As an executive in Finland, the happiest country in the world, my company successfully closed our gender wage gap in three ways.

Finland is both the happiest country in the world and one of the most gender-equal.

Numerous Nordic countries boast comprehensive paid leave policies, government-subsidized child care, free higher education, pay gap reporting requirements, and pay transparency policies.

At Framery, a Finnish manufacturing company with approximately 400 employees, the pay gap between men and women is approximately 1%.

According to OECD data, Finland's gender pay gap is less than 16%.

Framery's head of people and culture, Anni Hallila, shares three strategies that helped them close their business's gender pay gap.

1. Salary reviews happen twice a year

Hallila states that Framery's compensation team conducts a pay audit for their employees twice annually.

The company's employees are divided into two groups: those who work in the manufacturing department and those who work in the office. In the manufacturing department, there was a 1% pay gap between genders last year, with women earning 1% more than men on average. In contrast, among office workers, men were paid approximately 1% more than women.

To ensure that there are no gender-based salary disparities, routine pay audits are crucial for making periodic promotions, raises, and other salary adjustments, according to Hallila.

2. Salary gaps are made public

The EU Pay Transparency Directive, approved by the European Parliament and Council in 2023, mandates employers in EU countries to assess their compensation practices and disclose the results to promote gender equality. Additionally, the directive requires employers to provide salary ranges on job advertisements or to candidates prior to the interview stage.

Framery currently publishes their pay ratios between men and women at the company as part of their annual sustainability reports, even though these policies are set to go into effect in 2026, according to Hallila.

In 2022, the company started disclosing these figures to emphasize the significance of gender pay equity and to demonstrate their commitment to addressing the issue.

3. Men and women are promoted at the same rates

Hallila believes that equity is taken into account when promoting staff to new roles or leadership levels. She emphasizes that senior leaders are mindful of promoting men and women at similar rates. "There shouldn't be a reason why there should be less women going toward more demanding roles as men," she says.

Hallila recognizes that their workforce is not evenly divided by gender, with men being more prevalent at the manufacturing company, which is approximately 70% men and 30% women. However, the company has a slightly better balance in its leadership positions, with 62% of leaders being men and 38% being women.

Hallia states that the company aims to achieve a 60/40 gender split in future hiring, though no deadline has been set for this goal.

Hallila states that Framery's equal treatment of employees is reflected in their equitable pay and promotions policies.

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