Short on talent? Take a page from Kilo Health’s HR playbook
With Big Tech and startups growing at a rapid pace, there is an ever-greater shortage of programmers and other IT-related staff all over the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe. Some companies however are dealing with it better than others.
In fact, if employees refuse an offer from another company, they get a T-shirt with “I said no” written on it. And in Kilo Health’s office, there are quite a few people proudly wearing those T-shirts.
Speaking about the success of the company, Kilo Health’s CEO emphasizes that “team” is key, and this has been the focus from the outset.
The company’s HR philosophy comes from its founders and it’s pretty simple but effective: “it is not a new employee who should be glad that we accepted them, it is us who should be happy that we have found another talent with values in line with ours, and who has come to work with us.”
Legend of San Diego
Tadas recounts a story of how Kilo Health’s Personnel Manager, later becoming the Experience Manager, joined the company.
In its first expansion phase, when Kilo Health’s team reached almost 60 people, the company still did not have a Personnel Manager. The CEO himself had done most of the screening and hiring. But with every new employee, it was getting harder and harder to juggle HR duties with CEO’s day-to-day business operations.
“At the time, I had about 30 job interviews for the Personnel Manager position. But I failed to find a staff manager with an attitude that matched ours or was at least close to it. Then, one day we were chilling in the café with colleagues, and I noticed a bartender who was able to take care of everyone, topping up cups, telling jokes, and chatting casually with strangers. I thought – that’s the kind of HR person I want. We talked and set up a meeting, and when he said goodbye, he showed us a T-shirt that had “San Diego” written on it. Coincidentally, colleagues flew there the next day for a marketing conference. On Monday morning we shook hands and Artūras Pronicevas became our Personnel Manager. Somehow his nickname “San Diego” stuck”, smiles Tadas.
Soon enough Artūras got a new title and job description – Experience Manager, tasked with making the staff happy.
“So that’s that. I’m the Experience Manager or “Chief Vibe Officer” at Kilo Health. My job is to create a good atmosphere – a sort of vibe – at work and make sure everyone has everything they need. Plus I organize awesome events, and make sure that everyone feels welcome at our office”, says Artūras.
Chief Vibe Officer also has a lot to do with HR. The company accepts around 50 newcomers every month. Most companies send a newcomer package (if they have one) through a courier. Arturas delivers it to everyone in person and dedicates at least an hour of conversation to allay fears, clarify expectations, etc.
“Our company is our people and this is the key rule that makes us who we are,” adds Tadas.
A second chance for juniors
Kilo Health, of course, has all the perks modern startups offer, like football tables, gaming consoles, and a hot tub. But the company also offers free courses, which, according to Justė Vižinytė, Kilo Health’s Chief People Officer, attracts a lot of talent for junior positions.
“For people who don’t pass our job interview process or just have too little experience for the position, we suggest applying to Kilo Health’s Academy, which we started last winter. We have a few different courses. This time around it’s IT and online marketing. We prepare influencers and performance specialists for Facebook and Google ecosystems”, Justė explains.
She adds that there are more candidates than places. It’s probably because, after training, the best are offered a position. So for many, it’s like a second shot at the job.
Although around 98% of Kilo Health’s staff are vaccinated, the company is embracing a hybrid work model.
“COVID taught us how to work remotely. All of our employees can now choose to work in the office and mingle with teammates. But if you are better off working from home – go ahead, work from home”, says Kilo Health’s Chief People Officer.
Kilo Health Group
Kilo Health is one of the leading digital health and wellness companies globally, that not only attracts talent to join its fast-growing team but also co-founds and accelerates start-ups in a rapidly growing digital health industry.
With 4+ million paying users worldwide (the majority in the United States), as well as strong technology and a digital marketing platform, Kilo Health provides unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurial talents and visionaries to build the digital health products of the future.
Kilo Health was founded to design the most engaging and effective digital lifestyle interventions that lead to a healthier life by preventing, managing, or treating various health conditions.
By continuously seeking new opportunities, co-founding, and accelerating prospective next-gen products, Kilo Health has grown from 7 to 500 bright talents in three years and aims to become the most-loved digital health and wellness product suite globally.