Career Sustainability among Highly Skilled Migrants in Norway

Abstract

The increasing of global mobility makes understanding career sustainability of highly skilled migrants crucial for host countries and migrants themselves. This study aims to explore the career sustainability of highly skilled migrants (HSMs) in Norway. Through interviews, this study identified the barriers HSMs in Norway need to overcome for job entry and career progression, while looking at migration as a career shock and identifying the adaptability mechanisms used to gain a sustainable career. The research question guiding this study is: “How do highly skilled migrants from non-western countries experience work entry barriers in Norway, and how do they adapt to build a sustainable career?”

The study adopts the theoretical lens of Conservation of Resources (COR) (Hobfoll et al., 2001; Hobfoll et al., 2018) to help understand how migrants conserve resources, gain new resources, and prevent loss of resources when building a career in Norway. Through in-depth interviews with 33 HSMs in Norway, the findings revealed that the barriers they faced related to work entry and career progression include language proficiency, authorizations and licensing, recognition of foreign education, social networks, different work culture, local knowledge, residence permits, and prejudice. Many of the career adaptability mechanisms adopted by highly skilled migrants lead to resource loss, as they sometimes require individuals to compromise on their values or preferences to adapt, which can impact long-term career sustainability. This study revealed that cultural adaptation's role is significant within and outside work contexts, both of which shape career sustainability prospects. The findings also highlighted that career adaptability and sustainability are not only dependent on the individual but can be non-agentic and reliant on others. This study emphasizes the need for better policies and governmental administrative systems to better integrate and retain the migrating skilled workforce Norway receives. It also highlights the need for employers to implement measures to help migrants in the process of enculturation.