Confirmit
Oslo, Norway
Grade: A
| Editor’s Summary: The heart of Confirmit’s business is not technology, it’s people. The company’s mission is to make the complex simple so customers can turn insight into stories that fuel action. Confirmit makes great technology, but the goal is to be more than just a supplier. It’s to partner with customers to become an extension of their team, helping them to break down barriers to implement the solutions they need. Joining Confirmit means you will help shape the vision customers have for their company’s future. The company checks all the important boxes for a great culture – flexible work schedules, diversity commitment, a very flat hierarchical structure and a commitment to fun. Confirmit offers the stable and secure environment of a well-established company, but retains the agility, fun and attitude of a fast-moving technology company. |
| Intro: Confirmit stands out as an employer in the industry because the company is a long-standing business with a strong reputation. It offers the stable and secure environment of a well-established company, but retains the agility, fun and attitude of a fast-moving technology company. Despite a global presence, with offices based around the world, employees work closely together and visiting teams in other offices is greatly encouraged. The company offers excellent rates of pay, good opportunities to progress and the ability to really make a difference to the company and to customers. |
Impact statements:
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Compensation:
- Performance: Employees demonstrating success through key metrics and performance evaluations.
- Experience: The level at which employees work within the company.
- External Market compensation: The sales success of an employee.
Advancement Opportunities:
Establishing career paths that allow employees to evolve their role into something that best suits their skills is something Confirmit proudly offers. We have employees who have been with the business for 15+ years and in many cases, they’ve been able to work in several offices and a number of departments in order to develop their skills and improve themselves personally while also driving the company forward.
Training Opportunities:
Training opportunities are individualized based on the needs and career development plans for the employee. Confirmit operates an online Learning Management System, designed to help new team members get up to speed, as well as to enable all employees to learn more about product
developments, new sales approaches and other customer-focused activities. Employees have access to LinkedIn Learning, an online educational platform that offers more than 5,000 courses and expert-led resources. With this resource available to them, employees can discover, complete, and track courses related to our industry.
Medical Benefits:
Training opportunities are individualized based on the needs and career development plans for the employee. Confirmit operates an online Learning Management System, designed to help new team members get up to speed, as well as to enable all employees to learn more about product
developments, new sales approaches and other customer-focused activities. Employees have access to LinkedIn Learning, an online educational platform that offers more than 5,000 courses and expert-led resources. With this resource available to them, employees can discover, complete, and track courses related to our industry.
Community service/charitable causes:
Confirmit provides its software free of charge to two not-for-profits, enabling them to complete their work and fulfil their mission more effectively. The market research organization, MobileMetrix uses Confirmit’s software to research some of the poorest communities in North and South America to enable them to identify ways to help people out of poverty. The International Child Development Program also uses Confirmit’s solutions to identify ways to help vulnerable children around the world. Confirmit also provides free software to Fine Research, a social research business working to help countries prepare for natural disasters.
At the employee level, staff are supported in their activities to raise money for charity. In the U.S., Confirmit’s California office sponsors a family every Christmas season and donates food and gifts so that a needy family has a holiday they otherwise would not have been able to afford to provide. Across the pond, the London offices replaced Secret Santa with donations to local charities, supporting the Bankside Giving charity through donations to homeless and disadvantaged people
Measuring satisfaction:
Confirmit runs an annual employee satisfaction survey which had a 100% completion rate in 2019. Results are not only scrutinized by the executive team, but an external consultant is brought into a special meeting of the
executive team in order to advise on the results of the survey and how the company can take action to increase employee engagement. At a less formal level, all employees are welcome to discuss any concerns, ideas or issues with their manager or a member of the executive team at any time. Confirmit goes above and beyond when it comes to hearing employee feedback. Last year, Confirmit’s Human Resource Director took a “Listening Tour,” visiting every office around the world to hear feedback, concerns and ideas from every member of the company. As a result of these discussions several key changes to business policy were implemented.
Each of Confirmit’s offices around the world is unique and is a result of the teams based in them. Employees are encouraged to suggest additions and improvements to the office environments they’re based in. However, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, Confirmit has encouraged all employees to work from home if possible, to ensure safety.
Work/Life:
Transparency and flexibility have been the cornerstone of Confirmit’s work policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been given the utmost flexibility with the option to work from anywhere. Employees have been apprised of expectations and the plan to work remotely into 2021 from early in the pandemic. Given the new and challenging environment brought on by the pandemic, employees are encouraged to take any vacation and personal time needed to unwind and adjust. Part time work is offered as an option, with many employees around the world benefitting from this option.
Creative meeting places:
Transparency and flexibility have been the cornerstone of Confirmit’s work policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been given the utmost flexibility with the option to work from anywhere. Employees have been apprised of expectations and the plan to work remotely into 2021 from early in the pandemic. Given the new and challenging environment brought on by the pandemic, employees are encouraged to take any vacation and personal time needed to unwind and adjust. Part time work is offered as an option, with many employees around the world benefiting from this option.
