“Kramp strikes the perfect balance between the professionalism of a big organisation, and treating its employees like human beings”
"I joined Kramp immediately after finished my master’s in Psychology in Business at Warsaw University in 2014. At that time, the company was merging with Grene, which was one of the biggest and best-known employers in the town where I’d grown up in Poland. It had always had a very local focus, but was now becoming more international due to the merger, which appealed to me because I’d also studied English.
Kramp was looking for an HR advisor to support all the cultural and people-related changes. I was attracted by this opportunity because, rather than being administrative, it was focused on understanding stakeholders’ needs and challenges and then looking for HR-based solutions together. And luckily Kramp was happy for me to work from home in Warsaw rather than making the two-hour drive into the office every day.
Over the past decade, I’ve progressed through a series of generalist HR functions at local, Eastern European and international level. Then around a year ago I moved into my current position, which is a specialist global role within the Centre of Expertise helping my colleagues in HR to deliver the best possible service to the business. My direct manager is based in the Netherlands and I work with colleagues located in other countries on a daily basis, so 99% of my communication is done in English. The strong international connection across countries and cultures is one thing that makes Kramp unique; no matter where people are based, we all feel part of the same company.
Another thing I love about Kramp is the openness to new ideas; suggestions are welcomed with optimism and positivity – “Let’s give it a try!” – rather than focusing on the potential obstacles. We’re also encouraged to take ownership of our work. If I identify the need to adjust the annual Performance Cycle, for example, I have the freedom to implement the improvement however I see fit, without waiting for instructions from my manager.
In terms of personal and professional development, I’ve not only received lots of work-related training, but Kramp also financially supported my second part-time master’s degree in Psychology and Social Psychology. And I’ve always felt that my manager and other team members believe in me, which has given me confidence in my own abilities and allowed me to flourish – from when I first arrived ten years ago, young and inexperienced, to last year when I was doubting whether my current role would take me a little too far out of my comfort zone. My manager knew that I wanted to gain more specialist knowledge, and really helped me to take the plunge by focusing on my strengths rather than my weaknesses.
That is just one example of how Kramp cares for its employees. In my view, the company strikes the perfect balance between the professionalism of a big organisation, and treating its employees like human beings. We all feel seen, heard and accepted – flaws and all! I know that it’s really unusual to find an employer like that, so I’m constantly recommending Kramp to all my friends – and to anyone else who is thinking of joining this great company."