Category: career

A day with the CEO of Schibsted – a mutual knowledge exchange

How is life as a CEO for one of the most well-known businesses in the Nordics? That is something the student, Anine Johnsen, has found out. Anine is a young entrepreneur who got the opportunity to shadow the CEO of Schibsted, Kristin Skogen Lund, for an exciting day in October at our head office in Oslo.

 

Every year, Ungt Entreprenørskap in Norway carries through the program “Leader for a day,” where young, aspiring leaders are matched with a top senior manager of a relevant company or organisation. This year, the program presented 25 hand-picked young management talents from all over the country. The talents have had a Youth Business or Student Business with Young Entrepreneurship, and are selected based on their achievements.

By spending a day with the CEO of a well-known business or organisation, students learn the level of responsibility and the complexities required for today’s leading executives, while also getting a feel for how these leaders create value in their organisations. It is also an opportunity for CEOs to connect with- and better understand what drives the next generation. For Schibsted and Kristin Skogen Lund, it was an obvious decision to participate.

“I believe Schibsted, as a large company and employer, have a responsibility to share with young people what it’s like to work with us, and thus give them a glimpse of what the future can hold. But as importantly, it’s a very insightful experience for us. I always learn a lot when I meet people whose backgrounds or life experiences differ from mine. And I always find it really interesting to get a young person’s perspective on what we do.

A key takeaway is the sheer number of really good questions Anine asked. I’m impressed with her level of engagement and insights, and learned a lot about how we’re perceived among younger people, and how they view what we do and what we communicate,” Kristin says.

Anine Johnsen was matched to shadow Kristin for a day on the 20th of October. She is currently in her last year at Ski VGS, where she is enrolled in general studies with Entrepreneurship as an elective subject.

“We started the day by planning the next “All hands” meeting for all Schibsted employees. Thereafter, I observed a meeting about the annual outlook Future Report 2023, which was very interesting. After having lunch, I got a tour of Finn and VG to see how they function and how they operate. The day ended with a panel discussion about “Eliter I endring” where Kristin participated,” Anine says.

The aim of “Leader for a day” is to give young people a glimpse into the leadership role and motivate them to take the step themselves.

“I got a good insight into what it is like to be a top leader and how much important work Schibsted does. It was a hectic day, but also very interesting and valuable. I met a lot of competent people throughout my day at Schibsted and I gained a lot of experience. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in “Leader for a day” and I had a really good time with Kristin and her co-workers,” Anine says.

Strong and agile leadership is the backbone of Schibsted

What makes a great leader? Depending on who you are asking, the answer might differ. According to Christoffer Bjäreborn, Director of Leadership Development at Schibsted, there is no universal mould for leadership. To reach success, a leader must simply be equally aware of their team’s specific needs, as of the bigger company vision forward.

With great leadership comes great responsibility. The difference between a good and a great leader can make an astounding difference for personal and professional development within a team and for the company as a whole. That is why Christoffer Bjäreborn, Director of Leadership Development, and his team works continuously to develop and strengthen Schibsted leaders in their work.

“We have a wide spectrum of companies and company cultures within Schibsted. Similar for all is that we believe in and want to develop all the talents that work here. We will reach that with the help of great leaders,” he says.

The four pillars

Since 2016, the Leadership Development team has worked along the lines of a model called ‘Pace’. The model consists of four pillars; people driven, agile, collaboration and entrepreneurship, which are all qualities that help define a Schibsted leader. These four are further broken down into subcategories and behaviours that concretize how different leaders can work successfully within their own teams and on an individual employee level.

“We went out and asked several leaders within the organisation two questions. What does the current leadership look like, and what should it look like in the future? The answers we gathered helped put ‘Pace’ together. We are also currently investigating how we can collect and align results from our employee surveys with the development of our leadership courses,” Christoffer says.

A shift in demands and an exciting future

With a younger generation entering the job market, and with a pandemic behind us, the needs from and values of a leader have shifted in some teams. Employees drift more towards an everyday work life with more freedom under responsibility, which also demands the leadership shifting to follow.

“Depending on the employee and the team, different leadership styles are necessary. What our talents expect is individual, which puts demands on the leaders. Great leaders do not work from a generic point of view, they see each individual,” Christoffer says.

What the future holds for Schibsted leadership development is yet to be determined. But for Christoffer Bjäreborn, the journey and work he puts in together with his team is both exciting and foundational.

“I have been at Schibsted for 24 years, working at different positions within different teams. Where I am now, I feel that I truly make a difference. The people working here are great, and to help them develop and be the best they can is truly inspiring and motivating,” he says.

