It's a K15t Thing: What It's Really like to Work Here
Comment
It's a K15t Thing: What It's Really like to Work Here
This blog post was written before the Coronavirus pandemic swept across the world. How we work at K15t has changed a lot since.
This updated blog post gives you a more up-to-date look into what life working at K15t is like, since we started working remotely.
'Great Company Culture' You Say?
Every company likes to say that they have a ‘great company culture’ - but after reading just that on some company's websites, you think: “cool, but what actually makes it so great!?”.
Company X might rave about their amazing office space where employees can work on bean bags whenever they fancy. And company Y might mention their great team and how they all love going for after-work drinks on a Friday. But it’s not until you actually start working for a company that you really get to experience that culture for yourself – and to see if it’s the right fit for you.
Try-Before-You-Buy
Finding the right words to describe how a company's culture feels is hard, but we’re not shy of a challenge. So we wanted to give it a good go and describe what it's like to work at K15t.
Disclaimer: if you’re thinking of applying for a job here, just know the stereotype mentioned above is true for us too... We also think we have an amazing office space and a great team.
A Day in the Life
It doesn't matter whether you’re an early bird or a night owl. Everyone is in control of their working hours. So if you’re having a hectic morning and running late (trying to convince the kids to get dressed for Kindergarten can be hard), no worries.
When you arrive at the office, we have proper barista coffee machines in the kitchen to make your morning just that little bit better. Some team members are very talented at making some lovely latte art, just ask and they will show you the ropes.
At some point during the morning, most teams will have their daily stand-up meetings. Staff who work remotely join these meetings via video call. One remotee works in the US, luckily he’s one of the aforementioned early birds as he starts work before it’s even light.
We work in self-managed teams at K15t, so nobody has a ‘line manager’. Everyone here is the expert in their field, and we trust each other to make the right decisions and carry out our work in the best way possible.
For the foodies out there: the thrice-weekly free lunches at a nearby restaurant are a huge perk. The majority of the office makes their way to Kulturwerk from Tuesday - Thursday to spend lunchtimes together. The menu never disappoints; start by helping yourself to the buffet cart and then make your way onto mains. The menu changes daily and the chef includes a lot of seasonal produce as well as traditional German dishes. Luckily it’s only a short walk back to the office when you’re feeling like you could pop!
We’re very proud to have an international team, “Bereit für das Treffen?”, “Давайте рассмотрим эти запросы” or “Kahve ister misin?" are just some of the things you might hear spoken around the office. Business is run in English or German, but you can chat with your colleagues in any language you know how to.
And at the end of the week, crack open a nice cold Wulle beer or Fritz-Kola from the drinks fridge, because you deserve it. Prost!
From Sudan to Syria, from the UK to the USA
The K15t team is made up of the very best talent from right here in Stuttgart and around the world. We’re a combination of over 10 different nationalities.
The diversity between us is what makes us work so well as a team. The different experiences we have each collected through work and in day-to-day life are what each of us can draw upon. Our experiences allow us to see things from different perspectives and approach challenges in various ways.
Being an international team helps us to compete in our industry and keep customers happy, wherever in the world they may be.
How We Got Here
For those of us in the office who aren’t from Stuttgart, we each have different reasons for moving to Germany, leading us to K15t.
Some of us came here to follow our hearts, some were drawn by wanderlust and the attraction of experiencing a new culture, while others were attracted to Stuttgart as Europe’s leading location for innovation and technology.
We each have different reasons for being in Stuttgart, but we're all here now. And it feels good to go to work and do what we each do best.
It's a K15t Thing
We asked some team members what they think of the working culture at K15t. Those who have worked at several German companies can vouch for our unique culture – it's not quite the same in other German companies.
What we think makes it unique:
- The honesty. You never have to second-guess what someone means when they tell you something. Being open with each other allows us to do our best work.
- The lack of office politics. To follow on from the above: where there's directness, there's no chatting behind backs as everything is said straight to your face.
- The casual-ness. We're a laid-back bunch, wearing your jeans and trainers to work is fine by us. We want you to be comfy whilst you work.
- The noise level. When an office is noisy, it can be hard for some to focus. The office is our quiet space, while meeting rooms and kitchens are where you can chat to your heart's content.
- The flexibility. With your working hours, your working location, or office yoga sessions – you name it, you can be flexible with it.
At K15t, we have the freedom to be ourselves at work. We're in charge of our work schedules and are responsible for putting our time to best use. When you have ideas, you have the power to influence. And when you influence, you can make a big difference.
Livin' Our Values
Our company values haven't been created to gather dust. We think about them often, and apply them to the work we do. They're our guide for how we communicate, they help us set targets for what we strive to achieve, and they remind us to sometimes take a breather and have some fun.
Fancy Working Here?
If working in self-managed teams, eating free lunches, and having the opportunity to put your ideas to good use sounds appealing, maybe you could be our newest team member.
Check out the roles we're currently recruiting for. If you don't see one that's an exact fit for you, get in touch anyway. You might have all the skills we need, so we would love to hear from you.
