee the secret sauce to happiness, although considering them can’t hurt.

If you haven’t visited my homeland, let me paint a picture.

We Get Out In Nature

Aptly referred to as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes”, living in Finland is perfect for those who want to see or be surrounded by nature. If you like trail running like I do, then there’s no shortage of paths to explore.

This leads me to my first point. Nature. Spending time outdoors and away from screens is no mean feat in today’s world. I often find myself glued to a screen, only to be pulled away from the hypnosis by a family member reminding me that the outdoors is just as captivating.

Finding a connection to nature may seem a bit too spiritual for some, but it’s hard to deny that it plays a major part in alleviating occupational and societal stresses.

It’s not to say everyone needs to go hiking, but five minutes in a park a day is better than 30 additional minutes scrolling through TikTok.

A Determination Mindset

Overcoming adversity is another important part of contentment for Finns. Our climate can be pretty ruthless at times, the snow and bitter arctic winds make for long, dark winters.

I often wonder why on earth our ancestors decided to stay here? It must have been a beautiful summer when they decided to settle.

This is where “sisu” comes in. Perhaps the most famous Finnish concept, sisu is defined as the combination of determination, courage, and willpower. It can also be used to define the ability to push through adversity and reach your limits.

In 2022, a blockbuster action thriller movie was named after it. Ultimately, the action of pushing oneself and persevering almost always leads to a greater sense of accomplishment.

I recall channeling sisu when I ran a 100-mile ultra-marathon. I was experiencing major energy absorption issues and was at rock bottom.

I remember asking myself, “Why did I decide to put my body through this again?” and I even called my wife to tell her to not let me ever sign up for over-100-mile races ever again.

Upon reflection, I’m glad I had the sisu mentality to push on and finish the race.

A Trusting Workplace Attitude

On another level, I think Finns benefit from not spending lots of time over-worrying. What I mean by this is, that as a society we place a huge amount of value in trust.

An example is our flexible working practices. As a leader, I am trusted to do my job, and I trust employees to do theirs in a way that suits them best. This is also our attitude towards leadership.

Managers are encouraged to think how they can serve their team members to deliver their best. As a result, I and others are less preoccupied with what other people are doing.

Instead, it’s a culture where I can focus on how I can do my job to the best of my ability.

This freedom and trust transcend the workplace too. Say you leave your wallet on the bus, in Finland, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll get it back.

This was put to the test in 2022 by Reader’s Digest, when an honesty test conducted in Helsinki found 11 out of 12 wallets were returned to the owner. It was later concluded that this was also the highest return rate in the world per the study.

Sure, unfortunate things still happen, and life throws unexpected challenges at us, but this positive mentality and trust fosters a much greater sense of happiness and contentment. It also frees up space to tackle more difficult issues when they do arise.

Again, it’s not to say that this is everyone’s reality. But being able to mitigate how much I worry about things that are outside of my control has certainly been a positive thing for me.

Strong Family Values

Next, is family and work. Being a parent and husband, I know that my happiness is inextricably linked to that of my family. If I work late and on weekends, that is time sacrificed at the expense of others. I’ve always been aware of that trade-off.

Respecting everyone’s right to time off is another way that we as Finns maintain our happiness levels. I strongly believe that having fun and enjoying free time boosts workplace contribution, and that’s why a healthy work-life balance is vital.

On average, Finnish employees are entitled to 4-5 weeks holiday. It gives us all the chance to recharge our batteries, and staff can come back to work well rested, with fresh ideas and perspectives.

Not Being Overly Competitive

Last, but not least, is not being overly competitive. Yes, a competitive attitude can be a great motivator, but it’s important to not let that become the sole focus.

Going back to the start of my article, this idea of being happy, but not bragging about it, is exactly what separates Finns from a lot of other cultures. One can be ambitious and humble at the same time and feel content in life.

Here are a couple of instances. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an author. I spent a huge amount of time reading and writing. In my mind, the dream was to write imaginative stories and use beautiful rich language.

Over the years, my dream job switched from author, to becoming an architect. Then later a business strategist. I was taught that success and happiness derive from doing what one loves.

Now, the world of social media has taken over. Today, a large majority of society views success through a very different lens.

Unfortunately, as a result, money and influence are now the measurements of success. As for social media, guides and shortcuts to fame and fortune circulate on repeat.

This has left many chasing a dream that is extremely hard to achieve, and to a degree, one that can never be attained. Worst of all, this pursuit certainly doesn’t guarantee happiness either.

I once had the pleasure of delivering a commencement address for students graduating from a high school. I told them to listen to their hearts. Take control of your studies and work on topics that fire you up, that’s what creates happiness.

In Finland, being famous or wealthy isn’t something that holds much water. There’s nothing to say you shouldn’t or can’t be, but culturally there is a knowledge that these things aren’t what define us, or our happiness.

Instead, we strive more for quiet contentment.

A good reminder of this was when I realized there was a major difference between business leaders’ cars in the U.S and Finland. Often, in the States, the leader’s car represents the company’s success and future aspirations. A fancy car equals a solid company with a bright future.

Over here, a flashy car can be associated with arrogance, or a company indicating its superiority. A good example of the Finnish way is a very successful business owner who had a Ferrari.

Yet, when it came to visiting his customers, he would drive his old rusty compact car to highlight that he is still the same person, and that his value should not be judged by the possessions he has acquired.

It may come as a surprise, but even with this happiness philosophy we are still home to some very successful companies.

Nokia was born in Finland, as were the much younger tech companies Supercell and Oura—the latter making its name by developing smart rings that can track a wearer’s sleep and health.

It remains to be seen if we Finns will retain our position as the World’s Happiest Country. I must admit that holding the title has certainly encouraged a great deal of introspection.

I know there are a lot of people around the world facing hardship at present, so either way, the report is a perfect reminder that happiness is something we all deserve.

Miika Mäkitalo is CEO of HappyOrNot, the customer and employee feedback company famous for its smiley-button terminals positioned across the US, and in more than 4,000 airports, restaurants, stadiums and retail stores globally.

Over the last 15 years Miika has held several upper management roles and holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering & Management.

All views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

Do you have a unique experience or personal story to share? Email the My Turn team at [email protected].

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