Stockholm Syndrome

Ericsson

For being a business with over 95,000 employees worldwide, we learned that Ericsson Telecommunications Company puts much care into their company culture and the rightful treatment of their employees. Their office in Sweden has recently scaled down to about 10,000 employees. As a company, they have made strides in becoming more agile, with interconnected departments and mixed backgrounds. They have been notorious for hiring employees with mostly engineering backgrounds, but they have changed their culture to no longer be engineer driven. They focus more on building relationships with service providers and function as an innovation hub, inclusive to anyone internally. One way they do this is through the Ericsson one thinking project, which is for the internal employees, allowing them the space to create and brainstorm no matter their position.

We noticed that although it is in an impressive, corporate building, there was still a casual environment. Employees were still dressed in business profession or business casual, but there were coffee stands, plants and colorful decor to make one feel comfortable. Our presenter explained to us how in Swedish leadership culture, titles are earned, however they don’t mean anything. They have a flat-leadership style where voices are heard easier, it is more inclusive and more collaborative. They explained that if anyone has an idea, no matter their position, they can work on getting it to the higher-ups and implementing it in the company.

A unique feature to Ericsson’s company culture is their friday lunches. You can catch the CEO serving soup to other employees, in addition to get the chance to speak freely to your colleagues. They hold 15 minute seminars where one may speak freely about their passions in an open space about anything they would like. They even take care of their employees after work, for example through sports clubs where one can come to play or event to learn. Additionally, they offer parental days where one may leave work at 4 to pick up their child or just get home early to spend time with them. They are clearly a company that invests heavily in their employees well-being.  

Ericsson Headquarters


All the rage in Sweden, Ericsson also embraces the “Fika” break. We learned that Fika is when everyone stops their work and engages in a coffee, tea, or any kind of break to escape the work stress. It is an important time for bonding, collaboration and relationship building. Ericsson gives Fika breaks usually at 10 AM and 3 PM. Further emphasising their care for their employees and the Swedish culture.

The last culture point we picked up on is that the way they treat their employees is visible to the customers. They haven’t left any customer behind, because they are an environment in which they seek consensus. It is clear that this is a space for work through collaboration. They stated that they use their culture as selling points in negotiations to attract people to their offices.

Northvolt

We spoke with investment manager Josephine while on our visit to Northvolt. This is a company that prides itself on enabling the future of energy through the greenest battery ever made. They ensure renewable energy through being the lowest cost provider that is simply green. That being said, one of the most interesting topics of discussion during our Northvolt meeting was when we were talking about the factors that have fostered a truly meaningful company culture there. Since they are a company focused on sustainability, we inquired if they take that seriously and implement it in their culture. Our speaker informed us that several of their employees have taken pay cuts rather willingly, choosing a meaningful job over the higher pay that other companies could offer. In addition, the company is set up where everyone within it is actually an owner as well. This structure puts more skin in the game, so to speak, for employees, who are therefore incredibly driven when it comes to the company’s goals. Finally, they take everyone on “employee days” to do outdoor activities such as hiking mountains or other activities in nature, further embracing their green roots.