“News media should be accessible for everyone”

When working in tech, understanding the user is key to reaching success with a product. Lena Beate Hamborg Pedersen and her product team therefore spend hands on quality time in Norwegian primary schools, to pinpoint the needs of their main users – children between the ages of nine and twelve. 

About a decade ago, Norwegian Aftenposten launched a printed newspaper aimed towards children between the ages of nine to twelve. The goal was to help enlighten the younger generation in worldly news on a level suited for them. Right off the bat, Aftenposten Jr was a success, both among parents, but also among teachers.

“Many teachers started using Aftenposten Jr in their classrooms, but at some schools they only had access to maybe one printed copy per class. We acknowledged this and launched a digital version of the newspaper – Aftenposten Jr Skole – just over one year ago, to give all students equal accessibility,” Lena Beate Hamborg Pedersen, Product Manager at Schibsted says.

For every student

Accessibility has continued being the foundation of how Lena Beate’s team work. During the digitisation of the newspaper, many hours have been put in to make the articles accessible for every single student. And when visiting the schools for UX tests with both teachers and students, accessibility is one of the features getting praised.

“The product is optimised so visually impaired students can use screen readers on their own devices to have all text on the website read out. Students who struggle with reading due to dyslexia, attention disorders or bilingualism can use our text to speech function where a robotic voice that is a clone of a real person’s voice reads the news articles to the students. We also transcribe every episode of our news podcast so hearing impaired students still can take part. To be inclusive and offer accessibility to every student is very important to us,” Lena Beate says.

Where help is needed

Lena Beate’s team consists of six people. They are all passionate about understanding pain points amongst their users, and through those develop simple but efficient solutions. One pain point that arose earlier in 2022 was directly connected to the war in Ukraine. Many Ukrainians fled to safety in Norway, and needed to keep up with news updates. The product team therefore quickly developed a translation feature to make the whole platform accessible in Ukrainian.

“We are experimenting with the different languages we offer, so we can reach students that might speak a different language than Norwegian at home. We want news media to be easily accessible for everyone. Understanding what happens in society is crucial for democracy,” Lena Beate says.

This translation tool has now sparked an interest amongst other news platforms within the Schibsted concern, that are currently investigating how it best can be used to translate both internal and external communications.

Found her dream job

Lena Beate Hamborg Pedersen started working at Schibsted just when Aftenposten Jr Skole started their digital journey. For her, the position has been a dream come true.

“I remember reading the ad and feeling it described my dream job. I had been working with product development and digital products for children since 2012, and also had a master in reading comprehension. Then I knew little about Schibsted, but from the start I have been met with such enthusiasm. I had a lot of questions in the beginning to get started with the digitisation and new features for Aftenposten Jr Skole, and wherever I turned there was someone happy to help. This helping and excited culture rubs off, and now I find myself taking time from my actual work tasks to help coworkers from any company within Schibsted forward. We really live up to our motto to empower people in their daily lives, both internally and externally,” Lena Beate Hamborg Pedersen says.

Schibsted is on the list of most attractive employers in Sweden and Norway

Young professionals in Norway and Sweden have voted – Schibsted is one of the top 100 attractive employers in both Sweden and Norway.

According to the Young Professional Attraction Index 2022, Schibsted is an employer of choice. The study, which is based on data from over 5,200 students and graduates at the start of their careers, shows the 100 most attractive employers in each country. The measure is based on reputation, success and how willing they are to work for the employer.

Schibsted has been on the Norwegian list for many years, and we are proud to step into the Swedish list as well. Lena Berlin Stålhammar, Director of Employer Branding & Talent programs at Schibsted, are happy with the great news:

“It is always fun to see that our hard work is paying off. And this is for sure a receipt that we are doing the right things in building awareness of Schibsted as a great place to work”.

But what has actually changed and what are the success factors? Lena continues:

“During the last years we have been focusing on building awareness of Schibsted as an employer, by telling the story of how it is to work here. We have thousands of stories about the impact that our employees have, both in terms of their work and priorities, but also on society as a whole. So to concrete it down, I think the main success factor for us has been our transparent and authentic way of showing what life at Schibsted is all about, with help from our employees.”

Young Professional Attraction Index (YPAI) is a survey conducted by Academic Work. Click here for more information and to download the survey.

“Schibsted is like a pot of nourishing soil”

As for the majority of companies, Schibsted was forced to make major changes during the early spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. Now – two years down the line – these changes have become a natural part of everyday work life.

According to the Head of People and Culture, Håkan Halvarsson, employees have a better work life balance than ever.

