Get an insight into life in Axdata through team leader Øyvind!

Short n' sweet
- I realized early on that they are all about finding the right person rather than the right level of education; that they are betting on people, and the way they use their heads rather than what they have studied at school, says Øyvind Henrik Nilssen, profit consultant and team leader in Axdata .
- I realized early on that they are all about finding the right person rather than the right level of education; that they are betting on people, and the way they use their heads rather than what they have studied at school, says Øyvind Henrik Nilssen, profit consultant and team leader in Axdata .
Because it was really completely random that he ended up in Axdata initially; as an Apple-obsessed Microsoft hater, you can say that it was not openly in the cards for Øyvind to join the company he has now been with for 3 years.
- They just seemed like really nice people when I met them, and the fact that the top boss was also in one of the interviews made me confident in the company itself, what they were doing, and that flat structure was not just something they boasted about, but actually practiced, he says.
And it turned into a match.
And the flame has not died down since, and Øyvind has exclusively positive things to say about the workplace and his colleagues.
- I finally understand what everyone talks about all the time: That you have to look forward to going to work in the morning, and I actually do. And I'm not even kidding. I think I can prove it by the fact that I have even recruited two acquaintances of mine because I am so confident that Axdata has the best work culture in any workplace, he says.
A solid entrepreneurial spirit
He goes on to say that when he started three years ago, Axdata didn't really investment in his area of expertise, which is HR, so there was initially no one with competence for that technology or Microsoft application. Thus, it became his job to familiarize himself with it, and make it a venture for the company.
- So getting responsibility from day one was no issue! I had also never worked as a consultant before, only in the HR field, so I have grown a lot, and not least been allowed to grow. I also got to become team leader after two years, and I really enjoy that!
Now Axdata is growing in several ways: in structure and strategy, in new office premises and investment areas, and not least: new employees. But still, there is full consensus in the company that the good work culture remains untouched.
- The soul of Axdata is still rock solid, maybe even stronger. This flat structure does not come naturally when you grow, and I have the impression that everyone here wants it to feel like we are 20 people, and that everyone is working for that, he says and emphasizes:
- Flat structure means that there are no hierarchical paths to take to get a message, a concern or an idea across, and not least: that decisions can be made at the lowest possible level. I want everyone on my team to be confident in making decisions that they are capable of making. So be it if you make mistakes once in a while, even that we work out and learn from!
The freedom to change course
Axdata is known for being a competent group of people, who like to look at technology and solutions with new eyes, and adapt to the rapid changes in the market. In this way, skills development also becomes the alpha omega for having sharp, but not least motivated and up-to-date employees.
- Just by being on parental leave for ten weeks, I noticed myself that I was missing out on things because I wasn't fully on top of things. So we set aside 10% of the time each week for personal training. So even if some weeks require full focus on customer work, you are not applauded for having exclusively billable time: We want everyone to take their own skills development seriously, says Øyvind.
Not only should you be able to update yourself and improve what you are already working on, you can also use the time to learn completely new things. If you find something that seems more interesting to work for, there is nothing to prevent you from changing course within the company.
- I think the success of keeping people in one place for a longer period of time is to plan for personal and professional development; that they don't necessarily stay in the same position all the time, but are encouraged to expand their horizons and try new things, says Øyvind with some concluding remarks:
- Now we want new people with a willingness to stand up, who feel that they can contribute to a positive working environment! You don't necessarily need a higher education here (I don't have a relevant degree), but if you like challenges and technological puzzles, and perhaps have a dash of specialist knowledge in finance, HR or sales, then you will slide right into my team!
