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“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.

Getting the youth ready for the digital future

54 hours of code later and the 6th edition of Kids Coding Camp is over. Twice a year Schibsted arranges a camp that is open for everyone between 9- 12 years old, who wants to learn more about coding and programming.

The reason why we arrange Kids Coding Camp is quite simple – because the future is here and digitalization is a given. If you don’t know the language of tomorrow, you will not be able to change nor make an impact on your digital environment. The ones who learn the language of tomorrow will be able to make improvements, both for themselves and others. That is why it is important for kids to learn the basics of coding.

This time we invited employees’ kids to our offices in Stockholm, Norway, and Krakow. The purpose was to inspire and teach them about tech and coding – and the response has been fantastic from both the kids, parents and our employees. For three days, the kids have learned how to code their own computer games, with help from our fantastic coding teachers. Apart from coding, the kids visited some of our companies, played games, danced, and ate a lot of popcorn and candy. The camp ended with an exhibition for the parents and the kids proudly presented what they had made.

We can now count the total number of educated kids through Kids Coding Camp to 1295 children, and many of the kids have actually participated in several coding camps. Let’s hear some of them out:

“I didn’t like coding that much before I participated in Kids Coding Camp, but now I love it! I like to code together with friends and to get help from teachers who are experts in coding.” – Smilla, age 12, participant in Sweden.

“Kids Coding Camp is great! Although I know that this entire program is designed for us to join Schibsted.” Taras, age 10, participant in Poland.

“My best memory from Kids Coding Camp will be everything and everyone.” – Leah, age 8, participant in Norway.

No end in sight when ambition is your fuel

By letting your inner drive and ambition take over, you can find yourself ending up anywhere you want. For Director of Sales, Michael Hili, that place happens to be the same one as where his journey started – Schibsted. After almost 15 years he still sees opportunities for future growth.

One and a half decades ago, Michael Hili started his journey at Schibsted, and the sales team for the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. As for all underlying companies within the large concern, Svenska Dagbladet was fending for themselves, and competing with other Schibsted brands such as Aftonbladet in Sweden. As the hungry salesman Michael Hili was, it did not take too long for him to start looking for ways to develop within his team. And when Schibsted started to lean towards becoming a streamlined concern with one common sales strategy, Michael Hili saw his chance.

“I like change, and pretty soon after I started I knew I wanted to develop towards leadership and strategic development within sales. I entered the Nordic talent development program which helped me grow in those two areas. Soon I became part of the organisational development team as well as the workgroup where the goal was to digitalise and streamline how we worked cross-sales,” Michael Hili says.

During the years, Michael Hili has had many different positions, before becoming Director of Sales three years ago. One of the most challenging, but also rewarding tasks was to implement a new work culture cross-concern in Schibsted Marketing Services (SMS). Something that is very relevant till this day.

“Changing the culture of an entire organisation is challenging. But it is clear that Schibsted is focusing on an open and driven culture, which we can see every day. Our SMS coworkers are all ambitious people that want to help each other succeed and develop, and that is also what we are looking for when recruiting new talents,” he says.

Schibsted is constantly developing the sales team. With a new sales model, all employees get to attend several courses where each and every attendee get to decide in what way they want to develop further – just like Michael Hili himself has done.

“Working in the SMS sales team is full of opportunities. The role itself contains sales, project management and business development – all at once. The team contains spearhead commercial understanding and we are backed up by our creative resources and strong brands. How you want to develop in your sales career is fully up to you and your own ambition. I like to describe Schibsted as a gym with the best personal trainers in the world. They will hand you the weights, but you are the one who has to do the lifting,” he says.

The ambition is for all employees to stay at Schibsted for a long time, no matter how and when they develop and change their positions. After 15 years aboard, Michael Hili still sees no end of his internal career.

“I want to keep on developing, I just need to figure out where to aim next, because I know it will be possible. But until then, continuing to build this open culture and being surrounded by this level of competencies, is astounding enough,” he says.

The importance of having a strong product & tech community

My name is Sven Størmer Thaulow and according to my long title I work as the Chief Data and Technology Officer at Schibsted. I would like to take 5 minutes of your time to tell you about the product & tech community at Schibsted and how we work to keep it strong and competent for years to come.

For 10 years our biggest tech hub in Poland – Schibsted Tech Polska – has paved the way for better collaboration across brands and units in Schibsted. Today around 1300 people work with product, tech, data and UX in Schibsted. It’s a huge and unique pool of talents by any count – and an indispensable force for building Schibsted and our brands.

