The Rocket’s culture is what we make of it. While we have grown over the years, our founding principles haven’t changed: There’s little red tape, we communicate openly and everyone has the right to be themselves. What is it like working in this kind of environment, and what can it offer to a seasoned software developer? And how do corporate culture and sustainable growth relate to each other?

At its best, corporate culture enables a company’s success and helps it stay afloat in rough seas. Having a strong culture is particularly useful now that the IT industry is experiencing an economic slowdown after years of growth. The Rocket is still soaring, though, boasting an annual growth of 9%. A significant contributing factor to this positive trajectory is our strong corporate culture.

Corporate culture. Right. What does that mean, exactly?

“Company culture is what happens when nobody’s looking,” says company culture designer and expert Panu Luukka, paraphrasing William Wolfram’s definition. The word ‘culture’ comes from the Latin cultura, meaning cultivation. “When a company is built on fertile ground, meaningful things are bound to happen,” Panu says.

During Rakettitiede’s foundational grounding, the founding members Juha, Arttu, Marko, Kalle and Jarno decided to engage all employees in the cultivation of company activities and culture. It would be misleading to claim that the decision was fully thought out, but the direction it set proved to be an excellent one.

“One of our founding principles was to build our culture on our people’s natural way of working. Once we were able to determine where we wanted to go, we made a conscious decision to develop and grow the company in this direction,” the Rocket’s CEO Juha explains.

But how is the Rocket culture seen, felt and heard in the daily grind of the consultants? How do we ensure that the culture genuinely mirrors those who experience it?

Trust, fair play, transparency – deal or no deal?

According to Juha, the Rocket culture is encapsulated in the words ‘openness’ and ‘honesty’.

He describes the Rakettitiede crew as “a group of friends that’s grown in size little by little”. Over the years, over 50 rocket scientists have put on their moon suits. New recruits are introduced to the cosy atmosphere within the company right from the get-go.

As rocket scientists from consultants to founders and office staff share the ups and downs of everyday work, it’s easy to feel part of the inner circle.

“All employees – both past and present – have shaped our culture through their presence in the company. The fact that we get to know each other from the first day on the job builds a foundation for trust and open communication. This wouldn’t be possible if our company were very bureaucratic or you’d have to break through corporate barriers to get in touch with the management,” Juha says.

Rocket consultants Edvard “Ed” Majakari (rocket scientist #20), Pawel Defée (rocket scientist #12) and Rostislav Galimskii (rocket scientist #52) unanimously concur that no truer words were ever spoken.

Consultant Chronicles – 5 facts about the Rocket’s culture

#1 Minimal red tape

The life of a consultant is pretty straightforward when the employer knows how to focus on things that matter.

From the consultant’s point of view, there’s just the right amount of paperwork, covering a few necessary processes. “The handling of all critical matters is exemplary, and the consultant doesn’t constantly need to fill in unnecessary forms and papers,” Ed says.

*Rocket scientist #20, aka Ed,* says the Rocket requires just the right amount of paperwork from its consultants – very little. He also appreciates the company’s openness: “There’s no need to guess what the management is up to.”

If a rocket scientist happens to need, say, a new computer, they can contact the command bridge coordinator Mira, who will take care of it in the blink of an eye, no questions asked.

When working with a customer, the consultant’s operating environment can often be more complex than the mother ship’s. That’s why Pawel appreciates the simplicity with which routine tasks are carried out while he works on a customer’s embedded systems and their complex problems. “Minimal bureaucracy translates to a reduced cognitive load, which means I can give everything I’ve got to client work,” he says.

#2 Strong ownership over assignments

“A consultant works as an independent expert. That fact wouldn’t mix well with being given a tight set of rules that couldn’t then be applied in different client cases,” Pawel says.

The culture at the Rocket enables consultants to carry out their work as they see fit, as long as it serves the needs of the client.

“Rocket scientists are an autonomous bunch and show initiative in solving problems,” Ed says and continues: “And if the problem is too big for one rocket scientist to handle, help is easily available and readily provided.”

#3 Transparency, honesty and openness – no exceptions

Achieving a strong sense of ownership becomes possible when the company’s culture is transparent and open. This is prominently visible in daily activities, particularly in the way the management operates.

Ed mentions that he never needs to guess what the management is up to, thanks to a weekly bulletin sent to the consultants every Friday, monthly company overviews, meetings with caretakers, and online coffee breaks that bring the crew together on Fridays. “These things make me feel appreciated and instil confidence in my ability to focus on client work. The home base provides support in the background and makes itself known, if necessary,” Ed says.

