Fimpec wants everyone to fulfil their potential every day
During autumn 2022, we carried out both an internal corporate culture project and an external employer image survey in our sector’s benchmark companies. It turns out that what specialists appreciate in their work is very similar across the board. High on the list of commitment drivers were the independence of work, mutual appreciation and a good team spirit, good leadership, and a further key element was a successful work-life balance.
We carried out the above-mentioned projects to better understand what kind of workplace culture we want to build at Fimpec, and also to see what kind of corporate culture is inevitably created due to the decision we make, for example through organisational and team structures or decision-making models.
Fimpec employs seasoned experts in different fields. We talk a lot about the diversity of work, the forms of the independence of work and a sense of community. Some of these themes are easy to put into practice. For instance, diverse work is pretty much a no-brainer because our customers’ projects are some of the most interesting in different industry and energy sectors.
At its most concrete, independence can show as a person’s freedom to choose where they work. This spring, we have already recruited around 30 new experts to Fimpec. At almost every meeting, we answer the question: “Can I decide whether to work from home or at the office?”. We also discuss expertise, self-direction and interactive skills, which are key aspects of hybrid work.
But independence is so much more: a flat organisation allows for fast and flexible decision-making at the team level, which puts an emphasis on self-direction. Our experts know what to do and when to do it to ensure that projects move forward. However, the corporate culture study showed that independence does not mean being alone without support. Help and support are available and, for example, the supervisor’s role as a sparring partner is highlighted.
Management culture and view of human nature
In connection to the corporate culture, we discussed Fimpec’s view of human nature, which impacts our management culture. We came to the conclusion that we share a trusting view of human nature, which means that we trust our experts and that they will perform their work at the highest level, purposefully and tenaciously.
We believe that the way we lead people is also the type of end result we can expect. We do not want to burden people with unnecessary rules. We know they can come up with solutions themselves. We do not want to limit the creativity that our experts have. As we see it, this leads to individuals who have a strong view of their own work and advancing their career. We delve deeper into these themes in development discussion, for instance, but also in day-to-day work when the teams plan customer projects and their roles.
A strong belief in the future springs from appreciation for different cultures and skills and the common goal of providing our customers with high-quality service
In the interviews touching on corporate culture, mutual appreciation and respecting others’ competence were strong themes. The teams want to discuss and exchange opinions on solutions presented to customers. Our highly educated, but perhaps slightly less experienced experts wish to spar with our more experienced employees. And our more experienced experts want to share their knowledge and experiences.
Recruiting new people to the teams is a key topic of discussion in a growth company such as Fimpec. In our opinion, the hallmark of a good team is specifically appreciating different areas of talent, personalities and approaches. We are encouraged by the thought that the more diverse the people working for us, the bigger the benefit. Everyone does not have to be the same. An important value shared by all of us is that we welcome new talent and personalities to our teams with an open mind.
Successful work-life balance
The teams and supervisors ensure that projects proceed as agreed. Supervisors’ role as coaches is highlighted when it gets busy: they need to ensure that there is no idling but also that employees do not suffer from too big a workload or stress. And even though haste is unavoidable in working life, coaches need to ensure that the team has sufficient opportunities to recover as well.
A key goal for us is well-being at work, where people always come before the processes and every day is an opportunity for self-fulfilment at work and during leisure. This is why we say that at Fimpec every person must be able to impact their work – and we want to support each other in achieving our goals.
Work and leisure. They coincide on the same day every weekday. Discussing the hours during which we all work together shouldn’t be hard, but flexible and normal, because we are all experts on our own lives and work.
The writer is Fimpec Group’s HR Director Erica Kraufvelin-Lämsä.
For more information, please contact:
Erica Kraufvelin-Lämsä, HR Director, Fimpec Group Oy
tel. +358 44 7777 576 or erica.kraufvelin-lamsa(at)fimpec.com
We will continue this discussion this spring in our campaign in which Fimpec employees talk about themselves, their work and how they look after their lives every day. The topic is close to our heart and important because we want to develop and grow Fimpec sustainably and in the long term.
» Read more about our development
» Read about Planning Manager Susanna Vähäsarja’s take on the role of supervisors