Who are these people? Some work for individual brands, like FINN in Norway, Blocket in Sweden, VG, Aftonbladet, and Prisjakt. Some are in country-based multi-brand setups like Schibsted Finland or Schibsted Denmark. Then you have multi-brand cross-country teams like Media Product & Tech. Others work for joint units like Schibsted Data & Tech. They are all teams of software engineers, product managers, data scientists, analytics, UX designers, and much more.

A strong product & tech community

One of our ambitions is to create an even stronger joint product & tech community in Schibsted. We have a lot to gain by learning from each other and building professional networks across the brands and units in Schibsted.

A unique culture of collaboration

Schibsted Tech Polska is one-of-a-kind in Schibsted. Since it was started in 2011, it has been a meeting place for product & tech teams from all over Schibsted. Over the years a unique culture of collaboration has developed in Krakow and Gdansk. Teams from different brands sit next to each other – 280 employees in total. There is extensive knowledge-sharing. If a software engineer is stuck with a problem, he/she can easily reach out to a colleague from another team to get help.

That is the type of product & tech culture we would like to have in all of Schibsted. And I think we are progressing well in that direction. There are positive initiatives happening all over Schibsted – and there is a strong will to learn from each other.

Learning from each other

There are many benefits from having a joint product & tech culture:

We learn from each other. By active knowledge sharing, Schibsted as a group will be more able to adapt quickly to the rapid changes in technology and user needs.

It’s easier to help each other to solve the same type of problems
Schibsted is a more attractive employer for top talents
It is easier to move between units and we have a large internal job market

We have a lot of activities that encourage people to get to know each other across brands and units. Let me mention some of them. All have the objective to bring us closer to each other.

Events

Schibsted Product, Tech & UX Festival was organised for the fifth time in early May. More than 800 colleagues from all over Schibsted took part in either the Inspiration Day, with world-class speakers, or the Schibsted Hackday. This year we could finally meet physically in the different cities for the festival. The festival aims to bring colleagues from different brands and units together.

Cyber Security Day is another event which has just been organized with lots of interesting topics and speakers.
Data Days
AI Days and more.

Dominic Stengård and Lisa Marie Løvoll hosted the fifth Schibsted Product, Tech & UX Festival in May.

Forums and meeting places

We also build culture through a number of different forums across Schibsted. For instance we have a CTO Forum (Chief Technology Officers), a CPO Forum (Chief Product Officers) and a Data Security Forum. These forums are important meeting places for product & tech managers across Schibsted – and help us implement initiatives that will strengthen our joint culture. We also have an ambition to create internal communities of experts in different areas. So far we have established an AI community – and more are under way.

These are just a few examples of what is going on. We have many strong and very competent product & tech teams all across Schibsted. Interacting even more and sharing our knowledge with each other will make both each team and Schibsted as a whole a more attractive workplace for talents.

Thank you for your time.

Sven Størmer Thaulow
Chief Data and Technology Officer at Schibsted

Schibsted Connect – your door to insights and new contacts

Schibsted Connect is a mutual mentorship program where students are connected with Schibsted employees during a 7 month-long program. For the students, it’s a great opportunity to have a mentor who has a few years of experience in the work-life and for the employees at Schibsted, it allows for reflection and inspiration from a young talent.

Schibsted Connect 2021-2022 has just come to an end, and we have met one of the 65 Schibsted Connect couples.

Meet Michelle, the mentor buddy
Michelle Raye has worked in the Finance Transformation department in Schibsted for two years, where she works as a Business Process Analyst.

My main task is to analyze different processes within Finance and make any recommendations to improve the process and then implement the changes in our IT systems and functional processes within the business.

How did you hear about the program Schibsted Connect?
I joined the program because I wanted to explore more of what Schibsted has to offer to its employees and be more active in the Schibsted community. My workplace is important to me and I want to contribute where I am able. When I heard about the program through our intranet I was immediately intrigued and thought it would be fun to connect with young adults who are planning their next steps in their careers.

Can you describe some of the topics you and your student buddy have discussed?
My student buddy and I have talked about so many things and covered many topics. I feel we never had a dull moment during our Connect dates. A few of the topics we always circled back to was, I think, how you are always allowed to change your mind and that nothing is ‘written in stone’, the importance of being honest and humble at your workplace, and creating good relationships with those you work with is key because, at the end of the day, you are working with human beings with feelings.

