A friendly interaction, helping a colleague and a willingness to improve your own work. For Andres Vanker, a good workplace culture is built through small, everyday actions.

Andres Vanker works in testing in Murata’s MEMS inertial sensor production. He recently received the Murata Finland Managing Director’s Award in recognition of his exemplary contribution to the workplace community. We asked Andres what a good workplace culture means to him and how it shows up in his everyday work.

Tell us a little about yourself.

“I joined Murata in March 2023, and I currently work the night shift in sensor component testing. I was already familiar with production work before joining Murata, and I’ve really enjoyed working here.

In my free time, I look after myself by working out at the gym, among other things. At work, too, I want to do my best and take care of my responsibilities as well as I can.”

At Murata Finland, we have created Cultural Etiquette together with our employees to guide how we act and behave in the workplace. What does a good workplace culture mean to you?

“To me, a good workplace culture is first and foremost about everyday working life: how we treat our colleagues, help one another and take care of our shared work environment.

It’s important to me to be friendly to everyone and get along with different kinds of people. I also want to finish my work properly so that the next shift can get off to a good start. In practice, this means, for example, leaving the workstation clean and tidy and not leaving the next shift with unnecessary issues to sort out. I feel that through my own actions, I can make other people’s work easier.

It’s also important that people help one another at work. If I notice a colleague dealing with a ‘fire’ at their workstation, I try to step in and help! It’s nice to receive help, too, and I appreciate the fact that people on our team support one another.

I like that people at Murata greet each other and treat one another respectfully. It’s good to have shared guidelines for how everyone should be treated. I also try to encourage my colleagues with small gestures: I’ll praise them when something goes well or give them a thumbs-up. I don’t think a good atmosphere has to be built through grand gestures. Small acts of consideration go a long way.”

November is Quality Month

In November, Murata celebrates Quality Month under the theme Quality of Everything. Quality is part of everything we do, which is why continuously improving our own work and ways of working is also an important part of it. One way we put this into practice is through Kaizen: everyone can identify areas for improvement in their own work and suggest small, practical changes.

Andres has submitted dozens of Kaizen suggestions over the years.

Where do good improvement ideas come from?

“My Kaizen ideas usually come to me while I’m working. I think about whether something could be done better, more easily or more smoothly, and whether the change would genuinely benefit the operators. To me, a good improvement suggestion is clear, practical and carefully considered.

Ideas don’t always emerge or develop on their own, though, so it’s worth talking them through with a colleague. When you look at something together with another person who knows the process, the original idea can develop into something even better.

If coming up with an improvement idea or taking it forward feels difficult, I recommend talking it over with a colleague. A work partner who knows the different stages of the production process is great for brainstorming and bouncing ideas around. Improvement is at its best when it’s a team effort.”

What makes a good working day for you?

“My colleagues are a real source of strength for me. We have a good sense of humor, and we like chatting while we work. Encouragement from others also means a lot to me.

I still remember the feedback I received during my own onboarding. When I got the chance to try the work steps independently while my trainer watched, they praised me for doing a good job. It stayed with me and motivated me.”

What kind of colleague do you want to be?

“I want to be helpful, friendly, reliable, proactive and collaborative. To me, a good workplace culture means being able to trust one another, ask for and offer help, and do our jobs well.

I’m also motivated by the feeling that I’m contributing to something meaningful. Murata components are used in many different solutions around the world, and our sensors may even help save someone’s life, for example in automotive safety applications. It’s great to think that my own work in production also plays a part in this bigger picture.”

Thank you for the interview, and congratulations on the award!