27 Jun Young Talent
Attracting talent is a major challenge today for companies and also one of its most valuable assets, especially for those who concentrate their efforts on innovating, improving and finding solutions to the challenges in their areas of activity.
As I have discussed on several occasions with my friend and professor at ESADE, Simon Dolan, in the current context, workers are more mobile than ever and look for companies that provide them the challenges and motivations they need, not only in their career but also on a personal level. So I felt particularly proud to read in the internal magazine of Blendhub this article about our company, written by an intern of the Quality Excellence Center. I share it with you:
A PARANORMAL PHENOMENON
When I first came to Premium Ingredients, I was pleasantly surprised. I had researched the basics of the company (number of employees, recent news, billing, factories location…) but I didn’t expect it to be the kind of company it is. It is normal for you, dear reader, for this to seem strange. For some it is just another company, for others it is “the company you have to be in” and, for the rest, it’s a great company. I share the latter view.
I passed through the door and the modernity of the company surprised me. “Modern and very expensive facilities”, I thought. The glass offices highlighted my brief wait. There were no walls! “And how can I steal a pen now?” How difficult this must be if everyone watches you. Nor can I poke my nose, neither sleep on my desk with the door closed”. When you come from college, having seen three companies (purely Spanish) in your entire life, as it was my case, this is something that makes you think: “Am I in some kind of sect…?”.
Premium Ingredients is not a “normal” company. It is a paranormal phenomenon. In “normal” companies, there aren’t kitchens with two refrigerators, an oven, a microwave, a vitroceramic hob, a sink, a water machine, a higher-than-Pau Gasol Nespresso, a vending machine and the other amenities that you already know. In “normal” companies, there is a water dispenser, a vending machine, and if it’s affordable, a microwave. That’s what I’ve seen and what most people I know have seen. Nevertheless, what amazed me most was the train-wash tunnel. What food company has train-wash tunnel to get into the factory? But if it is only an ozone disinfection missing!
The impression couldn’t be better. I was expecting a normal company, with ostentatious facilities only to show their status and power, but it is totally different. This appearance is the result of a different mentality, a mentality that has not been corrupted by the culture of this country. And this is reflected in the acts towards employees. Gifts at five and ten work anniversaries, birthday presents, flexible hours, freedom of movement, internal newsletters, events to celebrate important days (World Book Day recently, World Health Day, Employees birthday… ). Some people might think it is “seedy” or not being excited about receiving a mug with a cartoon for their birthday or a watch after five years, but I think that having that detail is worth more than the gift itself. In a “normal” company, they don’t give you anything. At best, they congratulate you and, if you get along with your colleagues, they buy something halfway. It is also seen at how they deal with the fellows. From day one (a day which coincided with the celebration honoring the ten years of work of a member of the warehouse area) the company made us feel as part of this great team. Not only welcoming us with a smile and questions, but also with an intense week of training. And it is that there is nothing better than really knowing the company that you are going to work for and the people with whom you’re working with, to do your job well.
But the best, perhaps, is my own personal part. I’m in the Quality Excellence Center and the truth is that I’m amazed. At first, I thought it would cost me to adapt. When you come from college, you don’t have any discipline and, if you haven’t worked before, this can be tough. In my case, I have to say that I’ve adapted well. Yes, I’ve occasionally left the Silverson un-cleaned and sometimes I might have left the tap on during filling a jug of water … But it isn’t something to make a big deal of, right?
I also came to think that the work would be more monotonous, but the truth is that it isn’t. I’m happy with my functions. The work is more dynamic than I expected. There are many different products to analyze, and each one has a different test tested; we must “take walks” to collect samples; make “Checklist”; carry samples to the industrial unit two; collect samples from the same unit… But we also work, and a lot.
Those upstairs (especially a fellow of the Engineering Area of Blendhub, whose name I will not reveal…) thinks that we waste the day making cheesecakes, cheese, and eating all kinds of food, but the truth is very different. The truth is that you barely sit down; you’re always standing, moving through the laboratory or the factory. But, still, it’s bearable, and this wouldn’t be that way if it weren’t for my lab colleagues. I don’t say it to suck up to them (or maybe yes?). I simply say it because, from the first day, they made me feel like if I was one more. They were with me, teaching me, explaining what to do, joking with me. If I was wrong, they said: “It’s okay, it’s normal to happening until you get used to it”, and that is appreciated. They are like a family, each person has a role: There is the grandmother, who knows it all, is efficient and hardworking; there is the mother who worries about everything and is very attentive; the father, who is demanding, hardworking and committed, and finally, it is the older sister, who is the person you want to look like because is good at her job, determined and provides that “touch” that makes you feel really comfortable.
Ultimately, Premium Ingredients, Premium Blendhub or Blendhub (did I leave out any names?) is not a normal company; it is a paranormal phenomenon in the business world, and that is appreciated. Now it must be seen how my remaining time here develops, and learn absolutely everything that I can, which surely will be much and very useful.
Juan Manuel García Orenes, Intern at Quality Excellence Center of Blendhub.