WYgroup believes that «happiness at work is the engine that brings added value» to what they do. Ana Andrade’s mission is to create the conditions for her work to be more than that.
Until September 2022, when Ana Andrade joined the WYgroup, the position that Ana Andrade assumed – Head of People, Talent, and Culture – did not exist. And what was asked of her was that she prioritizes the consolidation of policies and practices that would make the employees’ journey an experience «as positive as it was transformative». The motto for her daily work is the «maximum potentization of human capital, offering constant growth opportunities.» They seek to be pioneers in the way of thinking about the value proposition for their people. On the other hand, they are mainly looking for people who identify with the company’s culture and values. Because «all other skills are built, worked and learned».
You enrolled at WYgroup in October of last year. What motivated you the most to accept the challenge?
The challenge itself, of taking on a completely new role in the group, dedicated to people and their development, was the main driver. Based on a complete identification with the values, culture, and mission of seven companies, where the well-being of employees is a transversal and genuine concern.
What company did you expect to find and what company did you find?
Given its size, I did not expect to find a group of companies with such a familiar and close environment. It was something I identified with from the beginning. It is important that companies, regardless of size, maintain this culture, and it is something that at WYgroup we do with primacy.
As you mentioned, you took on a role – head of People, Talent, and Culture – that until now did not exist in WYgroup. What meaning does this have?
The creation of this role, completely dedicated to the People, Talent, and Culture area, is the reflection of an organization for which its human assets come first. Although it was something that was always present in the group’s DNA, this function reinforces this will even more.
What was asked of you?
In the conversations that preceded joining the Group, I was asked to prioritize the consolidation of Talent Management policies and practices, to make the employees’ journey an experience that is as positive as it is transformative. Because we believe that our growth is only possible when supported by healthy and happy teams. This is the motto of my daily work, the maximum potential of human capital, where I seek to offer constant growth opportunities aimed at both personal and professional fulfillment.
How many people make up the WYgroup?
At the moment, we already have more than 500 extraordinary employees, and of these, more than 150 joined the group last year. An exponential growth that conjectures an admirable challenge in the area of Talent and People Management.
And what priorities do you assume in managing these more than 500 people?
We have been tracing a path of building career plans, focused on the growth and evolution of employees, as well as on specialized training for the qualification of our leaders.
Does the fact that they integrate seven different business units bring added challenges?
Although the group is made up of seven different companies, operating in different areas, combining Creativity, Data and Media, Engineering, and Technology, and also includes specialized training services in its offer, contributing to the conversion and digital transition of companies, these complement themselves and project common future goals.
How do you ensure a cohesive culture?
We believe that strong organizational cultures create teams whose collective performance exceeds the sum of individual capabilities. We consider it extremely important to create space and opportunities for our values to be reflected in everything we do, thus ensuring that our culture, based on collaboration, transparency, and well-being, is transversal to all and remains over the years.
Upon entering here, it is clear that the average age is young. Would you say that this “facilitates” or “difficults” your role? Do you have a great diversity of profiles?
We have an average age of around 34 years in most companies, however, 40% of our employees are under 30 years old, which is a very young average age. When creating our teams, we seek to make them multidisciplinary, with a balance between different degrees of seniority and profiles. In this way, we manage to bring levels of experience and life experiences that complement each other and add value to what we do.
WYgroup operates in the business communication ecosystem. Is this an aspect that you favor, communication with your people?
The way we communicate with our people is something we privilege and value. We understand that good, transparent internal communication is the vehicle for strengthening a cohesive organizational culture, which promotes feedback and the sharing of opinions. Knowing how essential it is to listen to our people, we promote satisfaction surveys, which result in short, medium, and long-term action plans, both for the Talent area and for leaders and top management. Communication is often the key for employees to reinforce their sense of belonging and motivation, also working as a way of retaining talent.
Being also specialized in Customer Experience, how do you promote the employee experience?
We know that, nowadays, the expectations of employees concerning the labor market are high. As such, we seek that the employee’s experience is enriching and full of meaning. With this objective in mind, we promote numerous initiatives in our day-to-day activities, so that work is not just working. These initiatives range from the celebration of special days to moments of sharing experiences, having created specific programs for this purpose, our WYcelebration and WYhealth are examples. The focus on Employer Branding is reflected in the increase in organizational happiness, and we have been distinguished annually, by Happiness Works, as one of the happiest companies in Portugal.
