Gitte Mønsted Hansen - Senior Manager, People Attraction at Systematic - We are a modern company with a Danish foundation and a global mindset
Systematic is an international software development company with a Danish inspired workplace that focuses on three core business areas: Defence, Healthcare, Digital transformation for private and public sector. Systematic was established in 1985 and today the company is the largest privately owned software and systems company in Denmark, with major international companies as partners, and solutions sold to customers in 47 countries. The company has approximately 1000 employees and is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark with further offices in New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA and Canada.
The Systematic Development Center was opened in January 2017 and at the moment has over 120 employees working on projects in the field of education, healthcare and defence.
We talked with Gitte Mønsted Hansen - Senior Manager, People Attraction la Systematic, to find out more about how is like to be part of a Danish company.
The Systematic Development Center was opened in January 2017 and at the moment has over 120 employees working on projects in the field of education, healthcare and defence.
We talked with Gitte Mønsted Hansen - Senior Manager, People Attraction la Systematic, to find out more about how is like to be part of a Danish company.
Please tell us a bit about yourself as an HR professional.
Financial education has been my take-off and the aim has always been to optimize the possibility for my employer to increase the profit. I started my career in Marketing, but felt that my effort would have more impact if I moved to Human Resources area. My believe is that what makes a company unique are the people you onboard and then grow in the organization. During my career in marketing I found out that sales are crucial – but there is nothing more important than the people to drive the business forward.
What are the aspects that define your company’s organizational culture?
We have a strong focus on our organizational culture in Systematic, which might be a Nordic particularity, a culture where nothing is more important than our colleagues. We are one team and we trust each other. The moment you enter Systematic on your first day, your first day on the team, you get all of our trust because we trust the recruitment process and we know that once you have completed all the steps, we no longer have to focus on your competencies, but on our tasks and our work as a team. This also leads to high transparency in the company from top to bottom. As a manager, I can be transparent and this will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of the decision-making process in particular circumstances, and leading to better communication so that we, together, can find the right solutions.
Another important aspect of this value, trust, is that it enables us to challenge each other. We are all top professionals in our fields and we have great business acumen, therefore, when w look at the problem at hand, we often have different perspectives we see it from and we can challenge each other’s perspectives and allowing us to see the problem from different angles.
Another important aspect of this value, trust, is that it enables us to challenge each other. We are all top professionals in our fields and we have great business acumen, therefore, when w look at the problem at hand, we often have different perspectives we see it from and we can challenge each other’s perspectives and allowing us to see the problem from different angles.
What are the elements that set you apart from other companies in the same industry? (e.g.: internal activities, events, used technologies etc.)?
Danes are said to be the happiest people in the world – and we do have a lot of fun. Sometimes we are seen as less informal because we use humor and we believe that having fun is an enabler to work together. It is important for us to know each other personally when we work together, therefore we always invite all of our new colleagues to start their journey in Systematic with a week in Denmark for onboarding. This way they start building a network in the company and start their collaborations more personally.
We are a modern company with a Danish foundation and a global mindset. We want everyone that is part of the company across the world to meet us in Aarhus, at the headquarter, and to experience how it’s like to be part of Systematic. We want everyone to know they are part of something bigger. A huge organization is behind them, supporting them to succeed, while also finding their professional path/career path.
The onboarding is taking place in Denmark where, during 1 week, you have the chance to meet Michael Holm, Systematic’s CEO, who will greet all new employees and ask about their role in the company. Together with him, the VPs for each business unit, participate during different onboarding sessions. They are part of the business and you can hear their vision, strategy, and their tactical plans for the upcoming year. Furthermore, we also make sure that you are thoroughly introduced to all the cultural differences that we are meeting in Systematic. We have offices around the world and we need to respect each other and be culturally aware.
Another reason for inviting all new employees to the headquarter for onboarding is to get a feeling of the organizational culture. We strive to have physical onboarding in Denmark but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we had to adapt to the digital environment. But when we will be able to travel again we will gather all the new employees for a networking session.
Teambuilding activities are also an important aspect of our culture. Together with the team, we are creating results. As you see, we are a team-oriented culture and we believe that the most important journey is to have team cohesion. This also touches upon trust –one cannot go without the other. I trust my team and by showing that “ I can give you my heart” I trust that you can handle it. That inspires the group to be loyal, honest, and open.
We are a modern company with a Danish foundation and a global mindset. We want everyone that is part of the company across the world to meet us in Aarhus, at the headquarter, and to experience how it’s like to be part of Systematic. We want everyone to know they are part of something bigger. A huge organization is behind them, supporting them to succeed, while also finding their professional path/career path.
The onboarding is taking place in Denmark where, during 1 week, you have the chance to meet Michael Holm, Systematic’s CEO, who will greet all new employees and ask about their role in the company. Together with him, the VPs for each business unit, participate during different onboarding sessions. They are part of the business and you can hear their vision, strategy, and their tactical plans for the upcoming year. Furthermore, we also make sure that you are thoroughly introduced to all the cultural differences that we are meeting in Systematic. We have offices around the world and we need to respect each other and be culturally aware.
Another reason for inviting all new employees to the headquarter for onboarding is to get a feeling of the organizational culture. We strive to have physical onboarding in Denmark but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we had to adapt to the digital environment. But when we will be able to travel again we will gather all the new employees for a networking session.
