The end of the year is approaching and the Christmas season is just around the corner. Reason enough to meet again and spend the most peaceful time of the year with our Seatti family. So the majority of our troupe went to Berlin. Once again, a small onboarding was on! And what should not be missing in December? That's right, the Christmas party! And this year it was our first hybrid Christmas party in a very large group!
Off we go to Berlin!
Just before everyone started their well-deserved Christmas vacation, we really wanted to see each other again! After all, the last time was a while ago. The reason was obvious: 2022 was an exciting year for Seatti, an incredible amount was achieved and that should of course be celebrated! In addition, newbies joined our family just before the end of the year. Similar to already in Lisbon, Schliersee and Madrid This small mini-outing should also be used for onboarding and introduction to the company.
Because our team has grown significantly this year and consists of almost 30 team members. We represent almost 13 nations! But how do you actually organize a hybrid Christmas party? Now admittedly, the plan had changed somewhat over time. It was actually planned to have an independent outing at each of our major Seatti hubs in Berlin, Munich and Madrid. In the end, however, it became the federal capital. Because after our last outing in Spain, there was a particularly strong urge to see each other again in one place.
Preparing for the party
That's how everyone arrived in Berlin on a Monday. Especially for our crew from Spain, the reception was ice-cold. Because it was freezing temperatures in the city. The mutual hugs were all the warmer when we saw each other again.
And that's how we started onboarding our newbies. Each individual presented themselves, each team presented themselves briefly and intros were given about the product and our functions. And just after day 1, it turned out once again that on-site onboarding is simply incredibly important.
It is something completely different to introduce new team members to the entire team and our hybrid corporate culture to pass on interpersonally! Initial questions, technical problems and inquiries about the product can be clarified unequivocally. That is the reason for these outings!
As a newbie, you are not only accepted into your team, but are also immediately introduced to the big picture, the vision and the company values. Because when all of this is internalized, it is easier to find your own place in the company! And over a glass of mulled wine or lunch together, getting to know each other is also a bit more informal. We always try to create an atmosphere in which you can be who you are.
Secret Santa: Our first hybrid Christmas party
The last few years of the pandemic have enormously intensified the trend towards online Christmas parties. But in the case of Seatti, a Christmas party can't just be organized online — according to our philosophy, it must be a hybrid Christmas party! Unfortunately not all team members were able to come to Berlin. However, they should of course have the opportunity to participate in the Christmas party in a hybrid way. As a result, several hours were blocked on Wednesday to connect local people with the others.
And so virtually everyone was packed into a large meeting room and several laptops were placed in the middle of the table. A laptop, in turn, was used as a microphone and loudspeaker and off we went! The conclusion: Somehow (surprisingly) it worked out really well! Everyone could talk, laugh and even unwrap presents together. You read that correctly! Unwrap gifts online!
Because it was possible to take part in Secret Santa, i.e. the gnome, in advance! The challenge: How do team members get gifts that aren't on site? Well, gifts were sent by post and a link was also posted online. For those sitting at home, a small package opened virtually and voila the secret Santa gift was on display. Crazy but also beautiful how much technology makes possible and above all how creative our team is!
Quiz of the Year!
A new hybrid tradition has developed here a few weeks ago: a good old quiz! And at the end of the year, another showdown is of course not to be missed. First, old photos of children were rummaged out by our team and guessed which picture belongs to whom. And as if that wasn't hard enough, the next round followed with events from that year. And here was everything from questions about this year's Nobel Prize winners, trash TV characters or music questions.
After this exhausting quiz evening, we went to a pizzeria for our Christmas dinner. After lots of food, wine and good conversation, a few team members moved on until it was probably home from the club until the early hours of the morning. All about a successful Christmas party and a nice end to the year!
Hybrid learnings from this year
This year's growth has made it particularly clear how important such events are for us as a small team. Each individual outing brought us closer together as a team and showed how much motivation there is in each individual!
But what we noticed again is that hybrid work doesn't work overnight! It is an ongoing process that has to be adjusted again and again. As a team, we have not only grown together, but have also grown in the number of team members. And that is a double challenge. That's why we learn at the end of the year: Take small steps and try to pick everyone up! We have also become particularly aware of how important the role of a corporate culture is in this regard in recent outings. It promotes team spirit, but also requires a lot of energy to maintain it, adapt it and also keep it alive in a hybrid way - especially when the team is spread across Europe. Online events and regular local meetings help to permanently stabilize this culture and are the key to success for us!
Even though these outings and this hybrid Christmas party mean a lot of preparation and stress, they're worth the effort! New team members immediately feel welcome, can immediately exchange ideas and the “old hands” see each other again, continue to get to know each other and make friends! And we can hardly wait to start the new year 2023!
Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅🏻