At Pinja, we want to ensure the satisfaction and well-being of our staff throughout their employment, including at that special moment when they start their new job. A new employee pathway was introduced to give new employees a warm welcome. Among the first to follow the pathway are integration specialist Kimmo Majasalmi, BI specialist Jenni Lunttila, and software developer Heikki Uusitalo.
The new employee pathway for all new data lovers includes a pre-employment information package, a Welcome Box on the first day of work, a boarding pass to help get started, and a virtual bootcamp event.
The aim of the pathway is to involve the newcomers in the preparation and positive anticipation of the new job, support the orientation, and from there onwards the steps on the path of the specialist, the development of competences, and the growth of the role. We at Pinja want to make an excellent first impression on a new employee right from the start.
Annika Korkala, Customer Relations Manager and member of the People & Culture team at Pinja, was involved in planning the pathway.
– The aim of the pathway is to further enhance the employee experience, tell Pinja’s story in a coherent way to new employees, and also to give them the opportunity to get to know each other more. The pathway is orientational, and supports people’s induction to their job. Work task orientation will continue to take place on a unit-by-unit basis, based on the new employee’s future role, Korkala says.
We listen carefully to our staff, and strive to improve everyone’s employee experience.
The info package for new Pinjans, delivered before the first day of work, contains general information about Pinja, the corporate culture and sustainability, employee benefits, and answers to frequently asked questions. It also gives tips on how to get oriented to your new job while waiting for your first day, and informs new employees about what to take with them on their first day.
On the first day, you will be greeted with a Welcome Box and a boarding pass, in addition to the manager and the colleagues. Both are aimed at making Pinja’s corporate culture visible and welcoming the new employee into the work community of over 500 people. From time to time, virtual bootcamp events are also organized for new employees, where they listen to key people at Pinja, talk about topical matters and the future of the company, and eat a Wolt lunch together, paid for by the employer.
– We listen carefully to our staff, and strive to improve everyone’s employee experience. For example, we have received positive feedback on the bootcamp, which we have heard is quite unique, says Korkala.
Integration specialist Kimmo Majasalmi, BI specialist Jenni Lunttila and software developer Heikki Uusitalo were among the first to follow the new employee’s path at Pinja.
The integration specialist values good working arrangements, and the way new employees are welcomed
Kimmo had a positive impression of the first ever bootcamp in May 2023.
Kimmo Majasalmi, a long-standing integration specialist, started working as a Senior Integration Specialist in the team developing the IPa by Pinja integration platform in March 2023. He has a long career of more than 20 years with his previous employer, where he worked for the last few years as an integration specialist for a healthcare client. At Pinja, he will continue to work mainly on integration of the health and social services sector.
– As you can see from my previous employment, I don’t change jobs very often. I weighed it carefully, and finally decided to switch to Pinja, because it offered me a new kind of challenge. I was able to learn new things and tools, but still in a way where some things are familiar, says Kimmo.
Kimmo works mostly remotely from his home in Karkkila, but on his first day, for example, he went to the Tampere office to pick up a computer and meet his colleagues.
– These initial things show that Pinja invests in its new employees, and has thought things through. When I went to the office, I was met by my supervisor, everything was ready, and I got my equipment. Pinja would have provided a work desk to my home office, too, but I already had one, Kimmo says.
Kimmo had already got to know Pinja and its website through his previous job, but he says that the info package that was sent to his home gave him some good pointers to prepare for his new job. He also went through the boarding pass with the manager to some extent.
– Overall, information was readily available. The new employee is well taken care of, and everything has worked well with IT support, among others, and help is quickly available. I usually seek information on my own before asking others, but through Slack and Teams, for example, I can quickly get help from my team, Kimmo says.
Kimmo also has a positive impression of the first ever bootcamp in May 2023.
– The event gave a good overview of how Pinja works. The presentations were good, and there were a lot of people on the line. Pinja also seems to arrange a lot of activities outside work, including summer and Christmas parties. The staff benefits also add a nice touch to everyday life, Kimmo says.
The BI specialist likes to have things clear when starting work
"The Welcome Box on the desk on the first day of work was also nice, especially the hoodie, which has been used a lot on cold summer days, says Jenni."
Jenni Lunttila is a Kuopio-based Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, and BI specialist, who started working at Pinja’s wellbeing and health technology solutions team called Health in May 2023. Jenni will initially work as a BI specialist, but later on the job description will be extended to include data warehousing.
– It was nice to be asked from the start whether I would like to gradually expand my job description to include data warehousing, even though I originally came to the company as a BI specialist. The expansion of the job description also feels good because I used to work in the public social and welfare sector, specifically on data warehouses, Jenni says.
Jenni works at home and at Pinja’s Kuopio office nearby. Jenni was pleased with how she was welcomed as a new employee.
– Right from the start, it felt clear what project I’m going to work on, what type of work I’ll be doing, and who I can ask if there are any questions. On the first working day, after coffee, initial briefings and lunch, I was able to attend the first project meeting. I like the fact that there was something real to do straight away. The Welcome Box on the desk on the first day of work was also nice, especially the hoodie, which has been used a lot on cold summer days, says Jenni.
Jenni has found out about her new employer independently beforehand, and she feels that she also received a good amount of additional information in the early days and weeks, both through guidance and self-study materials.
– Overall, I got the feeling that communication works, people are interested, and enough time has been allocated. Immediately after submitting my application, things moved quickly. There has also been enough orientation on the work of a BI specialist, and several people ask whether everything is clear, Jenni says.
Jenni says that in her fist few weeks, she got the impression that you get challenges if you want them. So the wishes of employees are really listened to.
– Right from the start, I felt that it was worth applying for this job. It’s nice to come here, and the people are nice. I also appreciate the fact that summer leave was arranged for me for my first year of work. I didn’t quite make it to the first bootcamp, but I’m going to participate in the next one, Jenni says.
A returnee enjoys flexible working arrangements and a good atmosphere
Senior Software Developer Heikki Uusitalo is a new but very familiar colleague to the staff at Pinja’s Oulu office. Heikki worked at Pinja a few years ago, did some consulting work in between and returned to Pinja in May 2023. The main incentive to return was the people and the interesting job description as a software developer.
– One important reason for returning was the job description and the fact that you can adapt your role at Pinja. Of course, the fact that I was already familiar with the environments and the software was an advantage, Heikki says.
Heikki works for the Forest team that develops solutions for the forest industry, both as a hands-on software developer and as the person responsible for larger projects. He feels that he has found it quite easy to get back into the familiar working environment.
– On the first day, I started by saying hello to familiar colleagues, getting coffee and sorting out equipment and licensing issues. That’s where it all started. It was also nice to get the Welcome Box; I’m wearing the hoodie right now, Heikki says.
Despite the growth, flexibility seems to have been maintained, and practices have been further harmonized in the meantime.
The business and number of employees at Pinja have grown quite a bit over the past years, so Heikki returned to a work community larger than the one he had left. However, he feels that the flexibility of a smaller organization has been preserved.
– Despite the growth, flexibility seems to have been maintained, and practices have been further harmonized in the meantime. Oulu has good facilities and people. We have good vibes, and it’s good to be back, Heikki says.
In the next few weeks, Heikki also attended the Pinja summer party in Peurunka, where he got to know colleagues he had never met before.
– For me, the summer party was the best orientation, as I got to meet colleagues from all over Finland. The summer party was a well-organized event, and there were lots of people. Pinja also has plenty of activities outside of work in Oulu, for example sports and after-work events, Heikki sums up.
Watch the video to see what's inside the Welcome Box:
Read more
See all our vacancies
Check out the career stories of Pinjans
