517 development initiatives rewarded in Hämeenlinna
The working culture of the people of Hämeenlinna is built on a developing, evolving, and experimental approach to work. In everyday working life, this shows in employees’ active idea generation and in the fact that ideas and actions are rewarded.
A leader points the way, but gives room for work, development, and success.
Anne Iijalainen, Director of Human Resources and Preparedness
In Hämeenlinna, employees are told from the very start that they are part of an active community. When a new employee begins their job, a welcome gift and letter are sent to their home, beginning with the words “Welcome to becoming part of the people of Hämeenlinna.” When an employee retires or moves on to a new job, they are thanked for the shared journey and for having been part of the people of Hämeenlinna.
The working culture of the people of Hämeenlinna underpins everything we do
The people of Hämeenlinna is not just a nice-sounding way to describe a work community. It is the expression of the City of Hämeenlinna’s working culture, which guides the everyday work of a city organisation with around 2,000 employees.
Our working culture underpins everything we do. It is supported by communication that emphasizes a sense of community rather than bureaucratic municipal messaging.
Anne Iijalainen, Director of Human Resources and Preparedness
Working culture has long been a part of Hämeenlinna’s strategy as a concept. Particular attention began to be paid to it in 2019, when ways to bring the city strategy more clearly into employees’ everyday work were being considered.
Hämeenlinna first set out to build a working culture of Joy at Work, which evolved over time into the more community-oriented “working culture of the people of Hämeenlinna.”
The courage to renew and tackle even difficult issues
The working culture is based on the city’s values: Courageously and positively, together.
Courage means daring to renew and to tackle even difficult issues. Positivity is the ability to see opportunities and successes. Doing things together is a reminder that the city’s future is built through cooperation between residents, communities, businesses, and the city.
The strategy is implemented through the working culture and the leadership promise. A leader points the way, but gives room for work, development, and success.
Anne Iijalainen, Director of Human Resources and Preparedness
Recognition motivates people to generate ideas
The guiding principle of the people of Hämeenlinna is a developing, evolving, and experimental approach to work. The city has invested in its employees’ expertise and, over the past five years, trained more than 150 employees for the specialist vocational qualification in product development.
Development is encouraged, and successes are also recognised through staff rewards. In 2025, a total of 517 different development initiatives and successes were rewarded in Hämeenlinna. The Smart Work awards are presented once a year at the Gala of the People of Hämeenlinna, to which the entire staff is invited. The Chief Executive’s €3,000 Innovation Award is given out annually for a highly significant new way of working, method, or product related to service production or the organisation’s internal operations.
Investing in working culture and in staff expertise and well-being has paid off. 95.8% of employees consider the opportunities for professional development to be good. In 2025, the city was chosen as Hämeenlinna’s most active-promoting workplace, and the city has been awarded the Finnish Olympic Committee’s Most Active Workplace in Finland certificate three times already.
The people of Hämeenlinna care about one another. People want good things for each other, and a culture of helping is strongly present. That alone shows that the people of Hämeenlinna do things together.
Mervi Kangasniemi, HR Development Manager
Text: Venla Seuri
This is the first article in the series Best Bits, which showcases pioneering cases from the municipal and wellbeing sector. In total, 25 feature packages will be published in the series. The series is part of the Our Work – Results Through Cooperation project.