People are the superheroes behind any organization. Meet our workfellow Janne, who joined us as a first-ever employee and has been working on a software development since then.
Tell us about your experience as a workfellow.
I joined Workfellow as the first employee last June. I saw the job ad at the university’s career newsletter and thought “why not give it a try?” Pretty quickly Henri (CPO & co-founder) organized the interview and I was offered a place here at the end.
Throughout this year, it was very exciting to build something new every day. I didn’t have to sit in long meetings (perks of working in a new company :), had a lot of freedom and plenty of room for creativity.
How has hybrid work been for you?
What I really enjoy about hybrid work is the flexibility that I have. Being able to choose the mode of work and organize my day the way I want is amazing. For example, during both summers I’ve been visiting the office quite a lot, while I haven’t done that even once during the winter. I’ve been studying remotely for quite a few years, getting used to remote working wasn’t that tough.
How do you stay organized and focused throughout the day?
I’m not easily distracted when I’m focused on something. Whether that’s an office or home - if I do something that I really enjoy, it’s hard to get my attention on something else, which is, to be fair, not a very good thing sometimes.
What is your typical day like nowadays?
Usually, I wake up at 7 am, go to the office (I visit it almost every day these days), do my work, and have lunch. After the workday, I do some running, and then chill at home at night or play PS with friends.
I’m not much of a video game player, but with Covid and all the changes, video games have become a good way to hang out with friends. It’s not about the game itself really, but rather about meeting your friends and talking to them at least virtually during the game.
How would you describe our company culture?
I’d say it’s pretty laid-back and relaxed. It’s very easy to get in touch with anyone directly without having to contact several people. I don’t know how to put it into words, but everybody just comes along together very well, helping and supporting each other. Because of the nature of our software, we do a lot of stuff that’s new to most people here; so when we solve some kind of novel problem together, it bonds us even further. Sometimes nobody is quite sure what we’re doing haha, but together we always figure it out somehow. Everyone throws ideas and at the end of the day, we always have a good result.
What are the biggest lessons that you’ve learned during your journey here?
When you truly work as a team, there’s no problem that can't be solved. As long as you’re putting enough effort and making your contribution to the team, any problem becomes solvable.
Another important thing I’ve learned is that it’s important to be confident in what you do, even if you’re new to that and have no experience.
Any advice for future workfellows?
We’re still in an early phase of our journey, so being ready to adapt and open-mindedness would come in very handy. You should probably also be prepared that there will be opportunities to do things outside of your job description.
I mentioned it already, but it’s very important to feel confident about yourself. Don’t be hesitant to bring your previous knowledge to the table and don’t be afraid to suggest new things, even if you are new or don’t have much experience. Get rid of the imposter syndrome, because the other “more experienced” person might not know how to answer that question as well. Since I was the first employee, I didn’t even have a chance to experience imposter syndrome :D, I had to be confident in myself. Most of the time going with your gut feeling turns out to be the best way.
