A big part of Kiilto’s company culture is encouraging everyone to share ideas, give and receive feedback, participate in projects important to oneself, learn and develop. In other words, every Kiiltonian can make a difference.
Sales Support & Development Specialist Marina Bondarenko says that working at Kiilto is empowering, in a sense:
“Here I get the feeling that what I do is important – and that I can have a significant impact on things,” she says, having worked for the company for over 12 years.
Marina credits Kiilto for nurturing a culture that encourages employees to think innovatively – and for people to step forward with their ideas.
“I know that the company is interested in my ideas and that makes me want to share them and develop them together with other Kiiltonians,” she says.
Proud to be a Kiiltonian
Sales representative Kenneth Larsson has been with Kiilto for almost 20 years – and he thinks that the company has struck the optimal balance with individual effort and team play.
“Individuals have the tools they need to succeed on a personal level and they can always rely on the team to back them up. That goes a long way to making a difference,” he believes.
Furthermore, leaving your mark makes you feel good about what you’ve accomplished in your work.
“I feel a lot of pride about the company, and I know that my colleagues do, too.”
Redefinition of the extended family
When it comes to making the difference, both Marina and Kenneth point out that it all starts and ends with the customer. Kenneth comments that during his two decades with the company, the customer has always been in the center of everything – but, in recent years, Kiilto has found new ways to get even closer to the customer.
“For sales people, such as myself, it’s important to recognize that there are always ways to support the customer,” he says, adding that a lot of times, his work feels like “helping out a family member”, given that many customer relationships go back a long time.
Marina is thinking along the same lines: not only the Kiiltonians feel like a part of her family, but the customers do, too. This creates a supportive atmosphere where “people make it work”, as she says.
“Working for Kiilto, you get a strong feeling of belonging,” says Marina, adding that job satisfaction is probably on high level largely due to this factor.
Eye on the solution
Discussing interaction with the customers, Marina agrees that when you have a good relationship with the customer, it’s easy to work together on a solution: the customers know they are in good hands and there is both trust and a sense of striving towards a common goal.
“In these situations, when you see that you’re able to improve something by your own personal impact, it is very fulfilling,” she says.