According to Ed, one thing the Rocket management really excels in is creating a workplace where the management and employees stand on equal ground.

“Discussions with the management feel like having a discussion with a good friend,” Ed says. Rostislav agrees: “It also feels like they’re on my side, no matter what the client or my life throws at me.”

#4 Freedom to be yourself and have a say in your work

*Ros, rocket scientist #52, describes the Rocket culture as pleasantly nerdy. “It feels refreshing having people around you that share your interests,” he says.*

Everyone has the right to be a unique star. “The company’s culture embraces a nerdy vibe, and the group brings together all kinds of personalities,” Rostislav says.

“We like tech – that’s something we all have in common. The client cases are so tough that you need to have a deep-seated motivation to solve technical problems. It feels refreshing having people around you that share your interests,” Rostislav continues.

Rocket scientists also have a host of interesting hobbies that feed into their demanding problem-centric work.

#5 Opportunity to affect company growth

Considering the company’s culture now represents the people who created it, to what extent have the consultants been able to affect the Rocket’s growth and design? The answer: a lot.

The consultants’ input is valued, and everyone is encouraged to express their opinions openly. “Wanting to try a new way of doing things is often met with a positive response,” says Pawel, rocket scientist #12.

“Opening your mouth and suggesting a new way of doing things is often met with a positive response,” says Pawel, who’s already been in orbit with the Rocket for eight years. “Although the number of people and functions has grown over the years, there is a strong commitment to considering diversity and meeting the needs of individuals,” he continues.

Company culture has a huge impact on employee retention: when how a company operates feels like something you can vouch for, you don’t really want to leave.

The consultants have been encouraged to come up with ways in which things could be done better. For example, the caretaker initiative was born out of the consultants’ needs and an idea that the management supported practically from the get-go. “It feels good to have a say in your daily comings and goings”, Ed says.

It appears that the core of the Rocket culture has its share of good old common sense.

“We listen to the consultants’ needs with a keen ear and try to understand their interests and concerns. Then we just respond to their needs accordingly,” Juha says.

Is it all just a coincidence?

“A clearly defined and managed culture enables better working conditions for the employees,” says company culture designer and expert Panu Luukka, who knows the pitfalls of company cultures like the back of his hand.

Although the principles of Rocket culture weren’t set in stone when the company was founded, it is being consciously built on a daily basis in an effort to keep the Rocket soaring year after year. Turning company culture into a competitive advantage has required mindful management.

A company’s culture is managed by defining it clearly and then living it true.

*According to Panu Luukka, a strong company culture is created through a distinctive and clear story, which permeates everything the company does*.

“When an employee feels that their company has openly and authentically defined itself, they are happy to use their expertise to benefit the company. When a company’s culture is clearly defined and managed, people know how they need to act,” Panu explains.

But how do you determine if a company’s culture is strong and genuinely provides a competitive edge?

“A strong company culture is created through a distinctive, clear and coherent story, which permeates everything the company does. It creates a distinct emotional response,” Panu says. “If you want the culture to develop with the people, you also need to pay attention to communication and dialogue,” he adds.

At Rakettitiede, company culture is managed and strengthened by staying up-to-date on the daily work of the consultants and actively engaging in discussions with them as much as possible.

“I believe in leading by example, so it’s important to live the transparency, fairness and openness on a daily basis. It comes down to simple things: I think about how people would like to be treated and act accordingly,” Juha says.

Culture is one of the prerequisites for the company’s future survival. “A company can only be truly successful if it has the right talents and if the organisation is able to tap into that talent base. This becomes possible when the employees feel engaged, are interested in the direction the company is headed and able to have a say”, Panu says.

Culture and company grow hand in hand

The founders of the Rocket didn’t have a noble vision or cultural roadmaps – they just happened to be missing a workplace where they themselves wanted to work. “Once we were able to determine where we wanted to go, we made a conscious decision to develop and grow the company in this direction,” the Rocket’s CEO Juha explains.

Rakettitiede has managed to build a strong culture that has grown with the company for nearly 12 years. Even though a few extra wings have been built to accommodate new rocket scientists boarding the mother ship, Ed and Pawel are pleased to remark that the atmosphere and way of working have stayed surprisingly similar over the years. “The Rocket feels like home. It has that small company vibe even though it’s grown quite a bit,” Ed says.

How would Juha summarise the Rocket’s secret?

“We’ve been good at many things because we are genuine and I suppose you could say modest. We don’t pretend to be anything we’re not – it’s more like ‘here we are, this is what we’re like, take it or leave it’. That’s one of the reasons why the people who come to work for us also end up staying,” Juha says.

Spice up your company culture