What kind of lessons learned and inspiration have you experienced during the program?
One of the greatest things I have learned through this program is to reflect on my past choices I have made throughout my career, and see where it has brought me today. I have never really thought that my experience would be helpful to anyone else but myself, but my student buddy reminded me how it is to be at a cross-road and trying to figure out these big questions about your career. It was really inspiring to hear about her progress and the choices she made. The program was a very humble and grounding experience.

Meet Victoria, the student buddy
Michelle’s student buddy was Victoria Anthonsen, a 22-year-old Norwegian who currently lives in Copenhagen and has just handed in her Bachelor’s thesis at Copenhagen Business School.

Besides my studies, I work as a portfolio analyst for a company and I play football at CBS Sport. After this summer, I will start on my Master’s at CBS as well.

How come you joined Schibsted Connect?
It was last semester, when I exchanged to Hawaii, that I first saw the announcement for this program. I was at the university in a lecture scrolling on my computer, and then the Schibsted Connect program just came up. I had never heard of it before, but it seemed interesting, so I just applied imminently. Before that lecture was over, I had already sent my application!

Can you describe some of the areas you and your mentor buddy at Schibsted have discussed?
We have talked a lot about what opportunities I have as a student, apart from the typical “bachelor to master to job” path that is natural for many. I have also faced a number of choices in my early career, and my buddy has been an incredibly good mentor to have here, talking about her own experience from the past and giving helpful guidance.

Would you recommend other students to join the program and why?
Yes! It is very nice to have a buddy/mentor who has gone through the same thing as you as an insecure student! Tips and advice from a buddy can be beneficial and not to mention, you will expand your network as well. Apply today!?

A new application round opens at the beginning of September. Read more about Schibsted Connect

From trainee to Product Manager – a boomerang saga

In a world where you are free to choose your own path, some find themselves circling back to the same place over and over. Senior Product Manager Kristin Juland Møller is back at Schibsted a third time, and the reason why is crystal clear:

– The opportunities to develop here are endless if you want them to be, she says.
It all started in Bergen, Norway back in the early 00’s. After graduating from business school, Kristin Juland Møller was unsure about where her future was going to take her. Until she crossed paths with another student who told her about his experiences at the Schibsted Trainee Program.

“I knew from then on that Schibsted was the place for me. I only sent out one application after my degree, and that was for the Schibsted Trainee Program. It just had to happen, and it did!” she says.

Opened up many doors
A handful of students made the cut for the two year long program that started in 2001, and though they all came from different backgrounds, they had one strong trait in common: they were all very social and outgoing people. During the two years that followed, the trainees all spent six months working at four different companies within Schibsted. For Kristin Juland Møller that included Scandinavian Online (sol.no), the mobile company Inpoc and two different placements at Aftenposten.

“The Trainee Program opened up so many doors for me. It was crucial for the rest of my career. By getting to work closely with the top management not only in the daughter companies we worked for, but also being exposed for the group management during the programme, I got to know Schibsted as a whole. As an entity. In addition, we got to build an amazing network of contacts. You can say I was raised within Schibsted and saw how all underlying companies were connected,” she says.

New initiatives formed an exciting future
When the program ended, Kristin Juland Møller decided to explore the world by travelling and moving abroad. She met the love of her life and left Schibsted for London in 2003, but returned to Aftenposten after a few years as Vice President of Product and Marketing. Hungry for development, and wanting to be more operational, she got the responsibility to build the new area “Schibsted Way of Customer Sales”. The following year she added LEAN to her toolbox before moving abroad again in 2013 to work for a startup while living in the U.S. Heading back to Norway in 2016, the door was open for her in Schibsted, and she happily returned to VG, working with user payment.

Back where it all began
Before returning to Schibsted for the third time last year, Kristin Juland Møller seized an opportunity in the public sector in 2017, where a small team was building a new initiative to digitalize the Municipality of Oslo. But when another new initiative was in the making, the reason to come back to Schibsted was better than ever. According to Kristin Juland Møller, this is the most exciting journey so far: The Schibsted Ecom team’s mandate is to accelerate the green shift in ecommerce.

“I have kept coming back for the culture. The people at Schibsted are talented, nimble yay-sayers and the possibilities to grow and develop within the group are endless if you show interest and lean in. I am very happy I applied for the Trainee Program. It got me into working with driven people who want to empower each other and make an impact,” she says.