How can we make our interns become a part of a workplace when half of the studio is working remotely? Due to the working from home situation, Massive’s HR and Recruitment team have started new initiatives to make the onboarding process easier for our new interns, and to make them feel welcome in the studio. The initiative first started off with an online event in late September, where the new interns got to know each other and learn what the Internship Program is all about.
The Internship Program 2.0 is a new concept initiated by Massive’s HR and Recruitment team to give new interns the full Massive experience, whilst also working from home. The new program consists of several events that will be held throughout the year, giving the interns the opportunity to network and get to know each other.
It’s important that the new interns feel welcome.
Even though the current situation doesn’t allow larger crowds, it hasn’t stopped the program from moving forward online. Helen Jönsson, Senior Recruiter, and Helene Axelsson, Learning & Developments Specialist, are some of the employees who are planning and moderating the different events.
“It’s important that the new interns feel welcome and know what they can expect from their internship here at Massive, but also create an understanding of who we are as a studio,” Helene explains.
An online Welcoming event
Starting with a welcoming event, the interns joined an online meeting on Teams not knowing what to expect. The invitation to the digital event included a surprise goodie bag, with the instructions of “not to be opened until the start of the event”.
After a short presentation about what the Internship Program is and what kind of events that will be held later this year, the interns could finally open their goodie bag. Even though their microphones were off you could see that several people started to laugh. So, what was in it? Well, a LEGO set and some Swedish fika.
If you’ve never heard of fika before, it’s a very Swedish thing where you often drink a beverage and eat some kind of pastry. If you’re a non-native living in Sweden or just visiting, you soon learn that Swedish fika is kind of sacred here. In other words, you could tell that the event was all about giving the interns a real Swedish welcome, which is a vital part of the Massive experience.
LEGO bricks and expectations
The intention with the LEGO sets was for the interns to build something that represented their expectations of the internship at Massive and they got 15 minutes to assemble something. Hjalmar Danielsson, Junior Gameplay Programmer intern, built a colorful house and a figure.
It’s about entering the Massive building and becoming a part of the Massive family and community.
“For me, it represents the Massive building with its colorful flags, and then there’s me. It’s about entering the Massive building and becoming a part of the Massive family and community,” Hjalmar explains.
What’s next?
Later this fall, the next Internship Program event will be held, where focus will be on career inspiration. Helen and Helene will invite Massive employees to talk about their careers and their journeys in the gaming industry, as a way to inspire our new interns and to create a better understanding of the industry and the careers you can have in it.
Useful Links
- Are you interested in joining our Massive family as an intern? Read our internship FAQ here.
- If you’re searching for a more permanent position, check out our open positions on the Career page.