Perks:
Although in the current remote work environment office food is limited, typically Confirmit offices have very well-stocked kitchens with employees able to help themselves to items through the day. Regional benefits are also available based on employee location – for example UK-based employees benefit from an interest-free travel loan and many team members in Sydney have membership to a local leisure club.
Fun:
Given the remote work environment during the pandemic, in-person interactions have been limited as a safety precaution. Prior to that, activities vary from office to office. Across Confirmit’s locations we have table football sets, massage chairs, putting greens and beanbag games that employees can enjoy in the office. Confirmit has regular after-hours events attended by team members, like happy hours at local pubs, which have now been transferred to Zoom, and quarter-end celebrations. We also host annual summer and winter parties, which can be held at sporting venues, parks, or popular tourist locations.
How corporate vision is communicated:
At the beginning of every year, all employees within each region are brought together for a 1-2 day kick off session in which the exec team set out corporate vision for the year ahead. All employees are encouraged to take part in these interactive sessions and have their voices heard. The intent is to have a completely open and transparent culture in which questions are welcomed and addressed. Since the shift to remote operations, there have been several temporary changes to these communication measures. Primarily, all-employees now receive a bi-weekly email from the CEO, as well as attend an all-hands call which provides companywide updates on the successes, challenges, high level strategy initiatives and market goals in the upcoming quarter.
Diversity:
Confirmit is proud of its diverse workforce. In the U.S., goals are set annually for all departments as part of an Affirmative Action Plan. Goals are revisited annually to check progress. Confirmit’s most recent diversity initiatives are several Employee Resource Groups, including groups for People of Color and LGBTQ+ People and Allies. These groups are designed to help create a more welcoming and inclusive work environment for all employees.
Empowering employees:
All employees are encouraged to raise ideas with their managers and wider teams. Confirmit has an extremely open management structure and all team members are able to speak to any member of the leadership team to make suggestions and recommendations at any time. All offices have regular all-team meetings to discuss ideas of how to better deliver great solutions to customers.
Communication is done via company-wide e-mail announcements as well as in the communications mentioned above. At the external level, employees are often featured in blog posts, highlighting their opinions, achievements and successes. When working in the office, weekly lunch meetings are used to recognize key employee achievements, and team members who have worked closely with marketing to share client success stories receive surprise gifts to share with the wider team.
Confirmit operates with a very flat hierarchical structure. This structure enables employees to make their own decisions by avoiding the need to gain approval for every decision. This is especially important for customer-facing teams, who are empowered to make a timely decision for the customer without going through many layers of approval.
Ensuring well-being:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been able to work fully from home and are encouraged to take their vacation and personal time in order to adjust to the new remote environment. Traditionally, employees have set core hours but in many cases are able to adjust their hours by starting early/late. The focus at Confirmit is around results achieved rather
than hours served. Employees are trusted to manage their own time as long as they perform their function to the best of their abilities. Vacation policy varies from office to office, based on regional legislation, norms and holidays. Employees are able to arrange vacation time to suit their own schedules. Part time work is supported wherever practical in order to help employees achieve a suitable work-life balance.
Confirmit offers flexible work schedules to help team members balance the responsibilities they have outside of work, with an awareness for how personal schedules may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes flexible start/end times, the ability to work from home, and generous vacation and time off policies. This year, especially during the pandemic, the mental health of employees has been a company priority. Confirmit also launched an Employee Resource Group focusing on mental health with the mission of spreading awareness and support for all employees.
Confirmit has a duty to care for employees, and that doesn’t just mean keeping them safe, it means ensuring they feel safe as well. Confirmit is working hard to make sure that when teams can return to the office, every measure is being taken to adhere to government guidelines and protect the health of employees. Although the current working from home arrangement will be in place until 2021, when offices do reopen, no employee will be pressured to return if they don’t feel it is right for them.
In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Confirmit’s company culture proved its strength and depth. Drawing from a history of strong communication and management, Confirmit was able to ensure employees were fully supported from the very beginning of the pandemic. To enable employees to work effectively and comfortably while maintaining their safety, operations were shifted to remote work almost immediately. While working from home, Confirmit’s Human Resource team supported employees by providing those with children resources to help with home schooling. While implementing massive operational changes, company morale was kept up through a variety of remote social activities, ranging from weekly Zoom happy hours and quizzes, to additional check ins to maintain team social relationships.
| Closing company statements: The heart of Confirmit’s business is not technology, it’s people. The company’s mission is to make the complex simple so customers can turn insight into stories that fuel action. Confirmit makes great technology, but the goal is to be more than just a supplier. It’s to partner with customers to become an extension of their team, helping them to break down barriers to implement the solutions they need. Joining Confirmit means you will help shape the vision customers have for their company’s future. |
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