Focus on well-being and Personal development
Crossjoin presents a culture focused on people, their well-being, and their development.
In addition to the investment in training, through the Crossmind Academy, there is a series of initiatives and benefits that aim to improve the experience of employees inside and outside the company. At Crossjoin, personal development gains increased importance, because this fact contributes to the performance of employees.
Susana Pires, a senior consultant in the area of Recruitment, Fidelization & Recognition at Crossjoin, explains to Human the different elements that make this company a Great Place to Work.
How does Crossjoin distinguish itself as a great place to work?
Everything starts with a differentiating Welcome on Board and an Integration process that aims to reinforce our history, culture, conduct, policies, and DNA. In this welcome, we give a tour of the center, introduce our new colleagues and hand out a welcome kit. The arrival of a new Crosser is communicated to the whole company through a welcome e-mail and publication in the internal chat.
Our technology center was created to provide the best experience, with excellent working conditions, and is located in a place with good access and parking, outside the hustle and bustle of Lisbon. We have a gym right across the street. We recently expanded our space in Almada and improved our Hub in Aveiro to have exactly the same working conditions and for everyone to feel comfortable in what is “their second home”.
Besides, we have several benefits, such as a training plan, health insurance extendible to the family, the offer of monthly gym fees, and a network of partners with online pharmacies, opticians, MEO, dentists and restaurants. We also have six consultations a year in five different specialties – nutrition, psychology, legal/legal, financial/tax, and psychosocial support – for Crosser’s family.
On birthdays we send a congratulatory e-mail and offer a gift check. We also have snacks and Nespresso coffee available to all employees in our pantry every day. We organize several events so that we can get to know each other better in a more informal atmosphere, such as Christmas events where employees bring their families, summer events with team building activities, and happy hours. Some of these events are face-to-face, while others are remote so that we can have the participation of colleagues who are geographically dispersed. Team unity and cohesion are fundamental for us. We also hold our kick-offs every three months, where we have several communications from our CEO and the people in charge of some areas to the employees.
What is the company’s current People Management strategy?
When we talk about people management at Crossjoin, we talk about attracting talent, keeping and continuously recognizing our people, and investing in their growth and development. It is fundamental to surround ourselves with people with the same cultural fit and the training in our CrossMind Academy is essential, because it is during this period that the employee gets to know our culture, practices, and methodologies. Crossjoin’s CEO makes a point of being, every Friday, at the Academy, in order to listen to each new employee and share his experience, valuing the practicality of the values, principles, tools, and methodologies that constitute the teachings of the Academy’s program.
The alignment of our people is essential for their retention and productivity. In addition to alignment, the Crosser needs to feel motivated and challenged. The nature of our business helps here. We are an international company focused on the performance of information systems, and we operate in several industries.
Our Crossers are constantly challenged with multiple technologies, and there is a world of opportunity for skill development. We do not follow a hierarchical pyramid organization model. We are a self-managed company and this makes everyone feel more committed, and we are much more agile in managing change. We have an informal, collaborative, and attractive environment.
What are the best practices that have been highlighted in this area?
Professional development is becoming increasingly important in our lives, and our company takes this into account. We have a single, cross-company career plan (CP) and an individual development plan (IDP) that aim to help our co-workers progress and ensure timely recognition for all Crossers. Our career plan contains clear, objective, and transparent criteria for promotion and different benefits depending on the level. For example, electric cars, bonuses, and bonuses/profit sharing. So that everyone can feel part of the company and also feel that we are here paying attention to all the factors that may affect their personal and professional performance, we created the performance coaching sessions, where employees are guided by a professional in the area who will help unblock challenges, bring clarity and even solutions so that the Crosser can perform his function motivated and in balance. We promote the development and growth of technology but also social skills.
Such practices allow our people to believe in and manage their careers and, consequently, their recognition.
How does the introduction of new working models relate to these good practices?
The opening of our technology hub allowed us to streamline and better structure the process, and it is definitely paying off. As long as there is transparent communication, an alignment regarding the purpose is easily adjusted. The new graduates that enter our Academy have face-to-face training. Considering that they are starting their professional career, the accompaniment of a mentor is essential to prepare and integrate them into projects. They themselves recognize and value it. With the other employees, it is up to the teams to manage and decide on the working model according to individual needs, clients, or projects. They can be onsite, remote, or hybrid. There is flexibility and freedom with responsibility for the delivery that impacts our client.
What challenges do these new work models present to your People Management area?
We have geographically dispersed teams and therefore our People Management area has always been attentive and sought to implement follow-up and engagement measures. The way to respond to these challenges is to maintain workforce management policies aimed at maximizing work productivity and team cohesion, always respecting the life balance of our employees.
Regular and transparent monitoring and communication are crucial. At Crossjoin we have a Quality Management department that supports our employees in ensuring quality from four quadrants: client, staff, budget, and documentation compliance.
We also have a specific department where we analyze our employees’ satisfaction regarding life balance, recognition, work environment, and communication. Quarterly, we collect feedback from all Crossers so we can act immediately, raising actions for the improvement and well-being of employees without jeopardizing the performance of the projects and our clients.
In the current context, what kind of programs are promoted in the area of People Management?
As for programs, we maintain CrossMind, a personal development project started last year that aims to develop and achieve a High-Performance mentality through coaching tools. We also continue to have a major investment in the areas of innovation and research development, where we allocate employees to maturing ideas and own initiatives. Innovation and Research Development are the areas that Crossers most value, and the CrossMind project also promises to continue to bear good fruit.
What programs/benefits do employees value most?
Without a doubt, the investment made by Cross in the training plan established for each person is recognized as being a tool for career growth, as are the moments of evaluation that provide a better understanding and direction in each person’s career progression. They also value internal training given by colleagues so that they can learn more about a particular technology developed by a colleague. We give them the opportunity to develop different projects, get to know different technologies, and thus easily adapt to different contexts. Learning and evolution are constant.
How do you see the issue of work-life balance at a time when many employees’ homes are also their offices?
Since we have a self-managed oriented organization, Crossers gain the power and responsibility of managing their own time and work which together with the values of integrity, sustainability, communication, transparency, diligence, and company principles make them responsible for ensuring and managing their own life balance.
How does this People Management strategy serve to circumvent the talent shortage?
We reinforce the investment in our Academy to provide our “One Team” with qualified talent. However, we work to ensure that our employees identify with the company’s purpose and culture and that they feel, in fact, in the Best Workplace. We also recognize the growing challenge of maintaining a cohesive company identity and culture, to which we respond by adapting and strengthening the practices described here.
Human Resources Portugal Magazine
April 2023
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