The Eficode lobby is full of soft, low resting couches that invite passersby to sit down for a restful moment. The atmosphere of the company is relaxed despite the fact that it is active in the rapidly changing field of technology. Eficode was founded in 2005 as a software and design consultancy with headquarters in Helsinki. The consultancy has two main service areas: DevOps, a popular yet challenging software development methodology, and Digital Builders, which provides companies with design, UX, and software development services to get successful digital products off the ground.
"At Eficode, you can work wherever suits you best. When I need space, I sit on the sofa with a laptop. Sometimes I'm stationed at a desk and sometimes together with people from another team", explains Alexander Elhorst, Agile & Culture Coach at Eficode.
Eficode does not have set working hours and you’re not necessarily required to be in the office even if you have meetings. There is however one rule: everyone needs to be reachable between 10am and 3pm, otherwise employees are free to allocate their work hours as they see fit. The days also vary.
"My day starts with a team meeting where we go through tasks for the day. We also discuss the tasks of the previous day and how they went", says Manvisha Kodali who is part of the ROOT DevOps Platform team and works as a DevOps consultant.
Eficode’s ROOT DevOps Platform is a ‘software production line’ which makes creating software smoother for companies that make their own software. The product, which was created by Eficode to solve repeating issues at clients, can include consulting work. This sees Manvisha advise clients on thornier problems they’re having with their software tools.
"Our clients include telecom companies, banks and many other types of companies. We install our DevOps tools for them and also offer maintenance and support", Manvisha explains.
An in-house agile coach to shape company culture
Alexander works in the Digital Builders side of Eficode’s consultancy. As an Agile Coach, he visits clients to help them take their operational and organisational culture further to meet the demands of business in an agile manner. He also keeps taking the pulse of Eficode’s culture with a constant intention to build an even better-working professional community.
"When I’m not at a client, I always start my day with a coffee here in the lobby. After that, I check my calendar and continue my day. Some days I’m at a client in which case I spend most of the day there", Alexander says.
"Our Digital Builders team is composed of developers, programmers, designers and UX specialists. Across Eficode, we also have a team work model called The Band. It’s not just one band, but many different groups of people (each group is called a band) which includes people with different backgrounds from all around the company,” tells Alexander.
He continues to elaborate on the concept of ‘bands’: “Bands are a social construct that helps us learn from, and trust each other. Bands do stuff together for fun and start to discover each other's strengths and weaknesses and aim to help each other out. This is important. We can ask for help when we need it but also offer help without asking".
Helsinki is a hub for everything, yet still calm
Alexander Elhorst moved to Helsinki permanently four years ago.
It's calm here and the city has a lot of nature. I come from Holland where many people live in densely populated areas.
Alexander wanted to learn some Finnish before he decided to apply for a job a year and a half ago. He has a Bachelor's degree in IT and a Master's degree in Public Administration. No Finnish skills were required in the end for the job interview which took place in English.
"Two different people interviewed me separately. They were very open and easy to talk to. It felt like having a relaxed coffee with someone. I got a feeling that this is also a suitable environment for self-development", Alexander says.
"Helsinki is a hub of nature, education, innovations and fashion", Manvisha Kodali says. She comes from India and moved to Finland via Luxembourg in 2017.
"My interview served to check how I fit into the team. This working environment is open to new technologies and more", say Manvisha.
She has completed a Master's degree in Software Engineering in Sweden.
Getting to know Finnish culture through work
Eficode has grown rapidly in the past years. Currently, the consultancy has offices in Tampere, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Munich, in addition to Helsinki. The number of employees has grown at a steady pace. At the moment, the company has 250 employees from 20 different countries.
Indian-born Manvisha and originally Dutch Alexander enjoy living in Finland and both have found plenty of freetime hobbies in Helsinki.
"In the summertime I run, swim in lakes, play badminton and take an excursion to the Suomenlinna fortress island almost every weekend. The ferry ride is about 20 minutes from the Market Square", Manvisha says.
"In winter, I like to swim in the swimming hall and play indoor games. I've also tried out ice-skating but I still have some learning to do."
Alexander spends a big part of his free time with his daughter.
"We do a lot of nice things together. In my own time, I like to run and of course bike – I am Dutch after all. I've also been hiking around the Nuuksio national park", Aleksander says.
He also has a favourite spot in the city.
"It is in Humallahti Park, there is a bronze age cairn tomb and a magnificent view of the sea from high rocks. That was where I made the decision to move to Helsinki."