“A few years back, there was an established truth that we physically had to be at the office to get our work done. To some extent, that can be the case, because not everything can be solved from a distance. But the future is coming towards us at express speed, and we need to adapt to that. When the pandemic hit, it was a bit thrilling to leave and go home that very first day. Our large newspapers were staffed to a minimum in the office and we even managed to publish Svenska Dagbladet with all editorial staff working from home. That proved to us that anything is possible,” Håkan Halvarsson says.

A new normal

What Håkan Halvarsson describes came to be the beginning of a new way of work at Schibsted. With closed down offices, management had to find new ways to keep both production and mental health levels up, especially when life slowly went back to normal. The solution soon emerged – a hybrid office.

“We have worked hard on recognizing what our companies need and tried out several policies. What we have landed in, after collecting feedback from our employees, is that there are plenty of opportunities to allow more flexibility. To be able to combine working from home, with working from the office, or having more say in what hours one works, has reduced stress levels throughout Schibsted,” Håkan says.

All necessary tools in place

But, introducing and sticking to a hybrid way of working, also comes with responsibilities. Work environment, safety and health are three areas that should be taken seriously, even when employees work remotely. Schibsted has therefore introduced HomeSted – an internally built web platform where every employee can choose amongst approved ergonomic desks, chairs and other utensils to use when working from home. The structure of HomeSted helps Schibsted make sure all employees end up with high quality furniture that creates an ergonomic base for remote work.

“We want to give every company the necessary tools to be part of the hybrid office. How the companies choose to implement it, is up to them and what works for their specific needs. This is what Schibsted is all about – the ‘team first’ attitude. I like to think of Schibsted as a pot of nourished soil that gives every company and employee what they need to thrive and grow into the beautiful flower that they are,” Håkan says.

Being yourself

The team attitude and general openness between colleagues was what first caught Håkan Halvarsson’s attention when he joined Schibsted 12 years ago. Today it is something that makes Håkan proud to still call Schibsted his employer.

“When it comes to our culture I think we have a lot to thank our journalistic history for. Our news desks have always worked with such curiosity, which I think set the foundation for Schibsted as a whole. Having an open mind at work makes everything so much more personal. We see each other for who we are, and we care about each other’s success, which traces all the way up through top management. Focus lies on personal growth and future development down to the very last employee. That is what makes Schibsted unique – everyone is allowed to be an individual, Håkan says.

“We give the diverse voices of Schibsted a platform”

At Schibsted, we believe in empowering all kinds of people, leaving no human behind. That includes making sure all of our employees are comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.

In an effort to be the best workplace to be you, we have employee resource groups (ERG) to contribute to our culture of belonging. The first group is one for the LGBTQ+ community and allies, who can help to amplify unheard voices, call out barriers and biases that can inhibit progress and act as role models in their commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging. This very important group is spearheaded by Aaron Kroon, who will help make sure everyone working at Schibsted can express their individuality and share experiences while contributing to an inclusive work environment.

Can you describe the LGBTQ+ community at Schibsted?
We are a group of people from different parts of the organisation who will help ensure everyone working at Schibsted can express their individuality and share experiences while contributing to an inclusive work environment.

We invite our organisation to conversations about what diversity means for them, meaning we’ll make sure to give the diverse voices of Schibsted a platform. Also, as a group, we are diverse and thereby hope to act as role models for the rest of the organisation when it comes to showing the power of diversity in business. 

Why are you engaged in the LGBTQ+ community? 
To me, it’s about common sense. The main reason why I love to be a leader is that I know I have the opportunity to create change, and I don’t take that lightly. The LGBTQ+ community stands for tolerance, bravery and kindness; to me, those are the cornerstones of a superb work environment.

Looking ahead, what are the most important things for the ERG group for the LGBTQ+ community at Schibsted? 
Since we are Schibsteds’ first ERG group we need to set some ground rules and establish how an ERG should ideally function. For this we should have activities and events planned round the year so that our engagement and investment do not feel like a one-off to people, because it’s not. The activities can be as simple as an article, internal and external, or the ones that are a bit more complex like a panel discussion. Schibsted did for example different initiatives this summer, one was local Pride parades in Cracow, Gdańsk, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and more.

Another priority task is the engagement of allies. An ally is someone who uses their own privilege and position to push progress for those who don’t share the same privilege. Including allies will be critical and really important in supporting the ERG. By communicating that the ERG is open to allies, we’ll expand the reach of the group, and the more people we’ll get onboard, the more power we’ll have to accomplish change.

What is your advice for a new job seeker who wants to ensure that the company they are applying for works with inclusion and diversity?
Be brave and turn the recruitment process around. Scrutinise the organisational culture. Interview your potential new boss the same way they interview you. Research as much as you can about the DIB strategy and what it means to them on a personal and professional level and look up the mission, vision, and culture statement. Review the company’s website and LinkedIn. Ask around – they will ask for your references so you should ask for theirs.

