Great diversity in staff and projects

The City of Hafnarfjörður is by far the largest employer in this, the country's third-largest municipality. This amounts to 2,200 jobs, including 850 university-educated employees (permanent and temporary), in around 100 different job titles. However, the total number of basic job titles is around 140, with often many sub-categories. A large number of summer jobs are also added to this. The diversity is therefore great, both in terms of personnel and projects. 

The local newspaper Hafnfirðingur spoke with Guðrún Þorsteinsdóttir, Human Resources Manager.

Guðrún lives in Reykjanesbær and usually drives the Reykjanesbraut daily to and from work, using the time to prepare, enjoy a quality moment, unwind after a long day or make phone calls. She feels that her colleagues who live in Hafnarfjörður envy her for the privilege of living and working in the town. „I'm working from home more often now because of the lockdown, like many other staff at the council. A great deal had to be organised at work in a very short space of time because of the situation. The House of Hafnarfjörður is old and space is limited, so it wasn't enough to just observe the 2-metre rule as there are often 2-3 people in small offices. We therefore split the team into groups of no more than 20 and put people on shifts, either working from home or in the office. We needed to digitise and inform staff very quickly, and the IT and Development department deserves credit for its work in taking several years“ worth of development and compressing it into just a few weeks. The department actually laid the groundwork for this when a new director took over last year, and then a new head of department."

^{Hafnarfjörður Library is one of the workplaces of the municipality of Hafnarfjörður. All municipal staff receive a library card. Photo/OBÞ}

Career development opportunities and study grants

Guðrún says that for the town's operations to run as smoothly as possible, careful selection is needed when recruiting staff at all levels, and the town must have a significantly good workforce. „The work is very varied and there has been a bit of a shortage of professionals since I took over a year and a half ago. There are general fluctuations in the job market and when there's a boom, it's harder to fill posts at the council. But now things might be picking up, and there are various interesting opportunities available for the right people.“ Among other things, an initiative for summer jobs for 18-25-year-olds is being prepared. „There are also certain perks that come with working for the council, such as free swimming, a library card, a gym allowance and travel arrangements. We are always trying to improve because we are in competition with the general job market. We also offer excellent opportunities for career development, and often young people start in one role to get their foot in the door, but then they go on to further their education and even take up a training contract or a study leave offered by the council, and it really pays off.“

^{The town's staff also receive free access to the swimming pool and a gym membership. Photo/Eva Ágústa}

Finally, Guðrún would like to point out that she gets a sense from interviews with the staff how common satisfaction is among the town's employees. „It speaks of a cheerful atmosphere, lightness, trust and respect. Staff who live in the town have even changed their lifestyle and cycle or walk to work. The town is also very central, with a cosy, intimate atmosphere, a sense of community and warmth despite the large population, and people know each other on the street and greet one another.“

An interview with Guðrún was published in Hafnfirðinginn on 7 May 2020.

^{Cover photo/OBÞ: From left: Guðrún Þorsteinsdóttir, Human Resources Manager, Ida Jensdóttir, Project Manager, Ólafur H Harðarson, human resources consultant and Haraldur Eggertsson, specialist in industrial relations and}