Finding the right career path, and an employer who can support your growth can be a daunting task. At Fiksuruoka–Foodello we believe that with the right tools, support, and growth mindset, you can unlock your full career potential.
When you join us, it’s understandable that you don’t know all the growth opportunities we have, let alone have your whole career planned out. That’s why we believe it’s essential to introduce our growth opportunities with our employees at a very early stage and discuss their desired career plans”, Tiina Hahtovirta, our HR Advisor says.
That’s why Tiina has created a tool called “Frame of Growth” (inspired by Panu Luukka from Leidenschaft) to help employees to grasp the idea and explore what the opportunities in the company are or can be in the future.
“The development of this tool started from our employees' needs. We had a lot of conversations about what a career with us might look like, what challenges there might be, and what growth opportunities there are”, Tiina explains.
And as Fiksuruoka–Foodello is constantly growing and changing as a company, we understand that that’s the case for all the employees as well. There are multiple opportunities and more to come as we grow.
“That’s why we want our employees to have unique career paths and take ownership of their career development”, she continues.
How can you plan and create a unique career path that fits both you and the company strategy? Let us introduce you: the Frame of Growth.
To put it simply, it is a conversation tool for you and your Team Lead to grasp the realistic possibilities of your career growth at Fiksuruoka–Foodello. By discussing your goals and ambitions with your Team Lead in the bi-monthly Personal Growth conversations, you are able to plan out a path for your professional development. This is important for professionals who want to maximize their career potential – horizontally, vertically, or both.
The Frame of Growth has three different aspects: 1) company strategy, the direction where the company is heading, 2) goals for the company and goals for the role, and 3) company values, culture, and ways of working. All of them have to be aligned in the same direction. These three create the direction and borderlines for the career possibilities at Fiksuruoka–Foodello.
“And as the company grows, the Frame of Growth evolves as well”, Tiina points out.
“If you want to be the best opera singer in the world, we can’t help you much with that. But if you want to become a top-notch pro in procurement, we can offer the best possible support on that because procurement is such an essential part of our business strategy.”
“As you are having the conversation about your career opportunities, these are the themes you need to discuss. What is your desire for your career and future plans? What is possible in terms of our company's Frame of Growth? How do the career opportunities fit with the company values and culture?”, Tiina explains.
It is based on the company strategy which means that many things are possible but not everything.
“To give an extreme example: if you want to be the best opera singer in the world, we might not be the best learning place for that. But if you want to become a top-notch pro in procurement, we can offer the best possible support on that because procurement is such an essential part of our business strategy”, Tiina explains.
So, you could say that the Frame of Growth is actually more than a tool. It is a mindset, even a philosophy, how we enable growth and have open conversations about it.
Does this mean we have clear career paths for each role?
“Quite the opposite. We want to break the pattern of traditional career development which usually means vertical growth toward the manager roles. That’s not something everyone wants and we value horizontal career growth just as much”, Tiina says.
“We want to break the pattern of traditional career development which usually means vertical growth towards the manager roles. That’s not something everyone wants and we value horizontal career growth just as much.”
How do you then break the pattern if there aren’t clear career paths to choose from?
The answer is ownership which is deep in our core values at Fiksuruoka–Foodello.
“You get to have an impact on your career development. This means staying curious, exploring different opportunities, having conversations with your peers and team leads, and learning new skills”, Tiina says in an excited way.
“And I want to emphasize that taking ownership does not mean being alone or left without support. You will always get support”, she continues.
As said, it’s not just about vertical growth; horizontal career opportunities are also encouraged at Fiksuruoka–Foodello.
For example, some Customer Success professionals have helped marketing in chosen projects because they had a personal interest in marketing.
“We believe that everyone can make valuable contributions across departments, so we promote cross-functional opportunities when possible, where employees can use their skills in new ways”, Tiina says. “This allows them to develop new skills outside of their current role and gain a better understanding of how our business works as a whole.”
Finally, we support personal growth – something that can often be overlooked.
“I think it is important to think of growth opportunities wider than just in your role. We want to be able to support the personal growth of our employees”, Tiina says.
“For example, there are multiple different options in procurement: we have different markets, different supplier relationships, different labels, and development or team lead opportunities.”
“For example, there are multiple different options in procurement: we have different markets, different supplier relationships, different labels and brands, development projects and roles, and team lead opportunities. These can help you leverage your potential and develop your expertise to your next desired career step”, she continues.
In addition, as a benefit, you can use 1 hour each week to develop yourself in any way you find most suitable for your learning and development.
“It is about constant development and taking ownership of that. Here you can really impact on the direction of your career”, Tiina smiles.
“We want our employees to own their career, not to rely on the company “planning” their careers”, Tiina sums up.
Tiina Hahtovirta has been appointed as our HR Advisor from 1st of June 2023 onwards