WYgroup calls its workspace “The Beach House”. One of the reasons is obvious, the spectacular view of the sea. Can you briefly describe this space, which is fantastic…
Our Beach House is the mirror of WYgroup’s culture and DNA. It is a space that welcomes us and embraces us. Thought out in detail, so that our people feel as comfortable as in their own homes, this care has existed, from the choice of sustainable and organic materials to the definition of the names of the rooms, where an attempt was made to create a positive work environment, of exchange of experiences and sharing of culture. With an area of about three thousand square meters, and an unbeatable view of St. Amaro de Oeiras is a unique place of inspiration and creativity, where it is not surprising to see employees returning from a refreshing swim on the beach every day or riding a skateboard or scooter along the walkway of more than 100 meters of our Beach House. It is a space that also has lounge areas, a gaming spot, a sleeping pod, a shower, amphitheater, among many other chill-out areas. In a troubled period, post-pandemic, this space was felt and experienced by employees as a breath of fresh air, which brought them motivation and well-being. This sentiment prevails and is something we are very proud of.
WYgroup made this investment following the pandemic, but the hybrid regime was something you already promoted, eventually with a significant prevalence of the remote one. So why this investment?
The future of work, in our view, will always involve the prevalence of flexible work models, where remote work coexists with face-to-face work. This collaborative model gives space to creativity, promotes proximity between people, and does not neglect the promotion of the perfect balance between personal and professional life. Our Beach House is an investment in our people, so that, on every day of work, whether in person or remotely, they feel “at home”.
In your activity, you also work on areas involving creativity. Isn’t it more difficult to manage with “dispersed” teams?
It has been a challenge, which I believe we have managed to overcome, creating dynamics to promote spaces for sharing face-to-face experiences between teams. There are times when teams come together organically, and feel that proximity facilitates reaching common solutions, brainstorming, and the flow of creativity. But it is also up to us to create and promote these same “get together” moments.
What model do you currently practice? Given the choice, how many times do people generally go to the office? Looking at it now, there are quite a few people here…
We do not have a watertight transversal model, as we seek to be flexible, responding to the specificities of the business and our people, adopting the work model that best satisfies both parties. However, most companies today adopt the hybrid/flexible model, with percentages of 40%/60% between face-to-face and remote.
Another concept that is very present is that of constant learning. How do they promote it?
Learning is in our genesis and we believe that when it is constant, it makes us different, both in personal evolution and growth and in the talent we deliver to our customers. With this strategic vision, we integrated the Lisbon Digital School into the group, in 2021, led by Natacha Gama Pereira. With the help of LDS, we build complete training menus, ranging from language learning to specific and targeted training. The specialization of our talent is one of the factors we most value, challenging our teams to grow and evolve daily.
What truly differentiates you from the other companies?
Our culture, where people always come first. We are the largest and most complete business communication ecosystem in Portugal and we have focused on people since day one. We believe that happiness at work is the engine that brings added value to our projects and that is reflected in the way we deliver them to our customers and partners.
What do you believe is most valued by people when you are attracting – candidates – or how much are you trying to retain – employees?
When we attract candidates, we know that the “one size fits all” model is no longer a reality these days, so we are constantly adapting in this field, seeking to bring freshness and innovation to our offers. We like to be pioneers in the way we think about them, trying to fill various needs that range from offering extra days of rest and leisure to encouraging the practice of physical activity, with dedicated classes from a personal trainer. The modern employee is looking for much more than salary and contractual stability, he is looking for experience, projects, and belonging. It values emotional well-being and balance between personal and professional life.
And you, what do you most value in your professionals? What skills do you find most difficult to find?
What we value most, in all those who make up our group, is fit with our culture and values, we believe that all other skills are built, worked, and learned. We have had some difficulty finding specialized talent, mostly in engineering, but I believe this is a transversal reality in our country, where supply and demand have not been balanced for some years now.
Ana, you have a degree in Sociology. How did your interest in People Management arise?
Sociology is, at its core, a science of people and their social relationships and interactions. These can be of different levels, more or less complex with more or fewer players. Companies are made up of people, and by mirroring sociology in the day-to-day activities of companies, we make their environments more inclusive, dynamic and focused on more sustainable management.
Of the various areas in which you have been working in a more “specialized” way, let’s say, from recruitment to career management, passing through performance evaluation and training, what would you say is currently the area that brings the most challenges?
All listed areas bring added challenges. The People area, in most companies, and greatly driven by the post-pandemic period, has changed radically, no longer seen as procedural and administrative, to be seen as an area of basic strategic importance for business growth. Career Management will possibly be the area that brings the most increased challenges, since employees are increasingly demanding and interested in their path within organizations, and this management, when done in an exemplary manner, wins over and retains talent.
Where do you believe the future of People Management will go?
The future involves transformation, digital and technological, in the areas of People Management. In the transition from bureaucratic to agile and from administrative to strategic. This area plays an increasingly prominent role in organizations, combining people’s well-being with business sustainability.
What motivates you most in your day-to-day work?
Belonging to a group that seeks daily to make a difference in the world of communication, through creativity, technology, and innovation.
Interview originally published on Human Resources.
