teamwork

Life at Helvar: Career Journey

So, you’ve heard from some of our people about what it’s like to work at Helvar and the Helvar community. Now it’s time to hear about opportunities and establishing a career journey. In this second blog series, we share stories from our employees about their career at Helvar and their development.

 

Helvar employees

Growing with Helvar

Many of our employees develop career journeys, with their roles evolving as they progress with the company. The average career length of permanent employees at Helvar is an impressive 8.6 years, with our longest standing employee being with us for 46 years and counting! Progression and job rotation provide our employees with opportunities to grow with Helvar. “I’ve been with Helvar for nearly 15 years. At the beginning of my career, I managed projects, ranging from SAP projects to strategy projects and R&D projects. In recent years, I have held different leadership roles in product management and marketing. When joining, I thought the notion of a lifelong career at one company was a myth, but at Helvar it’s been possible to grow into different job roles, each with new challenges!”– Susanne Lehtinen. “I like working at Helvar because I have the flexibility to try new things. I joined Helvar in the early 1980s, where I was developing products with Helvar engineers. Since then, I have had the opportunity to cycle between technical roles and management”- Trevor Forrest.

“My role has gradually grown in terms of seniority and responsibility. In more recent years, my role has taken on more of a managerial aspect in terms of running teams. I’m also contributing to system architecture and defining Helvar’s future in terms of the solutions that we develop. Because of the size and the nature of the company, I’m able to be involved at many levels. I have been allowed to be creative, been involved in supporting roles, interfacing with customers, and liaising with other departments. It’s also quite rewarding when colleagues and customers look to me for my experience” – Oliver Jones.

Personal and Professional Development

At Helvar, we take personal growth seriously. We have the ambition to continue developing a culture where both employees and the company grow simultaneously. “Development is about challenging oneself and utilising the training and coaching opportunities provided, but also about the team around you overall. The Helvar team continues to evolve with new people and new expertise in combination with decades of expertise in our industry” – Susanne Lehtinen. Of course, changing roles and progression, naturally, will aid in personal development. “I started at Helvar at the end of the ’90s as a summer trainee in the magnetic ballast production lines. What started as a summer job during my studies turned into a full-time career in production at Helvar. Once I graduated, the plan was to stay at Helvar for “just a little longer”.  But “just a little longer” turned into more than 20 years. As my role and versatile tasks have changed pretty regularly, I have developed an extensive skill set of expertise. Responsibility has grown over the years, and I’ve been trusted more and more with demanding tasks. Helvar has taught me the importance of constant self-development and cooperation”- Kristiina Öhman.

“From beginning my Helvar journey (back before digital watches and computers), my role has evolved on both the professional and personal front. I first started on the shop floor, and now I’m contributing strongly to monthly team leader meetings and responsible for ensuring that all UK and Partner sales are processed efficiently and orders despatched on time. I have massively developed my customer and IT skills! My confidence has also been boosted with the realisation of my importance in the smooth running of operations” Lisa Hampton.

Over the last 100 years, Helvar has grown, and our employees have grown with us. “I have learnt so much at Helvar and the scope of my role is broad. It has allowed me to look at Helvar through a wide lens, and I have grown a lot professionally because of the interaction with many stakeholders. I have also learnt new tools and gradually enriched my job content with reporting development aspects such as Power BI.”- Petteri Baumgartner. And it’s not just longstanding employees that are growing with us. “I started Helvar in March 2020, and already I am learning things every day from the people I meet, the solutions and the problems in projects. Helvar provides me with the tools to grow professionally both in my personal and professional life” – Kristoffer Lindborg.

If you’re looking for your next career move, why not join the Helvar family and be among the incredible talent already on board.

Click here to get in touch!