For Earth and for Us in a Human-Focused Way – GTK Strengthens Humane Working Culture as Part of Its Strategy
The strategy period of the Geological Survey of Finland, which began at the beginning of the year, includes strengthening human-focused working life. The strategic work is supported by, among other things, GTK’s own culture map, employee value proposition and strengthening equity and inclusion.
How do we ensure that we continue to work sustainably and with people in mind?
This question arose in autumn 2022 when the Geological Survey of Finland started to renew its strategy. From the very beginning, in addition to the goals and focus areas, the research centre considered what kinds of everyday working methods, processes and structures GTK people should use to implement the strategy and achieve the defined goals.
In 2021–2023, the research centre had taken significant steps in developing work with the GTK 2.0 – Future Location-Independent Work – programme. Working life had changed dramatically and irrevocably due to the coronavirus pandemic, and GTK felt it was important to invest in working methods that enable hybrid work and collaboration in a modern and developing way.
According to GTK’s Director General Kimmo Tiilikainen, it was clear that working methods also needed to be included in the strategy.
“We were well on our way in developing our working methods, and wanted to ensure that the work continues systematically also during the new strategy period,” Tiilikainen says.
The strategy discussion and process was also boosted by the crystallisation of GTK’s work culture done by the whole organisation through the GTK 2.0 change programme. The crystallisation is strongly based on GTK’s values and includes seven operating methods according to which the research centre operates. At its core is GTK’s identity, i.e. the concept of humanity: at GTK, people are valuable, curious and aim for the common good.
The cultural crystallisation was published in map form at the personnel strategy day in February 2023.
“From the culture map, we highlighted the key elements of our strategy: competence development, cross-border cooperation and communication, smooth and meaningful work, and a coaching approach. Finally we also concluded in the title: Strengthening Human-Focused Working Life”, Tiilikainen says and continues:
“As with the focus areas of the strategy, we also have something to strive for in a human-focused working life. We want to systematically strengthen our traction, retention and vitality even in the midst of financial pressures in central government.”
A promise to the current and future GTK people
At GTK, you do meaningful work for Finland, nature, and the whole world. You can work flexibly, influence your own work, and develop your skills every day. You are part of a community of the best experts in their field.
The upper is GTK’s employee value proposition, which was formulated alongside the strategy. More than a hundred GTK people gave their views on the proposition by telling what is the best thing about working at GTK.
“When we asked GTK people what makes their work meaningful, societal impact and investments for nature and the planet were highlighted the most in the responses. Competence development and opportunities to influence one’s own work, investing in supervisor work and being able to be oneself at GTK were also strongly highlighted,” says HRD Manager Suvi Vesterinen, who was responsible for formulating the employee value propositon.
“The responses made it easy for us to sum up the proposition to our current and future employees.”
Vesterinen emphasises that even though the things mentioned in the employee value proposition are already true, it spurs GTK to work even better in the future.
“Even though the meaningfulness of our work is not changing, but on the contrary increasing, the demands placed on our work are constantly changing. We must work persistently to ensure that people enjoy working at GTK and that people want to come and work for us,” Vesterinen says.
Towards equitable and inclusive GTK
One example of the investment mentioned by Vesterinen is the work done over the past year and a half to develop equity, diversity and inclusion (DEI). The research centre has taken several steps on this journey: GTK people have been provided with training and expert speeches on DEI themes, diversity has been taken into account more strongly in GTK’s recruitment communications, and personnel processes and the uniformity of operating methods have been strengthened. The internal DEI network, consisting of GTK people, meets regularly to discuss and develop equity and inclusion in everyday work.
GTK also renewed its Non-Discrimination and Equality Plan, through which the research centre determinedly promotes equity, gender equality and personnel diversity through concrete measures during the strategy period 2024–2027. For example, work-life balance is one of the goals of the plan. As measures, supervisors aim to set an example of work-life balance, and workplace communication takes into account a positive attitude towards family leaves and encourages people to take accumulated holidays.
The work to develop equity, diversity and inclusion has borne fruit: the results of the 2023 employee survey had risen in terms of both people’s experiences of equity and gender equality. You can read more about the results of the survey in this news.
GTK has developed the DEI entity with the help of the State Treasury’s Kaiku funding.
