Office and HR Manager Kärol Järviste joined Holm at a time of upheaval for the company: just as the final preparations were being made for it to obtain its banking licence. Looking back, she still feels an enormous degree of respect for her colleagues, for their unrivalled efficacy and professionalism in working towards their goal – just as she did at the time. “More than anything, it showed me that if you’ve got a specific target in sight and everyone aims for it, then anything’s possible,” she says.
Kärol will shortly mark four years at Holm. “It was hugely motivating, being there at the birth of a new Estonian bank,” she says. “When I started, the idea of a company from Haapsalu becoming a fully-fledged national bank seemed, to me at least, pretty preposterous. It was hard to believe it would ever actually happen. But then it did – we were issued our banking licence. It was an amazing moment for the whole team, and for Estonia as well.”
Now that Holm has been operating as a bank for three years, Kärol feels the full weight of responsibility that a bank has before its clients, other organisations and society as a whole. “Holm, to me, is about ambition,” she explains. “It’s a company that aims high and thinks big. I feel like every door is open to us to capitalise on that. After all, we’re the bank that inspires people to plan for a better tomorrow!”
The people behind Holm’s success story
In her role as Office and HR Manager, Kärol feels it’s her job to ensure that everyone in the company is happy. “The greatest asset any company has is its staff, because they’re the ones who launch new products and services, keep customers happy and ultimately turn a profit,” she says. “Diversity, unity and team spirit are what keep me coming back here every day, and they’ve been the keys to our success.”
Kärol is also responsible for recruitment, which is one of the most complicated aspects of her job: suitable candidates are hard to find. “When you do get someone on board who’s a true specialist, and they’re happy, and everyone else is happy, it’s the best feeling ever!” she smiles.
Kärol says she is constantly in awe at working with people who have been with the company for over 25 years. “They have a sparkle in their eyes as they go about their work, even after all this time,” she says. “But then our new recruits have that as well, and the same drive and ambition. It’s coming up with ideas and seeing something being made of them that puts that sparkle in your eyes. There are always issues and obstacles when you set up something new, but ours is a relatively small team, and we work closely together and enjoy what we do, so that helps you overcome anything.”
Thriving on challenges in the banking and sporting arenas
The chance to be part of the astonishing growth and development of the company is one that Kärol values very highly. “Evolving professionally, and overcoming the challenges that come with it, is really important to me,” she says. “Working for Holm hasn’t disappointed on that front. The world around us changes every single day, and I enjoy getting a handle on new situations. Different aspects of my work take precedence at different times, which means I never get bogged down in routine. The explosive growth we’ve seen in such a short time since becoming a bank has done a lot for my development as a specialist, particularly where my process coordination skills are concerned. Everything you learn, however unimportant it might seem at the time, comes in handy at some point.”
At the same time, Kärol says that if you want to ensure job satisfaction, you mustn’t let your work take over your life, but allow yourself enough time to enjoy your hobbies. As a passionate equestrian rider she dedicates much of her time outside of work to training with her horse. The close and trusting bond she has developed with the animal over the years has led to success in competitions.
“I’m enormously grateful to Holm as an employer for granting me the flexibility I need time-wise to take part in competitions,” she says. “I think the way I throw myself into my sport makes me better at what I do at work as well. Being with my horse – which is as much a form of meditation for me as it is a sport – I forget everything else. It’s just my horse and me. Training always recharges my batteries, which is all the impetus I need to throw myself into my work.”
Holm Bank AS
Posti 30, 90504 Haapsalu
Commercial Register code
14080830
