Lately, I’ve been thinking about a debate that keeps resurfacing. A simple question, yet one that carries so much complexity:
Why do some immigrants feel they have better job opportunities after changing to a more “Norwegian” name?
It made me pause.
What does this say about us? About our workplaces? And how do we actually judge people – even before we meet them?
NTB recently wrote about the topic, and at the same time, the Institute for Social Research published a report exploring how minorities navigate expectations and barriers in the Norwegian labour market. But the part that stays with me isn’t the data.
It’s the questions.
Questions I keep returning to…
Why would someone feel that their name can limit their opportunities?
What happens in that invisible space between employer and applicant – before a single word is exchanged?
Which subtle signals shape who we perceive as “the right candidate”?
And what does it feel like to balance multiple identities in a workplace that still has strong expectations of what is considered “Norwegian enough”?
This isn’t theory.
It’s about real people trying to find their place, be valued for their competence, and show up as their whole selves. And many adjust how they present themselves – language, interests, experiences. Not because they want to, but because they think it might help.
I’ve lived and worked in Norway for more than 30 years.
And I’ve met countless entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders who want to contribute, grow, and be part of the community. Personally, I never felt treated differently because of my name. And that wasbeforeI became Eriksen.
I was invited to interviews, met with curiosity and openness, and evaluated on what mattered: what I could do, and what I could bring to the table.
When I later built my own company, this principle became the foundation of everything we created. It never mattered whether the candidate was named Julia, Krzysztof, Jøran, Mohamed, or Xolani.
What always mattered was:
Competence → Attitude → Openness.
So where do we go from here?
So where do we go from here?
Maybe this is the most important question to ask as we move into 2025:
How do we ensure that opportunities in the Norwegian labour market are shaped by what truly matters – competence, experience, and motivation – and not by the name at the top of a CV?
I don’t think we need quick answers.
Sometimes, asking better questions is the strongest place to start.