Should you’re below 30 and are chasing happiness, Lithuania is the place to be. No less than that’s what the World Happiness Report advised earlier this yr, rating the Japanese European nation high for younger folks.
It may be troublesome to outline happiness, however it’s palpable. The CEO of certainly one of Lithuania’s well-known unicorns shed some mild on his observations as an organization headquartered within the capital metropolis of Vilnius.
Nord Safety, finest identified for its VPN device, is a tech agency with a workforce of over 1,600 folks, comprised of 70% Millennial and about 20% Gen Z workers.
The vitality of Nord’s workforce is infectious—one thing Tomas Okmanas, Nord’s CEO and cofounder, witnesses day by day.
“Everyone is, you know, young, happy, hungry, super talented,” he instructed Fortune in an interview. “People want to be part of the culture.”
COURTESY OF NORD SECURITY
Lithuania didn’t at all times have an excellent popularity. Following the cut up of the Soviet Union, the nation had an advanced journey. It’s grappled with an astronomical suicide price, significantly among the many male inhabitants, owing to socioeconomic elements.
Nonetheless, Lithuania has managed to buck its bleak previous to race to the highest of the World Happiness rankings this yr. Through the years, Lithuania has efficiently constructed a case for why it’s an awesome place for work-life stability: just one% of its workforce works lengthy days, per the OECD.
The nation has invested in new schemes to draw international expertise and is creating a sprawling $110 million tech campus. It’s minted a few of Europe’s most promising corporations moreover Nord, reminiscent of Vinted, PVcase, and Surfshark. A burgeoning startup scene, the low price of dwelling, ease of visas, and Lithuania’s EU membership created the proper alternative to draw expertise following Brexit.
What’s it about Lithuania?
Regardless of dwelling a lot of his life in Lithuania, Okmanas admits the highest spot got here as a shock.
“While we have grown accustomed to seeing positivity and a good mood in our offices, it’s a great feeling to know that the rest of the young people in Lithuania are happy, too,” he mentioned.
The quick tempo and starvation of a start-up setting isn’t misplaced on Okmanas. Whereas the crew at Nord pulls some late nights if there are product launches or different pressing issues to handle, “Would you see a lot of lights still on in our offices after 6 o’clock? I’m not sure, and even then it would be a high chance that people there are hanging out after work,” he says.
Aytac Unal—Anadolu Company/Getty Pictures
One key ingredient the Nord cofounder has labored in the direction of since organising the corporate in 2012 is discovering expertise united by extra than simply their ardour for tech and cybersecurity. Nord’s workers—who Tom characterizes as “geeks”—are chosen with care for many who may additionally spend money on the corporate’s cultures and friendships.
Nord workers meet outdoors of labor, whether or not that’s going to concert events, going long-distance biking, or connecting with fellow automobile fanatics. Since hobbies are in abundance, Nord simply offers folks a technique to join with different individuals who share these.
However the very best factor about having an organization filled with so-called “geeks”? There’s at all times an professional on each subject.
“If, for example, someone would raise a question on one of the company’s channels about some niche lawn mower, you could be sure that in a matter of minutes someone would write, ‘yeah, I can consult you, here [are] 5 spreadsheets on all available models, pros and cons and 10 different providers, I just updated them yesterday,’” Okmanas mentioned.
Nord’s tradition, per its CEO, no less than emulates a lot of what’s being mentioned about Lithuania. If happiness wasn’t a magnet sufficient for brand new expertise, the fast-growing startup tradition might do the remainder to assist the Japanese European nation increase.
