Why did we decide to develop our culture?
"We could say this is it, we are ready. But of course we are not. We are growing and changing, also the world is."
by Janina Kurki, People Lead
Back in 2021, when I started at SprintIT as the People Lead, I could see pretty quickly that there are many good things in this company: a true entrepreneurial effort to serve the Finnish Odoo clients, and at the same time support for each other and learning while doing.
But as I talked with everyone, it seemed this wasn’t clear for all. People had siloed during the years of many projects. This team wanted to grow - but how to grow, if it is unclear what we want to grow into?
Culture work with Sprinters
Already addressed by the board, we started together with everyone to work on the culture, first identifying what was the Sprinter culture like.
Soon, we saw that we had it good, but we wanted to change it as well. We had been entrepreneurs working in a team, but now we needed a team to work together, for the same goals - for them.
After identifying the current culture, we workshopped on the desired culture - how we want to, but also
need
to, work in the future. What is it like to be a Sprinter as we scale from 40 to 70 and beyond? Together we created the desirable Sprinter culture.
SEE MY VIDEO "CULTURE DEVELOPMENT EXPLAINED"
As a result of our culture work, we have now re-branded our Brand Book, developed our offices and ways of working. We have also taken one additional step into our recruitment process; culture questionnaire. With the help of the questionnaire, candidates can explain how they work, and we can explain easily how we want to do things in the future. Are they a culture fit or a culture ad - very concrete way to set the expectation on both parties (also applauded by many candidates).
Why is it important to keep on developing our culture?
We could say this is it, we are ready. But of course we are not. We are growing and changing, and the world is too. We need to check from time to time how we see ourselves, if we should drive ourselves further in certain parts or take steps back in others. Are we a good place for all the Sprinters?
Culture is not something you change overnight. We have started the journey and are on the way of inviting others to join the ride - maybe even you?
About Janina:
Janina, our People Lead, supports The People team of 4 with years of experience, deep passion and relaxed attitude. She is part of the management team and very much one of us, Sprinters.
She loves people and feels most comfortable in an IT environment, so that's why she is here! Be careful with her, though, because she always takes every opportunity to challenge you! On the other hand, she likes to be challenged as well, so win-win ;)
If you want to brighten your day, just talk to Janina and you'll surely feel better. She's always up to making jokes and sharing a laugh with you!
