What does a great workplace feel like?
What counts as a great place to work? This question was in my mind when I was preparing for my own personal development discussion (PDD), which we all have with our line managers periodically to see where we are in our careers, what we are feeling, and where we want to go. My first thought was that I feel at ease stepping through the office door every morning. My second thought was that I genuinely believe the work I do is meaningful. Importantly, both of my initial thoughts were based on my emotions and values. And that’s how I hope others at Biosafe feel too.
To me personally, my work is about much more than paying the bills. Knowing that my company and my colleagues value my work is a huge motivational booster. I get to learn new things constantly which I love and important moments of success. I work as a development manager, so I help my workmates do better in their jobs and work together towards our common goals.
Our company’s mission in simple terms is to improve food safety. With new foods, microorganisms, molecules popping up every day, it’s a huge promise, but that mission is made real in every project, every lab test, and every client interaction we have. To make it happen requires a well-functioning work community, which is what I strive to uphold.
A great work environment means open dialogue and straightforward communication from the top down and vice versa. There’s been a lot of communication learning and improvement in just the last twelve months! Even with topics as complicated as ours and misunderstandings, we have learned better practices and progressed. The key word is trust. Open discussion is based on trust, which is not a given. It must be built consciously and demonstrated by deeds that show you appreciate others.
To feel that your work is meaningful requires progress and progress does not just happen. It needs a vision. You must also consciously build a path towards that vision with a common direction, meaning, open discussion, and trust in each other. There should be suitable challenges and opportunities to learn and develop and you should always feel your work matters. Based on a survey we recently conducted on well-being at Biosafe, we are clearly listening to our people, since the results have improved significantly from previous years.
Wellbeing at work also has a profitable effect on business. A workplace that upholds its values and makes sure people are happy in their jobs is always worth it. It stands for social responsibility and promotes equality. We believe in inclusivity and that’s what we want Biosafe to feel like too. We have employees who are under twenty and over seventy years old, and our employees represent several nationalities. We provide internships for people new to the field and offer topics for thesis writers in universities.
How could we make our workplace even better or how would you like to contribute to our team? We are continuously looking for new people to join us. Follow us on LinkedIn and apply.
Author: Aila Särmälä
Aila Särmälä is the Finance and Business Development Manager at Biosafe.