The Norwegian recruitment specialists company Nordic Jobs Worldwide has decided to establish new offices in Estonia and at the same time, start their own Visma Ski Classics Pro Team.
Their first athlete is Estonian Mart Kevin Põlluste. Mart Kevin will not only be the Pro Team Manager and athlete; he will also work for the company part-time as an international recruiter.
“One of our goals with the team is to in three years be in the top in some of the races and also have a victory as well... Because the ambition is to be the best we can be, in whatever we do,” says Rickard Fritjofsson, CEO Nordic Jobs Worldwide.
The Pro Team, carrying the same name as the company, will mostly consist of Estonian skiers in order to develop the local cross-country skiing community. Still, nothing is set in stone and athletes from other nationalities might be an option.
Nordic Jobs Worldwide is a recruitment specialist the focuses on recruiting Nordics to jobs worldwide. This year, the company will set up two new offices to be closer to its clients. These offices will be located in Malaga (Spain) and Tallinn. Estonia has been one of the company’s most significant business areas and there is a lot of potential for the future.
The company CEO Rickard Fritjofsson explains that the company wants to give back to the Estonian community right from the start and do that; they are recruiting Estonian athletes to build a Visma Ski Classics Pro Team. Rickard is a long time athlete himself and has been playing bandy for many years, and he came up with the idea after the company had made their plans to open up a new office in Estonia.
“I started to research how to build up a new Pro Team and help the country to develop its cross-country skiing community. We believe that the Pro team will benefit the company’s expansion and help us establish our name faster. I did a little research online and found Mart Kevin’s name on the results list in Ski Classics and he was the only Estonian athlete. I couldn’t find any others actually,” says Fritjofsson and continues;
“The ambition, in the next three years, is to have an athlete on the absolute top of Visma Ski Classics and, at the same time, working in the company as an international recruiter. The possibility to focus on two careers simultaneously, having financial security, is one of the Pro Team’s founding ideas. The goal is also to become market leaders in recruitment in Estonia.”
Their first athlete is a young Estonian skier, Mart Kevin Põlluste. Rickard decided to contact him with a proposal, and they came into an agreement and decided to build up a Pro Team. Mart will not only be the Pro Team Manager and a Pro Team athlete; he will also work for the company part-time as an international recruiter.
“I don’t think I have ever been more motivated to do anything in my life before, so I am really looking forward to this in my personal life but also as an athlete,” says Põlluste, who represented Team Synfjell in season X.
Mart Kevin Põlluste represented Team Synfjell in season X.
“The best result for me in Visma Ski Classics has been in Vasaloppet, and I was 62nd this year. In local races, I have always been in top positions. In Tartu Marathon I was 8th. I think these results prove that I have a talent and can improve,” Põlluste continues.
Both Mart Kevin Põlluste and Rickard Fritjofsson believe that this co-operation can have an amazing effect on Estonia’s whole skiing community. Mart Kevin believes that it is good for the younger skiers to have a role-model, outside of the world cup, to follow and see something they can aim for in the future. Having goals and something to work for will have a huge impact on the future skier’s motivation.
“I believe we might ignite the hope for them. By doing this, we also hope to show the Estonian community that we can succeed and get more people to consider cross country skiing,” says Põlluste.
Nordic Jobs Worldwide, with headquarters in Oslo, is the market leader in international recruitment for Nordic language speakers for 130 client companies in 28 countries worldwide.
Top picture. Rickard Fritjofsson, Nordic Jobs Worldwide CEO and Mart Kevin Põlluste.
