Combine employment with enjoyment – Work n’ enjoy at Software Mind

Stimulating creative thinking and more effective regeneration after an intense day of work – this is what we had in mind when we recently introduced our Work n’ enjoy program at Software Mind. In an interview with Chief Marketing Officer, Anna Ochmańska, we learned what this employee benefit is about and the challenges associated with it.

What is Work n’ enjoy and where did the idea of introducing such a proposal at Software Mind come from?

In 2020, the world stood still for a moment and everything we knew changed.  Fast forward two years and we now know that the hybrid work model has become the new norm and is here to stay.

At Software Mind, we decided to go a step further. In response to the suggestions of our employees, as well as the temporary suspension of delegations, which for some Software Minders were an important element of their everyday work, we introduced an employee benefit that allows them to combine work with the possibility of going to some of the warmest destinations in Europe. After many months of working from home, for many people this kind of opportunity turned out to be a godsend!

This is how the idea of ​​Work n’ enjoy was born, a program under which an employee can spend 2 weeks on a so-called “workation” – either alone or in the company of their relatives.

How long have you been offering this benefit? Is it permanent?

The pilot of the program started at the end of 2021. We started from the  Los Gigantes area of Tenerife  and quickly supplemented this  with the chance to visit Croatia as well. We offered a 2-week workation with accommodation, internet access and a comfortable workplace all paid for by the company in both locations.

The location in Tenerife was extremely popular from the get-go, so we decided that it would also be the main destination for trips carried out in 2022, with the exception that the workation is now situated in the beautiful Marazul area. Since the launch of this  benefit, we have learned a lot – both about the departure preferences of our employees and possible improvements that we try to implement on a daily basis.

We are currently considering extending the program to include the possibility of organizing trips in Poland. Here, however, we are still looking for a formula that will precisely suit  the diverse needs of our Software Minders. We realise that there is a lot ahead of us and that it is quite a demanding program, but working on it gives me and our entire team a lot of satisfaction; having to act dynamically and being ready for everything and anything, including unexpected twists or a sudden power outage on the island on a Monday morning is a pre-requisite for a program such as this

Do you plan to somehow measure the impact of the program on the well-being of employees?

We constantly check the satisfaction related to the organization of trips in the current form by regularly collecting employees’ opinions and feedback. We conduct a post-travel survey and arrange interviews, which are conducted as part of our internal “Talk & enjoy” cycle. The undoubted advantages of the program, which the participants tell us a lot about, are rest from home and office space, getting to know new places, and above all, the possibility of changing their environment.

We have heard from many people that this two-week work away from home stimulated creative thinking as well as energizing and refreshing them. Work n’ enjoy allows you to diversify your time and facilitate regeneration after performing your employee duties – warm, sunny days, walks by the ocean, integration with people from the company – all these aspects have a positive impact on the wellbeing of Software Minders.

You mentioned meeting new people from the company, can you tell us more about this?

Three employees with accompanying persons can participate in the only departure slot in Tenerife. Sometimes they are people working together in the same team. However, most co-workers only get to know each other during the trip. Work n’ enjoy participants consider the above as a decidedly positive aspect of the program.

Currently, we rarely have the opportunity to meet in our offices, and our experience shows that during a two-week workation people do make new and interesting friends. I know a few cases of people who have been in regular  contact with each other since their return. Work n ‘enjoy connects Software Minders.

Read also – The most valuable, deciding factor in the IT world today is people

What other aspects do employees appreciate? Is there anything that surprises them during such a trip?

We try to act in such a way that nothing surprises them (laughs). During your stay, it is important to be able to take advantage of the attractions offered. For example, in their free time in Tenerife, some people take the opportunity to take part in a catamaran cruise. The rest go on a trip to Teide together. There are also sports fields on the premises. During their stay, employees can make use of several days of vacation in order to be able to fully utilise the possibilities offered by a stay in either location.

However, in the context of the surprise you are asking about, it seems to me that many people treat their Work n’ enjoy as an attempt, or a kind of test, to see whether this combination of employee duties and staying in a holiday environment works for them. Some people are therefore pleasantly surprised that such a combination can be an interesting alternative and of the benefits it brings. Many people, after their return, have declared their enthusiasm  to take part in a similar trip in the future.

What are your observations and conclusions about workation? Where are the benefits going in the IT industry?

Employee  benefits in the IT industry is definitely an interesting topic. We’ve noticed that several other companies on the market are already offering some kind of workation too. Considering the dynamics of changes in our industry, I am convinced that we will soon go a step further by implementing new, equally ingenious concepts.

At the same time, we are constantly considering how to enrich the formula of the current program so that it does not lose its appeal. I don’t want to reveal the details yet, but I can say that we see great potential in the development of the Work n’ enjoy project and will continue working on the details with our creative teams