Category: Schibsted stories

In our digitised society, where we spend more time online than offline, an advanced kind of lawlessness has developed. Cyber criminality has come to a level where it is best to assume that you will be a target and start with precautions from an early stage. Schibsted, home of digital brands all over Europe, is working hard to protect sensitive information and dismantle attacks before they happen.

October is not only known for breast cancer awareness and Halloween, but also the EU and U.S. established the month of cyber security. The concept of highlighting the importance of strong data protection is something that Schibsted has adopted through all company levels. 

“Cyber security is a broad term, but what it means is that we need to protect our digital assets because without those, we have no business. For a large company like Schibsted, with many journalists handling source-protected information, protecting our data is of utmost importance. That is why we have gone full swing introducing a whole Cyber Security Month in October,” Knarik Avetisyan, Security Awareness & Compliance Specialist at Schibsted, says. 

Equally important for all employees
This past October was the third annual Cyber Security Month at Schibsted. During the four weeks, every employee – from journalists and photographers to data specialists and developers – was invited to participate in seminars, lectures and workshops about security. Events that have attracted a large audience in all countries where Schibsted has offices. 

“During the pandemic, the events were all online. Because we are a digital brands company, we had the right infrastructure to support that setup. This year, we tried a hybrid arrangement, where some workshops were held live. For example, we did a lock-picking workshop, which was very popular. It showed that it’s important not to forget about physical security as we talk more and more about our digital security,” Knarik says. 

“Hack me if you can”
The event that drew considerable interest was titled “Hack me if you can”. The event, inspired by the well-known Leonardo DiCaprio swindler movie, let the participants take on the role of a hacker trying to find weaknesses in a few dedicated internal domains.

“We gave the participants a two-week time frame and basic guidelines not to break anything or put us out of business. Using ethical hackers, or bug bounty programs, is common within cyber security, but doing it internally was a fun experience that has never been done before. We crowned three winners, whose findings we could recreate and use to strengthen our security,” Knarik says.

Making it easy for the employees
One big challenge being a large company consisting of many different brands across several countries is to align the security. With more developed digital infrastructures, hackers get more sophisticated in their attacks. They find and penetrate any weak spots they can. 

“Our Data Security team runs a large security program which includes training employees in technical solutions. The human factor is a soft spot in cyber security. There is a common cognitive bias to feel that hackers would not be interested in me and my information. That false sense of optimism can lead to us being uncareful online, which can have immense negative consequences – both personal and professional. By standardising and implementing security services through all the Schibsted brands and employee levels, we strengthen ourselves and minimise the effects of cyber attacks. We are all possible targets, and having a healthy level of paranoia keeps us on our toes,” Knarik says. 

Knarik’s three easy steps to a more data-secure life:

• Use multifactor authentication (MFA) on your accounts. The best MFA options are using your fingerprint reader or facial recognition on your smartphone or laptop. By using those MFA methods, you can make your accounts un-phishable.
• Do not save your passwords in your browser. Instead, use a password manager to keep track of all your accounts and to generate new passwords. And remember, all passwords should be unique. 
• Update your devices straight away when prompted to. Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in previous updates. By keeping your devices and software up to date with security updates, your data will be safe.

Are you curious to know what life at Schibsted is all about? Click here!

While it may seem that, in the 20th century, everyone is fully entitled to feel free to be themselves, there are still people among us who are being refused that right. Every day Schibsted works towards our mission to empower people in their daily lives, but we also have an important mission to empower people to be themselves.

In a company with 6000 employees, you will find a wide variety of people. The sense of belonging for everyone in the organisation is a subject that is on top of the agenda for many employees. One of them is Paweł Szonecki, Employer Branding Specialist at Schibsted, who organised Pride Month at Schibsted in June this year.

How did the idea of celebrating Pride first come to your mind?

The overall story is pretty prosaic. On 1 July 2021, I joined Schibsted Poland. At that time, due to the pandemic, all parades in Poland were postponed until August and I found out that we weren’t planning on being involved. I truly believe in the importance of supporting the LGBTQ+ community by participating in equality parades and raising its voice, so I took it upon myself to change that. After discussions internally we were granted permission and a budget to participate in two parades organised in cities where Schibsted Tech Polska has offices – Krakow and Gdansk. I was unaware that these would be the first equality parades for the entire Schibsted.

And what is the reason behind the decision to take this initiative globally?

Following the local success in Poland we decided to come up with a way to organise Pride Month globally for our entire organisation. Since our company operates in 5 countries (Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland) and covers more than 60 brands, it became a large project. We involved colleagues from different areas of the company to participate in the project to do something that would make our company demonstrate solidarity and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The project has a personal meaning for me. As a homosexual person in Poland, I know that only by increasing the visibility of LGBTQ+ people in the public space, are we able to improve the current situation.