A typical day at work as a UX Director

Meet Stina Janson, UX Director at Schibsted Products & Technology, on a typical day at work. Stina leads a team of 40+ UX’ers, designers and researchers in News Media.

How does your workday start?
After reading the news and having breakfast I try to exercise in some sort of way, bicycling to the office or doing training at home. It makes the mind a bit clearer! After that I make myself a good cup of coffee and go through the objectives of the day. 

Do you have any tips and tricks on how to learn and develop at a workplace?
Stay curious! Not only in your own field but stay updated in other fields as well. New tech, innovation, and storytelling are areas that have always been close to my heart, besides the UX field. Staying close to different areas drives new perspectives and new ideas that enriches your own products – and your life! 

My latest course I took was The Duffer Brothers’ (creators of the TV Series ‘Stranger Things’) class on Masterclass – I highly recommend it! 

Having a great team to learn from is also key! I have the privilege to work with fantastic people here, in my team, in the UX community, and with others colleagues! Everyday is a day to learn something new from each other. 

Can you describe your closest team, interfaces and stakeholders at Schibsted?
My nearest team is my management team within the User Experience area. We are a team of six design- and research leaders plus one Process Manager & UX Strategist from both Norway and Sweden. They are the best, and I am so fortunate to have them as my colleagues!

I am also part of and work closely with a great product management team here. We are currently working on strategically important projects; for example, we are helping the organisation to work truly user-centric and work as empowered teams. We do that by getting a product development in place that ensures that we all have the knowledge to build products or services that really solve our users’ problems, (not only “nice to have”) but also provide great value for our business. 

We are all working in a complex matrix, and by that we work with many different stakeholders daily. It’s absolutely crucial that we collaborate well to be able to create products that our users love and use.  

How are you closing the workday?
One routine that I always do before ending the workday is to go through tomorrow’s schedule and take a final look at my inbox and Slack to ensure that there’s nothing urgent that needs to be taken care of before the day ends. If I work from home I pet my cat Milli (that usually is chilling in the cat tree beside me), trying to get some of her relaxing energy. Cats are really experts at relaxation! Then I go and hug my family.

“We need to put learning at the top of the agenda”

For Anna Zlatkovic, Head of Learning & Development at Schibsted, there is no doubt that learning needs to be at the top of the agenda for a company to stay competitive. Anna herself is a living example of the possibilities to develop and walk on career depth.

She started working for Schibsted in 2016 as a Global HR Manager for Product & Tech. Since then she has had various roles, and today she is heading up a team of Learning business partners and Talent management specialists.

Why do you think it’s important for a company like Schibsted to have a learning culture?
The ever changing world demands that we constantly improve our products and services faster than our competitors. Can an organization improve without first learning something new? I don’t think so. Continuous improvement requires a commitment to learning, whether it’s about solving a problem, introducing a new or improved product, or reengineering a process. In the absence of learning, companies and people simply repeat old ways. Historically we have focused mainly on upskilling, helping employees build skills and perform well in their existing roles. Today we see that a large number of people will need to learn new skills to remain employable, so called reskilling, as the market changes so rapidly.

In order for Schibsted to attract and retain talents, we need to give our employees the possibilities to learn and grow. We believe that our ability to learn, and translate the learning into action rapidly, is an ultimate competitive advantage. Becoming a learning organisation is a strategic choice to create a company that fosters knowledge sharing, growth mindset, resilience and innovation. To make this happen we need to put learning at the top of the agenda.

Do you have any favourite initiatives?
We have several exciting initiatives, one is the Schibsted internal mentor program. The purpose of the program is to strengthen Schibsted’s current and future leaders and specialists focusing on personal and professional development, as well as networking and getting to know the larger Schibsted organization.

Another initiative is Grow, a toolbox to make sure we challenge our talents according to aspirations and readiness. It sets a standard for managers and employees to have good conversations about growth and to develop through feedback. As an employee in Schibsted you have many possibilities to keep on developing and to create a long term career across our different brands. We have a variety of professions and nationalities to explore, and Grow can really make that happen.

What’s on the table looking forward?
We will soon implement Schibsted Learning, a platform where employees can find a variety of learning content, but also interact, upload and share lessons with colleagues. This can really contribute to a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration, and I know that having a good opportunity to learn and grow has a high impact on employee engagement.

Not-so-ordinary promotion paths? Yes, it’s all possible!