Teambuilding activities are also an important aspect of our culture. Together with the team, we are creating results. As you see, we are a team-oriented culture and we believe that the most important journey is to have team cohesion. This also touches upon trust –one cannot go without the other. I trust my team and by showing that “ I can give you my heart” I trust that you can handle it. That inspires the group to be loyal, honest, and open.
How do you determine if a candidate fits your company’s culture? What are you looking at?
We focus on two overall aspects: your profile and your motivation. This enables both us to predict your success within the organization.
We are interested in your profile as it leads to a discussion about your values and personality and in this dialogue, it becomes clear for all of us involved in the process (the hiring manager, you as a candidate, and us as recruiters) if Systematic is a place where you will thrive.
During the interview we are making sure that you have business acumen, you are team-oriented and you care about more than your current task. We are looking for someone who is both team and process-oriented. Another aspect we are looking for is how you are as a person, how motivated you are to be part of a company that makes a difference.
We are interested in your profile as it leads to a discussion about your values and personality and in this dialogue, it becomes clear for all of us involved in the process (the hiring manager, you as a candidate, and us as recruiters) if Systematic is a place where you will thrive.
During the interview we are making sure that you have business acumen, you are team-oriented and you care about more than your current task. We are looking for someone who is both team and process-oriented. Another aspect we are looking for is how you are as a person, how motivated you are to be part of a company that makes a difference.
What are the main steps of the recruitment process and what tools do you usually use (e.g.: technical demo, numerical and logical tests)?
We have a very thorough recruitment process which is usually leading us to a long employment that offers you the possibility to grow with the organization. We often need to hold three interviews: one where we get to know each other, checking that we have good chemistry,
A second stage is a technical interview where we dive deep into your technical skills and match them with our needs and finally, a ‘grandfather’ interview, where the ‘grandfather’ of the position ensures that you not only fit the specific project, but also fit Systematic across projects. The “grandfather” representative is determined by an approval matrix based on seniority.
A second stage is a technical interview where we dive deep into your technical skills and match them with our needs and finally, a ‘grandfather’ interview, where the ‘grandfather’ of the position ensures that you not only fit the specific project, but also fit Systematic across projects. The “grandfather” representative is determined by an approval matrix based on seniority.
What advice would you offer to a candidate in order to better prepare for the recruitment process?
My advice would be to consider the following:
- Why do you think Systematic could be your next employer – do our culture and values fit yours?
- What motivates you in your everyday work situation and finally,
- Be honest and trust us, when we say that we strive to make this recruitment a win-win situation. We want to make you successful within our team and for us to achieve this, we need you to be honest, and open in the dialogue.
What could be the career path of one of your employees in your company?
Depending on your career goals, you can develop in different directions. You can either choose to become an expert in the industry by developing on a path where you develop a broad pallet of skills or you can choose the leadership career path.
In Systematic we believe that ongoing professional development is crucial for the well-being of our employees. Our approach to development is based on ensuring life-long learning for the benefit of both employees and the company.
In Systematic we believe that ongoing professional development is crucial for the well-being of our employees. Our approach to development is based on ensuring life-long learning for the benefit of both employees and the company.
How do you help employees learn and evolve in their career?
We are inviting all colleagues to development talks to discuss their career aspirations twice a year and monthly to one-to-one alignment meetings with their managers. The outcome of such talks includes mutually agreed-upon plans for development, activities that match each employee’s particular capabilities and personal ‘passion’ as well as the overall Systematic strategy.
We offer a range of different activities to help implement all this, from formal classroom teaching and mentoring to knowledge networks and on-the-job training.
We offer a range of different activities to help implement all this, from formal classroom teaching and mentoring to knowledge networks and on-the-job training.
How can an employee achieve performance in your company?
As I see it, achieving personal performance is a team effort. It means taking responsibility for my work, for your work, for our team’s work, and Systematic’s delivery to our customer – we have a common responsibility for delivering, what is agreed.
This calls for me to:
This calls for me to:
- Be a good teammate and help you, when needed, knowing that you would also help me
- be pro-active ensuring that I understand what you ask of me
- seek clear alignments to avoid misunderstandings and that things are trapped between rays
- constructively give and receive feedback, ensure that feedback is a gift given to developing each other.
The list is much longer but to sum it up – being team orientated, being loyal to Systematic, always having our customers in mind, and finally being hardworking are the things that characterize an excellent performer in Systematic.
What are some of the most special benefits or internal initiatives that employees can enjoy?
We have a great Employees Club which is well-supported by Michael Holm, CEO. The pandemic is of course a hindering for our many social events so we relay in our Chief Corona Entertainment Officers to create activities aimed at helping us maintain social contact with our colleagues as well as keeping up a sense of community despite what can seem like a long-lasting lack of once-normal direct contact.
What are your future plans regarding recruitment (roles available, number of positions...etc) and your employees?
Systematic is on a journey – a journey of growth. Looking at the past 5 years alone, our revenue has grown by 50% and our number of employees doubled to over 1,000 around the world. We make excellent software that simplifies decision-making for our customers – we make a difference for them and we do not intend to change that. Thus, we are always looking for top-of-the-class colleagues, who want to join our team creating great software and have fun while doing it.
See all the available positions at Systematic here
See all the available positions at Systematic here
