Cegal is one of Norway's largest technology companies with more than 860 employees in offices in nine countries. They help customers turn complex IT solutions into digital success stories, with a main focus on the energy sector.
Maria Lunde works as a People Advisor at Cegal, and is responsible for parts of the onboarding process at the company. They want to give new employees a warm welcome, and want to show that they are looking forward to having them on board. An important part of the onboarding process is giving a welcome gift to new employees a month before they start.
Maria tells a little about why they do it.
"We want new employees to feel welcome before they start. That's why we clearly communicate that we look forward to them becoming part of the company. This helps build a good relationship from the start."
Previously, they gave flowers to all new employees, but as the company grew, the administrative work became the biggest burden on the team.
“When we gave flowers to new employees, we had to collect a lot of information in advance, including addresses and apartment numbers. The process became manual and required a lot of administrative work.”
When Maria saw on LinkedIn that a former colleague was using Glede , she thought this could improve the welcome gift process at Cegal.
She mentions several things that triggered her:
- Time saving - “I saw that Glede could save me from manual work of gathering information and sending flowers.”
- Possibility to donate the gift - Maria thinks it's great that employees can choose to donate the gift to a charity. "It's in line with our values," she says.
- A gift for everyone - “The flowers didn't appeal to everyone, perhaps especially the younger generation. Glede is a gift that everyone can benefit from, as they can use the gift card exactly where they want.”
- Sustainable - “ Glede is a sustainable gift card. We work in the energy industry, and acting sustainably is a high priority for us.”
As a result, Maria decided to take the chance. Glede . Initially, she tested it on a few receivers. It turned out to be a success, and she has since used Glede on a monthly basis.
**More Favorite Features**
Maria highlights three useful features in particular: Glede which she greatly appreciates when she gives:
- Gift templates - Maria has created a gift template for the onboarding gifts. This means that she only needs to specify who will receive the gift. The result is time saved and a guarantee that the gift will be the same for everyone.
- Custom designed card - She has uploaded her own card, which she includes in the welcome gifts. “It makes the gifts feel more personal from the company,” she says.
- Planning ahead - She plans many onboarding gifts ahead of time so that they are sent to new employees exactly one month before they start. This allows her to get the job done with many gifts at once.
In addition to the useful features, Maria is pleased with the ease of use.
“ Glede is very user-friendly. Technically, it is a good solution, which fits well with our desire to use modern services.”
**Incredibly easy to give something nice**
Following the gifts, Maria has received several positive comments from the recipients.
“They appreciate the flexibility to use it wherever they want. Plus, they get it on their phone, and they always have it with them. Even though I haven’t gotten one Glede myself, I find it very easy to use.”
“One of the recipients was delighted to be able to use it on a trip abroad.”
Maria finds that the time she spends sending gifts has been cut in half. She spends a maximum of 15 minutes on the welcome gifts each month.
She believes many other companies will benefit from Glede .
“I find this is suitable for both large and small businesses. It's so easy to use, and you don't need to know anything to get started,” says Maria.
“ Glede makes it incredibly easy to give something nice. Just enter your contact information and press send.”
Do you want to spread Glede from the company? Click here to get started - completely without obligation
