Background

Personio is the most valuable HR software company and one of the fastest-growing B2B SaaS companies in Europe. Serving over 7,000 customers from 7 European offices, their team more than doubled in size from 500 employees in 2021 to over 1,400 in mid-2022. As the pandemic continued to change how businesses across the globe operated, Personio were navigating new ways of working whilst experiencing hyper-growth internationally and needed to ensure they maintained a happy, connected and productive workforce.

They also needed to ensure that however quickly they grew, or wherever people were working, company culture and values would remain steady and aligned with the strategic direction of the business; working towards their goal of becoming the leading HR platform for SMEs in Europe.

Approach

Personio’s Company Culture Week and Culture Carrier Programme demonstrate how Personio has been a trailblazer in keeping a dispersed team connected; embedding a strong company culture and set of
values across a rapidly growing workforce.

Culture Carrier Programme
As Personio started to expand internationally, they knew each office would naturally form its own subculture, but wanted to ensure that the Personio culture would be the golden thread running through the business. In 2021, the Culture Carrier programme was introduced, allowing employees to temporarily relocate to other office locations; connecting with international colleagues and sharing culture, values and behaviours and enabling them to be rewarded for a great contribution thus far. The project was led by the People Experience team and supported by leadership and office management. Flights and accommodation were provided, and Culture Carriers continued in their existing role, just in another country!

All Company Culture Week (#ACCW)
As Personio doubled in size in 2021, over half of new hires had been onboarded remotely. In September 2021, the All Company Culture Week (#ACCW) was introduced as a result of a 2-month collaborative effort by management, leadership and people experience teams. This was designed as an opportunity for all employees to come together, collaborate, strategise and celebrate in person; reaffirming the Personio culture. 750 colleagues convened in Munich, together for the first time in nearly two years, For new joiners #ACCW was the chance to meet colleagues in person and see company values in action.

One of the days was dedicated entirely to company values: #Ownership, #CustomerEmpathy, and #SocialResponsibility. Members of the leadership team gave keynote speeches, hosted Q&As and group breakout sessions; alongside musical accompaniment by the Personio band!

Outcome

The Culture Carrier Programme has been massively impactful, enriching the working experience not just for those who travel, but for those who welcome new Personios into their offices.

Jennifer said of her experience: “Transferring to Dublin allowed me to network across offices, fostering a sense of community and belonging. I was able to give insights about my role to others, particularly newer Personios – but also get to know a different business culture and mindset for myself. And importantly, I was able to get to know a lot of amazing people that I’m incredibly proud to work with!”

Gregor, who transferred from Munich to Madrid, said: “For me, the most important part of the programme is to get to know people, share stories and experiences and to have the opportunity to really bond with each other. It may only have been a few months but it will always be one of the best experiences I have ever had!”

All Company Culture Week has also enabled people to form and strengthen connections across the company, on a larger scale. A survey conducted after the event found that 93% of employees felt more connected to their colleagues after #ACCW and 82% said they had a better understanding of the Personio code and values after the event. At time of submission, the 2022 #ACCW was due to take place, targeting an uplift to 85% or higher.

Overall, these two initiatives have played a crucial role in keeping teams across Europe connected and able to work as effectively as possible as one team. A strong and unified culture is one of the most important aspects of life and work at Personio and 100% of new employees say culture is one of the main reasons they joined the company.

In June 2022, Personio secured $200 million more funding and an $8.5bn valuation, making it one of Europe’s most valuable tech companies; testimony to investors’ confidence in the business.

Read more about Personio’s Company Culture Week here.

Read article “Inside Personio: Europe’s most valuable private HR tech company” As featured in “Startup Life” – Future of Work & Analysis.