Karolina, the Head of the Document Management Department, has been named the Best Employee of 2023. Her colleagues remarked on her achievement: “Congratulations on winning such a tough competition, you deserve it—keep moving forward! Your professionalism, energy, empathy towards employees, and positivity lead to the best results!” But what does the “Employee of the Year” title mean to the winner herself?
Karolina believes that this recognition was earned not by her alone, but as a team effort, and she is deeply grateful to her colleagues. She graciously agreed to share what this recognition means to her, what it’s like working at “Das Work,” her interactions with colleagues, and how the company motivates employees to improve their professional skills and knowledge.
Karolina, how long have you been working at “Das Work,” and what do you like about it?
“I’ve been working at ‘Das Work’ since 2021. From the very beginning, I was welcomed with warmth, trust, and a strong focus on employee needs. I felt like I had found a second family—so accepted and at home here. That’s what I like most about this company.”
What inspired you to join this company? What was your journey to this position?
Before starting at ‘Das Work,’ I lived and worked abroad. I planned to stay there because I thought I had found my dream job—communication, documents, team support. It seemed like everything I needed. The job required precision, responsibility, and was closely related to document management. I realized that working with documents was my driving force (she smiles). However, life happened, and I had to return to my homeland. Initially, it was difficult to accept that I had to start over.
A former employee of ‘Das Work,’ who is a friend of mine, encouraged me to apply. She convinced me that the company is modern and offers great prospects for growth. I started working as an HR manager. At that time, the team was still small. We all worked together to develop the company’s activities from the very beginning. Together, we overcame challenges and innovations. We began to expand rapidly, with new colleagues full of ideas—a real refresh (she smiles)!
I admit, significant changes weren’t easy, but they were manageable. Now, we have 20 professionals in the administration, which is something I’m very proud of.
In your opinion, what is the most important value or goal of the company?
In my view, the main goal of the company is successful growth with a professional team. The core values are professionalism, respect, and responsibility.
How do you evaluate collaboration with your colleagues?
Everyone is a professional in their field, knowing their responsibilities and capabilities, so communication is easy and smooth. I’m very proud of that!
What did you do to become Employee of the Month and eventually Employee of the Year?
Oh, what didn’t I do (laughs). Just kidding. Honestly, I didn’t aim to become Employee of the Year. I just focused on doing my job—working with my team to achieve our goals, being myself, and supporting the team in every challenge. I think that was my lucky charm, helping me achieve the goals and earn the “Employee of the Year” title.
Are you happy with this recognition?
I’m very happy and incredibly grateful to everyone for the recognition. But I don’t want to take all the credit. This isn’t just my achievement; it’s the result of everyone’s efforts. So, I sincerely share this title with the entire team.
Is it easy to improve your professional skills in this company?
I can genuinely say that the company itself motivates employees to participate in various professional development activities by covering the necessary expenses.
I recently attended an occupational safety and health conference, as well as the HR Week conference, where I learned about the latest developments in human resources in Lithuania. I plan to continue participating in various seminars and conferences to further enhance my knowledge. After all, growth requires much more knowledge and preparation (she laughs).
You mentioned that the ‘Das Work’ team feels like one big family. Can you tell us about the community activities or initiatives you organize together?
Currently, the company participates in various social initiatives, such as “Food Bank,” “SOS Animals,” and others. The company’s team eagerly contributes to these initiatives. These activities create a sense of community, knowing that we can help someone and that we are socially responsible.
Is it challenging to be a department head? What are the main challenges faced by the Document Management Department at the moment?
I enjoy working with documents. However, for those who think that all we do in the Document Management Department is shuffle papers from one place to another, I can say that my team faces plenty of challenges. We handle a large flow of documents daily, must comply with all legal requirements and regulations, keep track of document updates, archiving instructions, and so on.
What advice would you give to colleagues who are just starting to integrate into the ‘Das Work’ family? And to those who aspire to become Employee of the Month or Year?
To both groups, I would say—be yourself. Personally, in all areas of my life, I follow the motto: success requires four things—hard work, dedication, thoughtfulness, and belief. This mindset helps me overcome many obstacles. Maybe it will help others too. Just believe, work together, and move towards a common goal (she smiles)!