Will you tell us more about the initiatives?

Our objective was to attend parades in some of the major cities where Schibsted has its seat: Krakow, Gdansk, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Helsinki. At each, a representation of the company appeared in branded T-shirts and banners. In the course of the work, we also came up with the idea to organise the first Schibsted Pride Day – a day to educate employees about equality and LGBTQ+ rights. But not only – it was also a time for our colleagues who belong to this community could share their stories, experiences and be heard. All employees stood up to their responsibility, not only by demonstrating their support but also by celebrating this meaningful month together with Schibsted’s LGBTQ+ community.

For example, in Stockholm, our project turned into a big party on the roof of the office building to celebrate the first day of summer and Pride Month at the same time, and in the Oslo office there was a banner several metres high with the theme of our action. We carried out all activities under the common motto: ‘Empowering people to be themselves’.

It was an important milestone to show solidarity towards the LGBTQ+ community and show everyone that there is a place for them within the structures of Schibsted – we can be who we want to be regardless of our feelings or who we love. We had a great time while feeling grateful and happy to be part of this together.  

My name is Lena Berlin Stålhammar, and I have worked in Schibsted for soon-to-be 10 years in different positions connected to talent attraction and acquisition. Today I work as Director of Employer Branding and Talent Programs.

One thing I’ve learned is that talent attraction needs to be prioritized and seen as a long-term investment, which is not always the case. So what if we think about talents the same way we think about customers, would business leaders look at this differently then?

A customer journey is complex, looks different for different customer segments, and depends on a solid corporate brand. Everyone knows it takes a lot of time and effort to build relationships with new prospects, maintain a customer base and work with customer care. And we also know that it takes marketing efforts to succeed. Every organisation with a product or service to sell has a marketing function and a dedicated budget. That is just a given!

Let’s have the same mindset regarding talent attraction. Because the way I see it, we are also selling a product. Our product is our employer brand, and our customers are the talents. The employer brand (just like a corporate brand) is something that every organisation has, regardless of if you communicate about it or not. It’s the reputation you have as an employer in the talent market. And then we have employer branding, which is about showcasing and visualising the employer brand to talents; it’s the process of promotion and marketing. When you look at it like that, it makes sense to invest time and money in Employer Branding. 

I know what you’re thinking, “Where do we start?” So, first, we need to identify who we want to attract. Who our customers are. Out of that, our communication and content need to be adjusted and targeted to that talent group. What do they want to know about us, and what is essential for them in a future employer as we can deliver on? The next step is identifying where we can reach and engage with them, on what social platforms they are, relevant conferences, universities, forums, networks, etc. 

Now the hard work begins; we have a target group and the right platforms, but how do we cut through all the noise in the talent market? Step one is to build awareness, make us visible and let them know we exist. And when we have their attention, we must engage with them. We need to keep them warm and continuously interact with them to “sell” the product of us as an employer of choice, which is done through relevant and engaging content and activities. And last but not least, the secret weapon that removes the clouds from the clear sky: brand ambassadors.

In the same way we lurk, dig, read reviews, ask our network, and research new restaurants, hotels, products, and services, we do the same when considering joining a new employer. Recommendations and endorsements are mega important, if not business critical. Therefore, authentic stories from employees are worth a thousand paid marketing campaigns. So one of the most crucial keys to success is our employees. We are all important ambassadors to tell and share the employee experience and give the employee’s perspective on workplace culture. Everyone can do something, and we want the same thing – to have the most skilled and competent colleagues on the market, right?

Join our meetup to learn from open-source experts, and how to restore your Game Boy cartridges!

Open source is a really great thing, and we depend on it. Through the years, Schibsted has released several open source projects that are used by people and companies around the world, but we would like to do more – we want to give more back! So, we’ve spent time with many colleagues to make a strategy for how we all can contribute more to open source in Schibsted. Now, that’s done – and we’d love to share this with you!

When? February 2, 5:00 – 7:30 PM CET
Where? At the Schibsted office, Akersgata 55, Oslo

 

? Sign up  ?

 

?‍??‍? Talk #1 “How to do more open source?” – by Zuzanna Zygadlo-Stenberg, Head of Technology Strategy and Johannes Gorset, Director of Engineering VG.

“Open source is a really great thing, and we depend on it. Through the years, Schibsted has released several open source projects that are used by people and companies around the world, but we would like to do more – we want to give more back! So, we’ve spent time with many colleagues to make a strategy for how we all can contribute more to open source in Schibsted. Now, that’s done – and we’d love to share this with you”

?‍? Talk #2 “Pokemod – Restore your Game Boy cartridges” – by Hyacinthe Malaspina, Data Engineer.

