At AtoZ, learning has always been a natural part of everyday work. For a long time, we have lived by the idea that if something benefits both the employee and the company – and at least one other #AtoZfellow agrees – then it is worth pursuing, making decisions around, and acting on. This mindset has enabled many good things: curiosity, initiative, and the growth of both individual expertise and the entire business in directions that could not necessarily have been planned in advance.
At the same time, this freedom has left some #AtoZfellows feeling uncertain. What is the company’s stance on training, really? How much time and money can be used for it? And how should studying be agreed upon in relation to projects and clients? These questions began to recur especially in our employee well-being surveys.
In both the 2023 and 2024 employee well-being surveys, the same theme emerged: training practices needed more clarity. Although time and money could be used for learning quite flexibly, there were no shared guidelines. Practices relied more on tacit knowledge than on jointly agreed rules.
This feedback was taken seriously. After the 2024 survey, training practices were identified as a concrete development area, and for the first time, clear and transparent guidelines were created and made visible to everyone.
The new guidelines define what learning and training at AtoZ mean and how related decisions are made.
The starting point remains the same: we want to support people’s learning. To enable this, training now has a defined process and an annual budget of €1,000 per person, covering course fees and other training-related costs. If a training exceeds this budget, it is reviewed on a case-by-case basis together with the finance team.
Learning is seen as part of work, but also as part of the bigger business picture. In client projects, up to 20% of working time can be allocated to studying, ensuring that client work remains at a sustainable level. Training is always agreed upon with the project and the client – in the same way as holidays or other absences. At its best, learning can directly support the current client project.
Time between projects is seen as an especially good opportunity for skill development. In these situations as well, activities are agreed on a case-by-case basis with the support person and the business lead, taking into account potential client needs and sales enablement.
The guidelines also describe the practical learning process: what to do when a training idea is already clear, and what to do when the desire to learn exists but the direction is still taking shape. Discussions with the support person, technical leads, and project stakeholders play a key role.
One important principle is also sharing what has been learned. After completing a training, the learner shares their learnings in some form – a blog post, presentation, info session, or another way of sharing with fellow #AtoZpeople. This way, individual learning becomes shared competence. And repetition is the mother of learning.
The 2025 employee well-being survey showed that clearer guidelines were a step in the right direction, but the work is not yet finished. The survey revealed a wish for even more concrete support and ideas for learning. Not everyone is looking only for permission to learn – some also want signposts and examples.
For this reason, we are currently working on learning paths for different themes, such as artificial intelligence, test automation, and self-leadership, work practices, and well-being. The goal is not to lock anyone into a predefined mold, but to provide inspiration and support for those who want it.
Training practices at AtoZ are living and evolving together with us. Employee well-being surveys, everyday discussions, and experimentation guide our direction. Learning is not a project that is ever finished – it is a continuous part of how we want to work now and in the future. In this field, you are never fully ready.