Schibsted is a big family of digital brands that can take you to an exciting path of promotions. Moreover, we have an example of it! Meet Daniel Cisek, Engineering Manager at Schibsted Tech Polska (STP), who has just taken on the newly created position of CTO at the Schibsted-owned company Kickback in Norway.

Schibsted Tech Polska (STP) is our biggest tech hub in Poland and has the mission to design and develop digital products across brands and units in Schibsted.

In summer 2017, STP launched cooperation with Kickback. Kickback is an international, technological company with a mission to assist consumers in making informed decisions during the online purchase process and are a part of the Schibsted group. Over the last five years of cooperation, despite several bumps along the road, the companies have maintained a perfectly tuned partnership that has continued to produce even better results, a lot thanks to the actions taken by Daniel Cisek. Daniel has had the position as Engineering Manager and his duties included, among others, partner relation development and constant project improvements that required him to present a particular skill set, take action, and test solutions to boost the project’s growth. 


Office vibes at Schibsted Tech Polska, of course with the Norwegian flag present. 

When Kickback announced its intention to create the new position of a Chief Technology Officer, with its vast scope of duties and high level of responsibility, Filip Szczucki, Site Manager at STP, did not hesitate to back Daniel’s candidacy:

“Daniel was a very good candidate for this role – perfectly familiar with IT solutions and used by Kickback and its working culture. The management  already knew Daniel as a respectable and trustworthy person, which may have helped him to be a strong candidate.”

A thorough and difficult recruitment process was completed, and Daniel was offered the position. As of July 2022, Daniel Cisek has taken the newly created position of Chief Technology Officer at Kickback. 

“Daniel is, first of all, a very strongly skilled developer. We are a small company, and we need a CTO to be hands-on and actually know how to code. Dan also has the right mindset for our company and the way we work. He fits very well into our agile start-up culture where we mix dedicated/highly committed work with a lot of humor, and where the focus is on getting stuff done,” says Lene Fredly Rousseau, Chief Executive Officer at Kickback.

Even though Daniel didn’t expect his career to take this sharp turn, Daniel did never hesitate to accept the offer and is optimistic about what is coming:

“My journey with Schibsted Tech Polska started almost five years ago, so I joined the team pretty much the same time as Kickback. And even though I would have never imagined it would turn out like this, I am extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity and very happy that my efforts have been appreciated,” adds Daniel Cisek, CTO at Kickback.

“The trainee came in with a new perspective to our challenges”

The two-year-long Schibsted Management Trainee Program assigns the trainees four different placements, with different roles, in different Schibsted brands. In each placement, the trainee has a manager in place at the department in question, and in 2022 Schibsted employee Mattias Hersby was one of them. Please meet Mattias, Director of Business Development & Operations at Schibsted Marketing Services AB.

Firstly, can you share the background of your decision to welcome a trainee into your team?
When I joined SMS three years ago, I learned about the program through our HR Business Partner as a part of my onboarding process. This year, 2022, was the first year I was able to offer an interesting position that would both solve a challenge for our team as well as present a great opportunity for the right candidate.

In what way has your trainee added value to your organisation?
Well, our trainee – Love Regefalk – came in with a fresh and new perspective on our challenges and possessed strong digital skills being from a generation where digital and mobile-first is just a way of life. He has also surprised me and the team with very good project management and analytical skills, which have helped us across various projects.

Do you have any tips on how to integrate the trainee into your culture and your team?
I think one of the key things has been to treat Love as “just another team member.” This means including him in all our team meetings, having 121 chats, and inviting him to team events and dinners. I’d also like to think that I have also encouraged him to not be afraid to ask questions and speak his mind on all topics that we have discussed and worked on. Finally, I would like to add that offering your trainees trust by giving them their own projects or project streams to manage is another key point to make them feel like they’re adding value to the team and also that they’re gaining professional development.

Mattias and the team.

How does the onboarding of an employee differ from the onboarding of a trainee?
In this case, our trainee was on his last and final assignment of two years, so in that sense, it was easier to onboard him given that he already knew a lot about our brands and overall culture. However, he was new to SMS, so we explained our organisational structure and strategy to every newly hired employee. We have a very thorough onboarding process, where the new employee/trainee meets with people from all departments to get a better sense of how we are connected and what everyone’s area of responsibility is.

From a corporate point of view, can you give us some advantages for companies to have a trainee program?
1. It increases the chance of hiring the right people.
2. It is a great initiative to include in any employer branding program to attract talents.
3. It allows the company to keep up with, or better yet, stay ahead of the competition both from an external and internal perspective.

Are you interested in knowing more about the Schibsted Management Trainee Program? Go to our trainee page for more information.