“Even the old trusty hardware from the 90’s can (and will) fail at some point. This presentation is about a small modification that can preserve said hardware longer”

?‍? Bonus #3 – Unconference session about open source, by Noah Hall, Tech lead Aftenposten.

After each session, we will have ? Q&A session. Snacks are provided: ? and ? and ?. There will be vegetarian options!

Please note that the number of places is limited and the event will be held in English.

Meet the speakers

 

Zuzanna Zygadlo-Stenberg – Technology Strategy Lead at Schibsted, has a background in both software engineering and strategic management and loves working with skilled people. Motivation is harvested from learning something new every single day, not only at work but also during her free time and she now holds a fresh boat licence in her pocket! Did anyone say that winter is coming? Great! Zuzanna loves mountains and winter sports so much that she easily skips the playa and heads off to colder destinations all year around ⛷

Johannes Gorset – Director of Engineering at VG – has been part of the Schibsted family for 6 years now! What might come as a surprise to us all, is that Johannes doesn’t have a background within technology nor management – but as a very curious person he started his journey with folk music? He appreciates his work as meaningful in the sense of doing something important for the world, and values all the great people he gets to work with on that! When Johannes is not busy digging into open source, you’ll find him operating excavators in his free time.

Hyacinthe Malaspina – Data Engineer at Schibsted. He has been part of the Data Foundations team for 3 years. With a big passion for electronics and tinkering in general, Hyancinthe is excited to share how you can restore Gameboy cartridges. Yes, he was an embedded software engineer in another life! ?

Noah Hall – Noah is the lead engineer of Aftenposten, where he works on ensuring the team can do their very best to deliver Norway’s largest digital subscription newspaper. In his free time, he loves to contribute to open source – with his own programming language, Derw. He’s also a big fan of board games (no, not Monopoly) and drawing.

 

? Sign up  ?

 

Drink & Mingle

Tech Talks are not only about tech. We take care of social aspects of the event as well. During breaks, and after the presentations you can meet new people with different backgrounds, share your experience or… talk with our employees from the Schibsted family of brands.

About Schibsted Tech Talks

Tech Talks is a series of free meetups and workshops to share knowledge, exchange experience and meet like-minded people.

Please note that during the event, we might take general photos that will be published on our social networks and website Schibsted.com for promotional and marketing purposes. For portraits and more individualistic photos, we will ask your consent before taking the photo. The data controller of your shared personal information is Schibsted. You can find more information about processing this data on our Privacy Policy page: schibsted.com/privacy. If you want to object to the use of a photograph in a certain way or you would like to withdraw your consent, you may do so any time by contacting us via this email: ta@schibsted.com

 

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.

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.

Enabling consumers to make sustainable choices by buying and selling used goods, is one of the reasons UX designer Michelle Cheung loves working at Schibsted’s Norwegian marketplace, FINN.no. Working on new and exciting features that will help shape the future is another.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how big of an impact FINN.no has in Norway. Some might think we are “merely” a place to sell used stuff. But it is very interesting to look at the role we actually play in people’s lives, and how we are involved in so many of their important moments, she says. “People come to us to find their first job, looking for their first car. At FINN they find their rental apartment when they move out for the first time, and later they find their first home – not to mention their first baby stroller when their family is growing.”

Working in cross-functional teams gives her an opportunity to be close on decisions and to have a say in the user experience and other decisions on the product, FINN.no. There is ample opportunity to make an impact through your work at Schibsted, she says.

“I’m currently working at the car subscription service Honk, which started out as a discovery-case at FINN.no. Discovery cases are projects where we discover, explore and build totally new services for FINN. This project was about mobility, and what role this can play for FINN in the future, ” she says, and continues: “Right now we are working on car subscription, where customers pay a monthly fee to have access to one or more cars, which is still pretty new in Norway. There is a lot of exploring and testing on how we can make a service that will give the most value to the users and customers. It feels impactful to have a role in shaping how something important like car ownership can be in the future.”

Not two days are the same

The work at FINN is varied and exciting, says the UX designer: “One day I will be working by myself and designing digital solutions, another day I will be doing interviews or user tests with users and the next day I’m facilitating a design workshop with the team.” 

Michelle works closely with her cross-functional team, which is a part of the UX department at FINN, a driving force for both professional development and a good social environment. “We do a lot of fun social activities, like eating dinner at each other’s houses, learning how to make spring rolls together, and even walking alpacas. It is the most interesting, engaging and funniest workplace I have had!” 

Being a part of Schibsted, employees at FINN are also encouraged to be a part of the strong Schibsted UX community that stretches across brands and borders. Employees from all parts of the organization are welcome to take part in activities and opportunities for growth and development.

Alpacas aside, it’s the feeling of doing meaningful work that really keeps Michelle going.

“I think it is important to feel that the work you do has an impact and that you are doing things that people actually care about,” she says.