Entering the
Danish Market
Is your organisation opening a new subsidiary or upscaling in Denmark? We'll help you get started by recruiting the best talent!
Establish a strong presence in Denmark with the right talent
When international companies choose to establish themselves in Denmark, it’s no coincidence. With a highly educated and innovative workforce, flexible employment conditions, and a strong business culture, Denmark is an ideal place to start or expand a business.
As a global recruitment partner for companies across the world, we frequently assist clients in setting up operations in Denmark and navigating the Danish labor market. We identify the right employees for the initial setup, the scaling phase, and the day-to-day operations – with a recruitment strategy that supports your growth ambitions.
Whether you're looking for permanent employees, freelancers, executives, or complete workforce solutions, we’re ready to connect you with the best candidates. And of course, we'll also advise you on all the practical matters you need to know throughout the process.
Denmark consistently ranks among the best places in the world to live and work. In 2025, Copenhagen was ranked #1 on Economist's list of the world's best cities to live in!
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A small country
with big talent
In Denmark, legislation does not regulate wages and working conditions. Instead, these are usually negotiated by the labour market parties, i.e. unions and employers' associations. And the vast majority of employees in Denmark are covered by a collective agreement.
While it is voluntary for your company to enter into a collective agreement, you must still ensure that your wages and working conditions are fair and competitive, if you want to attract Danish employees.
The model also ensures flexible employment terms for employers and strong social security for employees, making it relatively easy for companies to adjust the workforce.
Although Denmark is a small country, the location of your offices matter. Public transport and infrastructure is excellent, but 79% of employees prefer a commute of max. 45 minutes each way*. Work-life balance is absolutely crucial to Danes.
It's also important to be aware of workplace regulations if your employees work remotely more than two days per week. In such cases, you are required to provide appropriate facilities, such as monitors, ergonomic furniture and internet access.
We can advise you on where in the country you can find the specialised employees you need – and at what salary level.
As a new player on the Danish market, it's important to work on your story telling and positioning – especially if your brand is relatively unknown in Denmark.
At Hays we'll often conduct local surveys, to provide insight and advice on what matters to your candidates.
We recommend having a clear plan for onboarding and cultural integration. We often see that differences in expectations around e.g. working hours, lunch breaks, holidays and hierarchy can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts between international managers and Danish employees.
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FAQ
Hays can support all your recruitment needs – no matter how big or small your initial setup is. We can help you find a country manager, your first sales representative, an entire team, or interim staff and consultants. We also offer guidance on where to find the best candidates in your industry, what salary bands to expect, how to attract talent, how to work with your employer brand, and much more.
In addition, we collaborate with some very skilled partners, such as Copenhagen Capacity, who assist international companies with many of the practical and administrative aspects of setting up a business in Denmark, and GTS Nordic, who provide Employer of Record services. We also have strong connections to payroll vendors, law firms, pension brokers, and property rental agencies.
Hays can support all your recruitment needs – no matter how big or small your initial setup is. We can help you find a country manager, your first sales representative, an entire team, or interim staff and consultants. We also offer guidance on where to find the best candidates in your industry, what salary bands to expect, how to attract talent, how to work with your employer brand, and much more.
In addition, we collaborate with some very skilled partners, such as Copenhagen Capacity, who assist international companies with many of the practical and administrative aspects of setting up a business in Denmark, and GTS Nordic, who provide Employer of Record services. We also have strong connections to payroll vendors, law firms, pension brokers, and property rental agencies.
Yes! We have an extensive candidate database, which gives us a strong foundation for salary benchmarking. Through salary guides produced in most Hays countries, we can also help you compare salary expectations for different roles across countries and regions.
Salary level consultation is, of course, a standard part of the advisory services we offer. However, if you're planning to hire a large number of employees or consultants, we can also produce a detailed, customised salary guide tailored to your specific needs and based on a larger data set.
The cost of this service depends on the volume of recruitment we handle for you and the scope of the guide.
Yes! We have an extensive candidate database, which gives us a strong foundation for salary benchmarking. Through salary guides produced in most Hays countries, we can also help you compare salary expectations for different roles across countries and regions.
Salary level consultation is, of course, a standard part of the advisory services we offer. However, if you're planning to hire a large number of employees or consultants, we can also produce a detailed, customised salary guide tailored to your specific needs and based on a larger data set.
The cost of this service depends on the volume of recruitment we handle for you and the scope of the guide.