Digia invests extensively in a positive employee experience
The Future of Work project is guided by a vision of the future
The Future of Work project, which started at the beginning of 2021, is focusing on post-pandemic working life and is taking Digia’s concept of flexible multi-location work to the next level. The project aims to create a Digia campus, a network of offices, home offices and other remote locations, with freedom to choose a location that best suits the situation and task at hand. In 2021, Digia decided to ensure the functionality of home offices, and more than 500 home workstations have already been delivered to Digia’s employees in line with the Workplace as a Service model.
Welcoming employees back to the office
Digia refurbished its offices extensively in 2021 and 2022, with the goal of attracting employees back to the office after a long period of remote work. The company also wanted to invest in engaging employees and sharing tacit information at the office. Digia hopes that, in addition to engaging employees, smoothly running and flexible daily work will support employees’ wellbeing. Sickness absences related to mental health increased slightly during the remote work period, which is worrisome.
Challenging conventions through involvement
To make the change as user-centric as possible, a survey was carried out with the employees to identify their wishes in terms of offices and ways of working. The employees wanted a shift from traditional facilities towards better support for hybrid work. They also wished for laid-back home-like facilities and more opportunities to hold Teams meetings. The employees were planning to work from home for more than half of the week. For office work, the teams agreed on designated days to make it easy to meet colleagues at the office.
Responsible investment in quality
After the reform, the Jyväskylä and Helsinki offices are smaller than before. The cost savings enable investments in central locations and high-quality facilities. Environmental responsibility played a key role in the reform: energy consumption will be reduced by means of more efficient use of space and shared facilities. Digia calculates the carbon footprints of its offices, and thanks to offsets, the offices have been carbon-neutral for two years.
A successful result is inviting
Katariina Rintee at Martela designed the implementation in Jyväskylä based on employees’ wishes, some of which were very creative. The refurbished facilities were ready when employees returned to the office after the pandemic. “The appearance of the office has changed considerably and very successfully!” says Virpi Hautakangas, Office Coordinator at Digia, who was in charge of the project in Jyväskylä. “The employees working in the new office have shared their positive experiences, and we have also held themed events to attract people to come and see the refurbished facilities for themselves.”
More users are still needed, because the benefits of working in the office have been clear. “Hybrid work is here to stay, but we believe the amount of remote work will decrease when people experience the energising impact of meeting colleagues,” says Kristiina Simola, CFO at Digia. The majority of Digia’s employees have already had the opportunity for hybrid work in the refurbished office and a high-quality home office. This has had a positive impact on employees’ commitment to their employer.
