A happy employee equals to a happy and loyal customer. This is evidenced by statistics created by lots of companies around the world. For example, according to a Gallup survey, employees who feel comfortable in the organization where they work are more likely to be willing to improve relationships with their customers, which in the end leads to a 20% increase in sales. Consequently, all modern, successful and development and growth – oriented companies are actively taking steps to make their employees happy.
In Georgia this trend is now emerging. There are only a few companies that have achieved this goal and whose employees go to work willingly in the morning. Among them is the company MiMa, which entered Georgia in the entertainment and technology business with a substantial investment of European businessmen exactly one year ago. Amid the changes caused by the Covid-Pandemic, MiMa will soon be offering new entertainment products in digital format to its customers. “We have seen that the pandemic has completely changed the world, entertainment and its forms have also changed. “That’s why we thought we could offer innovation to our customers just in this regard, that’s how MiMa was born,” says Lado Kandelaki, the company’s general director in an interview with Forbes Georgia, and adds that the implementation of innovative ideas requires a creative team. According to this, a 200-member team was formed, the members of which share common values and corporate culture.
The main value of the company itself is the employee. This approach of the company’s management is evidenced by the numerous decisions made by them in favor of the employees. There are no bureaucracies, hierarchies, locked cabinets in MiMa. Here, the so-called open- door principle operates, where everyone can share their own ideas and opinions with each other and the leaders. These approaches create a high level of corporate culture.
“We have the ambition and resources to change the standard of a typical employer in the Georgian reality, to create a high emotional bond between the employer and the employee, which gives the employees even more freedom and motivates them to present maximum of their abilities and innovative ideas,” said the head of the company’s HR department – Tina Tabidze.
Perhaps such approaches will first remind us of the world technology companies – Google, Facebook and Amazon, whose offices are tailored to the interests of all people. The years have shown that the physical environment significantly affects the motivation of employees. Studies also show that a diverse and collaborative work environment increases a company’s productivity by 15%. Therefore, for example, Google’s office culture is straightforward, colorful and comfortable with lots of fun and relaxing space. According to psychologists, innovative ideas are born in a similar company. These approaches are also shared by MiMa, where an environment tailored to each employee is created, with entertainment spaces. Here you can find employees playing chess or table football during breaks or listening to music and more. “We are trying to open our employees and set a minimum framework for them,” – notes Tina Tabidze adding that when an employee joins a company, everything from their own workspace is arranged according to the wishes of that person, be it a table, a room, a plant or any other detail.
However, building an employee-oriented corporate culture is not only the environment and a broken hierarchy. MiMa shares and develops several more approaches in this regard: first, the employee constantly feels supported, whether in the office or outside. It is even possible to walk with a pet in this company, not to mention a play area for children, where during a pandemic, when kindergartens are mostly closed, you will often see the young child of one of the employees. It was such a free environment that became the reason why absolutely all employees refused to work from home and decided to return to the office. “Due to the pandemic, we offered the employees to work remotely, even though we have full compliance with all the COVID regulations in the office. They could work from anywhere, be it the sea, a mountain, a cottage or even a cafe. However, everyone refused and stayed in the office. It is important for us that they work productively, where and at what time of the day they perform their duties, it does not matter to the company. The result is the main thing “- noted the head of MiMa ‘s HR department.
Taking care of the development of the employees in this organization is also one of the priorities, in addition, MiMa is constantly looking for talents and contributing to their development. Consequently, the company employs both experienced specialists in the field, as well as novice developers, for whom a special training course, Next Generation Training, has even been created. The best graduates of this program become members of the MiMa team and are given the opportunity to gain experience working in the global market.
“This program received a great response. Currently, we have two groups and 14 students. It is a three-month program, during which we teach the program “Python”. It is also important that we have female students as well. We want to raise a new generation who will have different and good values,” says the company’s CEO.
It seems that MiMa’s 200-member team together forms a company that is innovative in Georgia not only in terms of product but also in terms of corporate culture. It is also important that by the end of September 100% of the staff will be vaccinated against coronavirus, which also indicates the high social responsibility of this team. Thus, it can be said that the company is already fully prepared to offer customers exclusively innovative products, which will say a new word about fun in the digital world.
