Our shared years and decades

In all, 91 people were honoured this time. Among our entire staff, almost a third have worked for Genelec for 10 years or more. In these times, when there is much talk of short or fragmented employment relationships, we can be particularly proud that people do not just come and go, but stay with us for many years, often decades. Together, we have been able to build a workplace where people have opportunities to influence what the company does and the direction it takes, and to grow and develop as people and professionals.

The tacit knowledge that comes through experience is invaluable. It is not just about the professional knowledge that people in areas such as product development, administration, production, sales and marketing pass on to their new colleagues; it is about the culture of the company, its values, practices and outlook - which must also transfer to new recruits, ensuring continuity. Trust in each other, both in colleagues and the employer, grows through working together – and jointly navigating difficult times.

Fulfilling our mission

Recently, we received a positive note from a customer where they asked us how our company continues to be such a stable industry player year after year. One of our secrets is our cherished people and work community, who desire to be involved and develop together with us. A company can create a framework within which to operate, but without the people it will not work. Without professionals who are willing to give their time and effort year after year, and decade after decade, Genelec would have no chance of fulfilling its mission, which is to help customers realise their dreams by providing them with the best, most truthful sound reproduction possible. The professionalism of our staff, their desire to develop their skills and their enthusiasm and passion have all made Genelec what we are today, technological pioneers in our field and a highly respected organisation. A story like ours is not built in a moment, and it cannot be sustained without the right kind of staff who stay with the company over an extended period.

The level of commitment that we experience is genuinely humbling, which awakens a wonderful feeling of both gratitude and amazement. Of course, everyday life is everyday life in any workplace and work community. As such, there are awkward situations, and we may not feel like going to work every day. Sometimes we need to stay in our comfort zone for too long and we might feel that our progress has stalled. There can be uncertain times and also times when we feel too busy or stressed.

Since we cannot provide protection from every difficulty, one of the reasons Genelec fosters long-lasting working relationships is probably the way we act in challenging situations, as an employer, a working community and as individual members – the kind of corporate culture we have.

Our core values

Genelec's values of belief, enthusiasm, honesty, respect and justice have been written with a lifetime of experience. They are carefully crafted to be genuinely representative and designed to be put into action every day within our company. We don't always succeed in them; we make mistakes, as people do. Yet we strive every day to honour and show our values through our actions, words and presence. At the basic level, this means we take care to say good morning to every colleague we meet; at the higher level, it means we consider the well-being of nature and our global community in all aspects of our work.

In many conversations with our people, I have heard how these values are, on the one hand, what attracted people to work for us in the first place and, on the other hand, a great source of meaning. After all, when you don't have to act in conflict with your own personal values, you can put more energy into your mission.

Our core values also provide clear guidelines about the kind of colleagues we want to be for each other. Supporting, helping, inspiring and working together across departmental boundaries, these are practices and attitudes we want to nurture and maintain. And we do this despite having grown to the point where it is no longer possible to know every colleague personally. We have created one Genelec, one working community, instead of fragmented teams chasing their own interests. As an employer and as a company, we feel we must treat people and teams fairly and give equal opportunities across the organisation. By doing this, we create a space where people have the desire and opportunity to work fruitfully together, without unnecessary boundaries. And as we continue to grow, we must pay ever greater attention to this.

Endless curiosity

In addition to values, our work community is united by curiosity. Without curiosity, there can be no development, no joy of discovery or learning. The company was born out of endless curiosity and a desire to explore, develop and make things as good as can be. What new things can we discover and invent? How can we develop what we have made already? Why do we do this and not that? When enough curious, enthusiastic and mutually stimulating people come together, great things lie on the horizon.

The same curiosity is reflected in the many different paths that people at Genelec take. Their first job is rarely their last. For example, someone in production may grow into a team leader, production manager and production specialist. One team member has journeyed from a position in purchasing, and via a number of other roles, now works as HR Manager. It is important that each person finds their place in the organisation, where they can flourish and build on their strengths.

We have a deep sense of gratitude for the commitment Genelec employees show to our company and working community. Every day, each of us plays a part in building the company, its culture and its direction, in a way that newcomers will desire to be part of, perhaps for decades to come. While many things change around us, some for the better, and others for worse, it is important to hold on to something permanent, to put down roots in a way that allows you to stay safely grounded. At Genelec, our core values and mission provide the soil of continuity that enables us to root ourselves both now and in the future. Thank you to everyone, from those who have been awarded a Medal of Merit to those who are yet to receive their first, for your efforts to build, fertilise and nurture our common ground.

About the Author

Maria Martikainen represents the second generation of Genelec, and she works as an enterprise culture developer in our HR team. Maria graduated from the University of Helsinki with a major in Finnish literature, and lives in Kuopio with her family. Outside of her work, she has a particular passion for the forest…..and loves mushrooms!