A company employing well over a thousand people can still operate with a family business spirit. Elomatic develops its operations with a long-term perspective and by listening to the well-being of its staff. Employees are offered interesting career paths, flexibility, and also fun. Well-being fosters commitment – and, at the same time, improves results.
Elomatic, headquartered in Turku, designs solutions that promote the well-being of both people and the environment. The company follows the same principles when working for clients as it does when caring for its own personnel: human well-being comes first.
Founded in the 1970s, the design and consulting company Elomatic has grown from a small family business into an international player with offices in 20 different countries. Its largest units outside Finland are in India and Poland.
About 950 of the staff work in various cities in Finland, with the rest abroad. The company has clients in over 80 countries. In Turku, the company is strongly involved in the marine industry, but its areas of operation also include mechanical and equipment engineering, processes, as well as energy and the pharma sector.
“Even though we are an international company, our way of operating is still like a family business. This is reflected, for example, in our leadership culture. Humanity and long-term commitment are essentially linked to our operations. It is clear to us that it is through people that we succeed and thrive,” says Elomatic’s Senior Vice President HR Marja Salenius-Ranki.
“It is most important that we have the right people in the right roles and that they feel well. That is when efficient results are achieved.”
Elomatic’s operating approach includes not over-analyzing every month’s figures, but rather developing operations with a long-term perspective.
“Of course, we follow the numbers and take corrective measures when necessary. However, we do not put euros first in everything; the big picture is what matters. Every employee is a brand ambassador for their own company. If employees are happy, that is the best possible marketing for the company. I think employee satisfaction tells the most about a company,” Salenius-Ranki reflects.
She emphasizes that promises must be kept. If a company says it cares about the well-being of its employees, there must be real actions behind it, not just words.
At Elomatic, this is invested in on many levels. One of the key things is that every employee’s job description must be meaningful and offer new challenges. The company also supports the development and training of its employees.
– With us, it is possible to advance in your career path or, if you wish, make lateral moves to another unit. The meaningfulness of the work is also important: here you get to design things that genuinely impact the environment, responsibility, and well-being.
A significant aspect is also the various flexibilities that help reconcile work and family life. Hybrid work is an everyday occurrence at Elomatic, and in addition, it is possible for employees to work, for example, a shortened work week if necessary.
Employees are also offered comprehensive insurance for both work and leisure, among other benefits. In addition, every office has an active social committee that, supported by the workplace, organizes diverse activities such as theater, exercise, and ship trips. The entire company’s staff gathers together about every year and a half.
“For example, we have had our own company Elorock in Ruissalo, Turku. Bands from each of our offices played there. Another time, we organized Beach Parties at Tripla in the middle of winter. We have an amazing team that throws themselves into activities,” Salenius-Ranki praises.
Studies on working life have found that the work community and good colleagues are the most effective factors in committing people to a workplace. Reasons for changing jobs, on the other hand, are often leadership, supervisors, and their actions.
“Supervisors have a huge impact on the spirit of the workplace, as they define the company’s operating methods. We support leadership in many ways. In addition, our supervisors have repeatedly received good feedback in surveys conducted among the staff,” Salenius-Ranki says.
At Elomatic, personnel surveys also include a survey and interview conducted for everyone leaving the company, to map out the reasons for their departure.
“As a rule, we have long employment relationships. It has been nice to notice that even those who change jobs mostly recommend Elomatic as an employer. That is a great recognition.”
Elomatic
Industry: design and consulting company focusing on solutions that improve the well-being of people and the environment.
Founded: 1970
Employees: 1300
Revenue: €102M (2022)