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EST. in 2014

The AB2B
Culture Code

Why this document?

The culture code acts as a guideline for the everyday work at Advance B2B

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The

Why

Advance B2B is a growth company. For us, being a growth company does not only mean more revenue: it means also the growth of our people, our knowledge and our customers. We can only grow if our people grow, too.

This is why we have written the most important points of our company culture into this one document, so that everyone here at Advance B2B (Advancers) can access this information – at any time.

The

What

Culture code describes our common values: what we believe in and how we act together from day to day. (Also and especially, when nobody's watching.)

We think that the culture code is for recruitment what the product is for marketing.

A good product or service attracts the best customers. A good company culture attracts the best employees. Company culture helps us to make better decisions.

Why does this

matter?

A good workplace is not a sign of success, but it is a means of getting there.

We want that Advance B2B is the best possible workplace for all of us:

1) A workplace that you can be proud of.
2) A workplace that you enjoy belonging to.
3) A workplace that stands out as a great thing in your CV.

Our culture code is a combination of our values, principles and goals

The 7 main principles

1) Passionate and serious, but not too serious
2) Actions > words
3) Freedom
4) Responsibility
5) Priorities
6) Openness and courage
7) Being present and caring

1) Passionate and serious, but not too serious

We are passionate about our work.

We want to make our customers’ marketing their growth driver.

We take on customers’ challenges as our own, assuming responsibility.

However, work should not be too serious.

In our work, no one dies from making mistakes (we are not surgeons or F1 drivers).

Also (work) life without smiles, jokes and fun stuff sounds pretty dull, which it obviously does not need to be. 

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2) Actions > words

Actions speak louder than words.

What that means is well done is better than well said. (And sometimes something done “okay” is just the right thing to do as long as it is done.)

We believe in keeping our promises and exceeding them.

Our words are commitments and our customers expect us to act upon them.

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3) Freedom

You are the master of your own calendar.

We do not believe in micromanagement and set working hours or locations.

We believe that the results of the work done are more important than the amount of time spent on it.

You are the master of your own calendar. However when we work together, it is important to respect one another’s time.

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4) Responsibility

With freedom comes responsibility

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Responsibility for oneself.

In order for our team to be able to fulfil their responsibilities towards our customers, it is vital for each team member to take responsibility for themselves.

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Responsibility for the team.

You have the freedom of choice for your work times, locations, and holidays. There is only one rule: don't leave your customers or your team in the lurch.

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Responsibility for the company. 

We all have a responsibility to our company. If we find something that should be done better, we take up the matter immediately.

Responsibility in communications

What does it mean in practice? 

  • I ask for help when I need help.
  • I give my colleagues all the information they could benefit from.
  • I share with customers all the information they might need – and a bit more.
  • Open communication is a fundamental way to show respect.
  • No one can bear the responsibility of communication on my behalf.
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5) Priorities

Use good judgement

Everyone has the freedom to make independent decisions in their work.

In terms of decisions, whether it is with client work, teamwork, or even when taking holidays, it is important to use good judgment.

How to use good judgment, then?

Pause for a moment to think of the consequences of your decision from three perspectives: the customer, the company, and the team perspectives.

For example, by looking things from these perspectives, you can assess what needs to be done extremely well now, and what is ok to do better later. Or you can understand why it's important to use more time for a certain client than was planned in advance.

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Customer obsession

FTW

In order for our company to be successful, we must first take care of our customers and keep short-term interests second.

We are customer-obsessed in all the work we do: that means looking at things from the customer perspective and remember that we get paid to solve their problems.

(However, that does not mean customers are allowed to treat us like 💩. It should be a true partnership for both sides!)

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6) Openness and courage

We believe in radical (sometimes even uncomfortable) transparency

We share (almost) everything* openly, including those things that traditional organizations keep secret.

*except: 1) The things that we legally cannot share (e.g. are under an NDA), and 2) Information that we do not have the right to share (e.g. payroll data, confidential personal information of employees)

We share, among other things:

  • Financial results and balance sheets
  • Management team meeting memos and plans
  • Recruitment plans
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Failing is

learning

  • We encourage responsible learning.
  • Experimentation is the most responsible way to take risks.
  • It is okay to mess up if you learn from it. We dare to share our #fuckups with others.
  • Open communication is a fundamental part of respect.
  • We have the courage to intervene if we encounter activities which are contrary to the company's values (aka this Culture Code).

Integrity

  • Whatever the situation, you’re more than welcome to voice your opinion. At Advance B2B, all new development ideas, constructive criticism, and feedback are assessed based on their merit, not based on who brought them up.
  • We remain professional in any situation and dare to speak up if we disagree with each other. Even if we disagree, we discuss things objectively.
  • Short term successes are nice, but we always consider what is best for the customers and the company in the long run above all else.

7) Being present and caring

We are in this together

We care about each other – as fellow human beings and individuals, and no one is more important than others. 

  • We believe an organization should not be about ego plays and internal politics, but finding the right roles for everyone and reaching the goals together.
  • When a colleague needs help, I am always there to help and support them.
  • We listen to understand, not just to respond.
  • Everyone is allowed (and encouraged!) to book time for deep work. Multitasking does not often produce good results.
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Safe for

everyone

We are committed to creating a safe, diverse and inclusive working environment for everyone.

What that means is in practice:

  • In hiring and promoting, things like gender, skin color, or nationality play no role. We want to have the best possible persons for each role, while building diverse teams at the same time.
  • We show respect to each other. For example if there are any non-Finnish employees in the room, we always speak English.
  • We use a tool to collect anonymous feedback from everyone regularly. In case there would be an issue you would not like to say out yourself (which we obviously hope not), there is always a way to let the company know and act. 
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Does our culture code speak to you?


 

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