Gapps: Occupational health that supports knowledge workers and the rapid growth of the company

Gapps streamlines business practices and builds digital solutions using Google Cloud technologies. Gapps has a strong expert culture where individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide and organize their work. Self-directedness is the key. Although Gapps produces digital solutions, it is the expertise of the people that makes Gapps’ business possible. Their well-being is a top priority.

Gapps’ corporate culture is built on caring. There is a genuine interest in colleagues and their well-being, not just in terms of work performance. When you care about people as individuals, it’s easier to build on that foundation.

“We have a family-like work community. While families can sometimes be stuck in routines, in this family, there is always enthusiasm and a desire to learn new things. We are happy to try new things and want to shake up the traditional IT industry through a human-centric approach. Heltti feels like a good match because they also shake up the traditional occupational health industry in the same way,” says Pöyry.

At Gapps, too, it has been noticed that the strong work engagement of ambitious experts can sometimes lead to neglecting one’s own well-being.

“Gapps is not a traditional IT coding house; in addition to engineers, our employees include humanists, business professionals, educators, and even those with a background in food science. What unites us is that we are nerds in our own lives, interested in technology and especially in how it can make life easier,” says HR and Corporate Culture Manager Nina Uhlenius.

“For a growth company like ours, mere statutory occupational health or a remote partnership is not enough. We wanted comprehensive occupational health services from a partner who focuses on the needs of knowledge workers and who also helps preventatively, not just when someone is already ill. In addition, we wanted a partner who supports us in the development of leadership and supervisor work and who has expertise in supporting mental well-being.”

“The most important tool for a knowledge worker is their mind. While ergonomic work conditions and physical well-being are essential, equally important is the so-called brain ergonomics or mental well-being. In today’s working life, it is more likely to take sick leave due to mental health reasons than, for example, musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, support for mental well-being must be available.

Kasper Pöyry, CEO of Gapps, aims to normalize visits to a work psychologist and encourages other Gapps employees by setting an example.

“I have personally seen a work health psychologist and benefited from it. I want to, by my own example, reduce the stigma associated with this topic. I hope that the recent discussions about therapy would increase openness on this matter. It should be commonplace to talk to a psychologist, especially when working in knowledge-intensive roles. Mental well-being affects everything.”

“For Gapps, it’s essential that the collaboration with occupational health is active and transparent. With an easy-to-read dashboard, Gapps HR manager can see the progress of the Heltti collaboration, and the numbers are reviewed monthly. In addition, well-being measurements and surveys help keep track of how the company is doing, and if something is flagged as a concern at the company level, Heltti addresses it quickly.

“Some might think that reduced sick leave is a good indicator of occupational health collaboration. Personally, I don’t necessarily see it that way. If someone is sick, it’s preferable that they genuinely take sick leave and don’t work. In expert work, it’s easy to prioritize work over one’s well-being. From an employer’s perspective, sometimes less would be enough,” says Kasper Pöyry.

“As the only HR person at Gapps, it’s very rewarding to receive coaching from Heltti professionals for my work and the development of leadership at Gapps. I’m also grateful that Heltti provided an introduction for employees on how Heltti occupational health works and what it includes, so it didn’t become solely my responsibility among all other tasks. Heltti’s leadership coaching has also been found very useful. When Gapps employees succeed, I consider that a success for myself,” describes Uhlenius her role.”