Building a culture of learning through Axis Axchange

Enikö and Ann-Sofie each already had a close relationship with their colleagues in Singapore but through Axchange, they wanted to deepen their understanding of the business and where it actually takes place. Enikö explains: “I took part in Axchange to be with my colleagues and get a better understanding of their everyday work life; which challenges are they facing and how we could improve the cooperation between our respective departments.” Ann-sofie recalls: “My goal was to build on those relationships and increase my network. I love experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, and collaborating so I felt it would be a valuable experience”.

Mikael utilized the initiative as an opportunity to expand his knowledge beyond the activity of his own team: “I’d been wanting to get close to customers and see how they work and gain a better understanding of selling the products that we engineer so this seemed like a great opportunity.” Axchange enabled Mikael to see how Axis products were being sold in the market, which was a key takeaway for him. Mikael’s role as a developer also provided insight and education that the sales team otherwise could not have obtained. For instance, during his visit he was able to work on installing cameras and helped to solve some analytics issues that customers were experiencing. “I’ve been a part of Axis for ten years and the tech has really evolved in this time. Having the opportunity to work with the sales team has helped keep things fresh and has encouraged my growth and development,” he adds. Alicia adds: “My goal was to learn new perspectives on learning and development and be able to bring that knowledge home with me to further enhance our own program while also bringing my knowledge and perspective from the Americas region to Sweden.

In being able to see first-hand what working in other markets at Axis entails, it puts your own work into perspective and can provide you with fresh insight to share with your own team. Reflecting on her experience, Ann-Sofie explains: “When I get to be where the business is happening and understand our core work, it gives me better insights for when I come home and put that into my role.” This can also have a positive impact on the wider team, Ann-Sofie explains. Once she returned from Singapore, she shared her experiences and learnings with her team in Sweden to help improve their way of working and inspire others to take part in Axchange.  

All previous participants expressed that the program has a positive impact on the Axis culture, encouraging those who take part to work with different members of the company to get a real understanding of how they work. If you have the opportunity to go abroad for your exchange, there’s the added bonus of getting to experience a new culture.

Alicia shares her thoughts on: “The best part of this experience was gaining a second HR family. The team welcomed me with open arms, included me on everything, and made sure I was as involved as possible. It was wonderful to be able to immerse myself in the Swedish culture and have a change of scenery for three weeks. And I was pleasantly surprised to see our cultures and core values are reflected the same no matter the location. It is truly heartwarming!”

Ann-Sofie was surprised by how familiar the culture within the Singapore team felt. She expected more nuances but found that they shared a similar culture that aligned with our core values at Axis. “Seeing the Axis culture reflected in another office in a different country was really interesting,” she says. “I love experiencing different cultures, meeting new people, and collaborating, so I really embraced the opportunity. The experience has really been outstanding. I’ve built lifelong relationships, a great network and a better understanding of how we operate locally. I really hope others take part in Axchange!