Soldem is a multi-purpose sales house established in 2003. We provide sales and customer service for large client companies with 250 employees. For our customers, we are a trusted partner for outsourced remote sales and customer service that delivers results and development.

We offer jobs to suit all walks of life. We are a well-known employer, especially among young people, and for some it is their first job. Some enjoy a gap year with us, while others find a Soldem home for the longer term.

Learning together in teams

We always work in teams. This speeds up learning, and team support is very important, for example after a difficult customer encounter. Teams have leaders, but a lot is also learned by sparring with teammates. Our teams are constantly evolving: new teams are created, old teams are disbanded or teams are merged, for example to meet customer needs.

The pandemic hits the community

At the start of the pandemic, the transition to teleworking was surprisingly painless. Everything went well at first, but towards the end of 2020, it became apparent that I was no longer as comfortable at work and the sense of community had begun to deteriorate.

Particularly difficult during the remote period has been familiarisation and bringing new colleagues into the teams. New employees may not have met any of the soldem types face to face, but everything has had to be done remotely.

In strong teams, people know each other

We looked carefully at the teams that were the most productive and had the least turnover. These teams were also easy for new Soldemians to join.

Strong teams had one thing in particular in common: people knew each other. They laughed and joked about common things, but also discussed personally important non-work-related issues. These teams were already strong before the pandemic, and the shift to teleworking did not have a significant impact on well-being.

SmoothTeam improves cognition and well-being

When I heard about SmoothTeam, I thought this is a great tool for us, because well-being at work is so strongly linked to knowing people. If you get to know your teammates just a few percent better, your relationships will become more meaningful and you'll be much more productive at work.

In the past, we have used personality tests, for example, but analysis alone is not enough, you still need coaching. In SmoothTeam, we start with a comprehensive self-assessment, then focus on the essentials - how to use the strengths of different people in the team.

Permanent changes in the way teams work - and interesting findings

The simulations have brought permanent changes to the way teams work. The situations encountered in the simulations have even become part of the teams' language and jokes.

It is very important, especially for younger workers, that the simulation is a fun shared experience. Laughing together is essential.

There have also been some fun and surprising experiences in the simulations. For example, all the teammates may have thought a colleague liked performing, only to find out that he doesn't.

The simulation also provides valuable information on team composition and preferences. For example, a team may find that none of its members like dealing with conflict. This can cause unpleasant issues to become stalemated when they are not wanted. It's great when the team recognises this and decides to work together to overcome the conflict headache.

Cognition guides positive attitudes

Especially at a distance, it has been too easy to "misunderstand" a message written by someone else, if you don't know them on a personal level or have never even met them face to face. The better we know our teammates, the easier it is to relate to them positively.

It is also important for people to be noticed and known. The simulation gives everyone a chance to talk about themselves and justify their choices.

The results of the simulations are also shown below the line

When we chose SmoothTeam, we were thinking about improving wellbeing at work, not about increasing the number of stores, for example. However, the use of simulations can also be seen below the line. The support and security provided by the team we have come to know, and the understanding that customers are also individual people, is reflected in the improved quality of customer encounters.

I highly recommend SmoothTeam, especially when the composition of the team changes

I recommend SmoothTeam especially for all workplaces where the composition of teams varies a lot. Simulations work really well in such a place.

Sauli Nissinen
Welfare Director
Soldem Oy