Stronger as a team – well-being in Syklo
Eetu Hämäläinen and Kaj Jokilahti have only worked together for about a year. Yet they speak with one voice when it comes to resilience at work and well-being.
For Eetu Hämäläinen and Kaj Jokilahti, the most essential thing at work is a good team. Together with other employees, they feel that they formed just that in the new circular economy unit of Syklo: the Rusko waste sorting plant, opened last autumn.
“For us, the waste sets the pace, or in other words, it determines what kind of day it will be,” Hämäläinen says. The work is physically demanding and the conditions in the midst of the noise and dust are challenging, despite having the right equipment. That’s when a good team is a vital asset. “Together, we got the new facility off to a great start last autumn,” Jokilahti sums up the team’s strength.
A job that demands the right attitude
In their work, Hämäläinen and Jokilahti do not talk about problems, but about challenges. According to Jokilahti, the team “sows the seeds positivity”. A good team and positive spirit create an open atmosphere, which is the key to a smooth flow of information and the opportunity to develop and improve operations. “We are allowed to use our own capacity as much as we want and to speak our minds,” Jokilahti says.
Learning this work can’t be done elsewhere, as no similar facility exists. The work requires a self-starter attitude, but it also provides an opportunity to develop both the work and oneself. “The circular economy is a field of the future that offers a lot to learn. This is one of the reasons why I applied for a job here,” says Hämäläinen.
A look at the full spectrum of well-being
The work is counterbalanced by the physical activity for the men. The contributions of Syklo as an employer are also praised. “The company has looked at the entire spectrum of well-being in a holistic way,” Hämäläinen says.
For example, Syklo offers ePassi employee benefits that can be used for, among other things, culture, massage, or sports. There are regular surveys on well-being at work and a decent amount of joint leisure activities. Hämäläinen says: “I feel that I have made the right moves in my working career. In this company, I feel like I’m in good hands.”
This article was originally published in Oulun Energia’s customer magazine 2/2021. Text by Mari Siliämaa, photos by Kati Leinonen.