Frends Vibe Master, Judith, calls for appreciative encounters in working life: "You are fine just as you are"
Vibe Master, Judith started her career in IT on one of Frends karaoke nights. Her positive and life-loving attitude has helped her through even the darker times.
Judith Sibelius started in the spring of 2022 as Frends' People & Culture Specialist, a role also called “Vibe Master”. Resigning from her old permanent job and accepting a fixed-term employment contract in completely a new field was a bold move, but Sibelius felt confident about the change.
"I actually got to know the company by hosting their karaoke night. After the night, I was asked if I would be interested in taking care of the companies community full-time. There Vibe Masters role in Finland was new. I started in April, and this fall my employment contract was changed from fixed-term to permanent," Sibelius tells with a wide smile on her face.
The versatile job of Vibe Master includes for example organizing events and team evenings, managing internal communication, and taking care of running matters, such as booking plane tickets and organizing snacks. Every workday is different.
"The role of a modern Vibe Master can be compared to an assistant or an office host. I am always in the office, welcoming employees and guests and making sure that things work as they should and the atmosphere is cozy. With constantly increasing responsibilities, prioritizing tasks is important," describes Sibelius.
Sincere desire to help
Sibelius has become an integral part of Frends in a short time: her sunny and present personality is often praised. According to Sibelius, positivity has always been in her nature and helped carry her through difficult times. Sibelius was in a serious traffic accident 13 years ago, and recovering from it was a long process physically and mentally. The doctors feared that she wouldn’t be able to work anymore.
"My changed appearance was a shock at first and recovery was sometimes slow, but it was important for me to prove myself that I can survive. I studied to become a cosmetologist, and learned to hide the scars with make-up. I also enjoyed being able to help others with my skills."
When Judith made the jump from the beauty industry to the world of IT, everything changed externally, but the basic nature of the work remained the same: the most important thing is still having empathy and a sincere desire to help.
"I believe that my secret is in my positive personality: I know how to enjoy small things, and I am always curious about life. I welcome every person in the office with kindness and appreciation, which I think is important even in the sometimes tough business world."
At Frends, Judith appreciates the culture where everyone is allowed to be their own person. The flexible company invests in the well-being of its personnel, for example by offering extensive occupational health care and other comprehensive benefits, such as child care assistance.
In the fall of 2022, Judith launched a Wellness Month, which included an array of activities from break exercises to body composition measurements, smoothies, ginger shots, and sound bowl relaxation.
"I also got us a Neurosonic massage bed that promotes relaxation and recovery. It's wonderful that I was immediately given the freedom to organize the Wellness Month, and I got very warm feedback from our people for doing it. Extra care for people is necessary, especially in this world situation," Sibelius reflects.
Sibelius, who characterizes herself as an extrovert, enjoys working with people. With her background in theater and music, interaction and spontaneous performance are natural both in the office, at events, and, for example, in the company's TikTok videos.
To balance the full work days, Sibelius invests in her own well-being and recovery by training at the gym and focusing on what she loves: music.
"Frends offers us the opportunity to train for free in the gym. Through work, I have also found a band for myself, where I sing everything from ballads to rock and heavy. Our gig calendar has already opened and we have performed at Frends afterworks and other events. Through Frends, I have also gained wonderful friends”, reveals Judith.
