We make recruitment and work-life better for everyone

We bring together talented professionals and forward-thinking companies, creating environments where skills flourish and work feels rewarding. The result? A win-win-win: happy people, thriving businesses, and us doing our victory dance.

Collage of five smiling people in casual or business settings with various backgrounds.

What's our secret sauce?

It's simple - we're good at what we do and find purpose in our work. We carefully choose our projects and give them our absolute best. When needed, we team up with our trusted freelance partners to deliver outstanding results.

Skilled team deeply committed to delivering exceptional results

Flexible working model that puts people and teamwork first

Commitment to our values in everything we do

Our vision

We're building workspace of the future: a community where professionals thrive, collaboration is borderless, and work adapts to life, not the other way around.

Our journey

Where we've been and where we're heading

2021
The leap of faith

Ilmiö was founded in December 2021 by three friends - who had been working in the post-pandemic corporate grind. The dream of creating a better work-life for ourselves was the spark that started Ilmiö and defined our mission.

2023
S*it gets real

Despite the market doing its best impression of a rollercoaster, we somehow made this thing work and started gaining our partners' trust. We focused on developing our business - you know, the fancy stuff like sales, marketing, and pretending to understand spreadsheets.

Present
From dreamers to doers

What started as friends seeking meaning has grown into something extraordinary. We're now a trusted talent partner for companies of all shapes and sizes. Our team has expanded to include freelance partners, bringing us closer to realizing our vision.

Future
Year 202*?

Ilmiö is THE talent agency and a thriving community for talented professionals working on their own terms. We're expanding across countries and continents, with local teams connected through digital platforms. United by our passion, values and collaboration, we're reshaping the future of recruitment and work-life.

Never
Putting profits over people

We'll always prioritize our values over short-term gains. Our focus remains putting people at the center of everything we do.

Our values

Our values shape our decisions and actions every day

And nope, these aren't just wall art. We put our values into action.

Transparency

We believe mutual transparency is key for strong partnerships. We operate with honesty and openness in all our work.

Excellence

We never settle for less and always strive to exceed expectations. We aim to deliver the best possible service to both professionals and businesses.

Curiosity

We embrace new ideas and approaches to find the best solutions for any situation. We're ready to challenge ourselves and learn continuously.

Social responsibility

We are committed to promoting equal and fair recruitment and work-life. We never act against our values.

Read more about our values
Meet the team

Y/our team

Not all heroes wear capes. Some can turn 'we need someone yesterday' into a solid hiring plan.

Smiling young man with light brown hair and mustache wearing a white shirt against plain background.
Anton Virtanen
Co-founder

Our tech-savvy recruitment specialist. Anton's background equips him to decode technical jargon while grasping the human side of hiring.

Smiling man with short curly hair and beard wearing a dark shirt against a light background.
Mikael Korpi
Co-founder

Talent acquisition generalist with both in-house and consulting experience. Mikael keeps us up to date with the latest hiring trends and helps build practices that actually make sense.

Smiling man with a beard and short hair wearing a black shirt against a plain background.
Sakari Kerkola
Co-founder

Our go-to sales maestro with passion for business development. Sakari guides companies to discover the right solutions for their recruitment challenges.

Smiling woman with long blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a nose ring wearing a brown knit sweater.
Emmi Vahvelainen
Talent Partner

Has supported the growth of well-known Finnish tech companies by building their talent functions. Works with curiosity, kindness and a steady sense of efficiency that makes recruitment feel easy.

Man in black shirt smiling
Atte Liewendahl
Co-founder

Built his career in IT sales, working with consulting services and customer relationships. Enjoys the role between clients and talents, making connections that grow into real partnerships.

Ella Veijalainen
Ella Veijalainen
Talent Partner

Background in tech talent acquisition at a Nordic consultancy, covering everything from sourcing to coaching to employer branding. Ella brings a sharp eye and a personal touch to every hire.

Want to add your mugshot next to ours?

If you want to create better workplaces and think that you would be good addition to our team, we'd love to hear from you! Cape optional, sense of humor required.

Trusted by our partners