“I think we first started chatting at an after work event,” Jenni Heikkilä and Sina Westerberg say, recalling how they met.
Westerberg is a Financial Controller who started work at MuniFin in 2014
alongside her studies, while Heikkilä, who works with the Apollo tool for
financing portfolio management and economic planning, had come to the company a
couple of years earlier.
The women share not only the workplace, but also a close group of
friends who have bonded and become friends at work. It all started with a
shared evening brunch a few years ago.
“We were having breakfast in the evening, because everybody wanted
waffles,” Heikkilä says.
Every now and then, this group of seven women get together on a weekday
morning to enjoy a slightly better breakfast, which is why the group goes by
the name Fancy Breakfast Club. The
club members all work in different departments and in various positions at
MuniFin.
“Breakfasts are our thing, a way to keep in touch with each other
even when we don’t have time to meet otherwise. After breakfast, we head to
work together. If we don’t have time for a long breakfast, we pop over for a
morning coffee somewhere nearby,” says Westerberg.
It all started with breakfast, but the club members have also travelled
in various configurations and taken part in each other’s special celebrations.
“One of the members of the group got married recently and, of
course, we were invited to the wedding. Now we are waiting for an invitation to
the christening,” Westerberg grins.
The workplace supports
friendships
Heikkilä and Westerberg feel that the workplace, its atmosphere and
encouraging environment have an impact on friendships being born.
“We have a really nice bunch of people here. It’s a lovely work
community, and we have a lot of fun together. If I’m in a bad mood when I
arrive at work, I find myself cheering up as the day progresses,” Westerberg
says.
“The atmosphere here is welcoming, you can be yourself here,”
Heikkilä continues.
MuniFin has grown a great deal in recent years, and a lot of new people
have joined the company. Its activities and services have also evolved at a
fast pace; for example, the Apollo service didn’t exist when Heikkilä came to
the house.
As an employer, MuniFin encourages people to get to know their
colleagues also outside of working hours and offers an excellent framework for
this.
“Our staff club Kursiseura organises various activities related to
sports and physical activity, culture and various other activities where the
threshold for joining in is low. At these events, it’s easy to get acquainted
with colleagues you don’t often have a chance to talk to otherwise.”
Westerberg and Heikkilä explain that there are other groups of friends
at MuniFin too who spend time together and go, for example, skiing. What does a
joint workplace actually bring to a friendship? According to Heikkilä and
Westerberg, the shared workplace is nothing but a bonus.
“You see each other much more than you would otherwise. Sometimes you’re
busy and may not see your other friends for months,” Westerberg ponders.
“You don’t lose track of what’s going on in a friend’s life,” Heikkilä
continues.
One of the FTC members has recently changed jobs, but remains closely
involved in the group. The two women feel that having friends in the workplace
is important for job satisfaction.
“It’s difficult to imagine there being such a close group of friends
anywhere else. If I was offered a job somewhere else, I’d have to ask them if
they have jobs for my friends too,” Heikkilä laughs.