Matchmaking – 2019 Through the HR Lens
2019 is shaping up to be a great year at Spark Networks – especially through the HR lens. 2018 was our first full year as Spark Networks SE, operating both in Germany and the US under our NYSE ticker symbol ‘LOV’. We improved our processes, we updated our HR policies and we developed and rolled out new programmes that were welcomed by our colleagues with open arms and enabled hundreds of great conversations and learning opportunities across all departments.
In the new year we will continue building and enhancing our relationships with new and existing employees. True to our vision, we want our customers to find Love using our products, and we want our colleagues to find Success and Happiness working at Spark. To make sure everybody stays healthy, we are now subsidizing Urban Sports Club memberships and to allow for personalised learning, every Spark employee now has access to the full Blinkist library for free. And since we’re all about relationships, we increased our annual holidays to ensure everybody can spend more time with their loved ones at home.
If Spark sounds like a new professional home for you: Check out our Careers page for all current openings.
There are some HR highlights to look forward to in 2019:
Company Onboarding
One of our most popular features for all new joiners at Spark Networks is our 2-day Company Onboarding, featuring a wide range of topical introductions by different colleagues, an introduction to all Spark teams, an Ask-the-MD-anything session, and a round of Speed Dating so that new colleagues can get to know each other. The perfect mix of fun and useful, this enables all new employees to find their way around Spark as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Spark Academy
Launched in April 2018, the Spark HR team collaborates with internal experts from all corners of the organisation to develop monthly in-house and digital training workshops around topics such as Team Management, Agile Working, Introduction to Finance, Presentations, Motivation, Conflict Management and Negotiations.
Leadership Circle
Once a month, all Spark managers are invited to a lunchtime “brown paper bag” get-together centered around Leadership and Management. Internal or external speakers share personal anecdotes (successes and failures) and insights, useful frameworks and theories about leadership in all its various shapes and forms.
Spark Feedback
To foster healthy and strong relationships between managers and their direct reports, we run the entire company (including the C-Suite) through a pretty extensive round of feedback twice per year. Self-assessment, downward, upward and 360° feedback – it’s all included. Supported by feedback training, this new system enables constructive (and even fun!) conversations across all levels.
What else?
Every year, we run a detailed Gender Pay Gap Analysis to make sure that there are no salary discrepancies between jobs held by men and women.
In addition to our individual feedbacks, we also check in with everybody via our bi-annual Employee Satisfaction Surveys where everybody is asked for anonymous feedback and ideas for improvement on company strategy, communication and lots of other topics. Many good things happening at Spark are a direct result of those surveys.
Here is to a happy and successful 2019!
– Fabienne Riener,
Director of Human Resources
