Growing Aarhus startup: “We don’t move by just praising each other”

Aarhus startup RaskRask, which offers massages via an online platform, has undergone significant growth since their participation in the TV show Løvens Hule in 2020. The company has grown to a team of 20 employees, many of whom are in their first job. Although a good atmosphere with humor and unity characterizes everyday life, the management has realized that more than just praise is needed to promote development and well-being. That’s why the company has focused on wellbeing and collaboration by introducing a culture of more open and honest feedback.

“We have a good atmosphere, but we don’t move enough by just praising each other. We must also dare to give each other constructive criticism. Being open and honest is crucial for both our well-being and the success of our business,” says Albert Kirk Iversen, founder of RaskRask in a press release.

Efforts for better feedback

With financial support of DKK 58,200 from Velliv Foreningen, RaskRask, in collaboration with a consultancy firm, has conducted a workshop where employees were trained in giving and receiving feedback. Velliv Foreningen supports initiatives that strengthen mental health in the workplace, and all companies can apply for financial support for this type of project.

The project at RaskRask quickly revealed that the existing culture of being primarily friendly and positive towards each other was hindering the company’s development.

“We’re really good at being nice to each other, but we hold back constructive criticism,” says Albert Kirk Iversen.

Now the company has a common language and methods to improve the feedback culture. One concrete change is the introduction of a “feedback on collaboration” button in the employee task management system. This feature should be used after each completed project, where the team gathers to evaluate what went well and what could be improved.

Continued focus on development

However, getting used to the new feedback culture has been a challenge.

“Our culture has been characterized by kindness and positivity, and learning to give and receive criticism has been a challenge. We are practicing it and working on making feedback an integral part of everyday life,” says Sarah Patocska, HR Manager at RaskRask, and continues:

“We’ve learned that it’s about creating a workplace where we dare to be vulnerable and honest. And I actually feel that we’ve become more open and better at reaching out to each other when something is difficult and troubling.”

Although RaskRask has already made great progress in their work with wellbeing and collaboration, they are far from finished. The company has just agreed with the consultancy to include more wellbeing activities in the coming year to ensure they continue to develop a healthy and open culture.

“We haven’t focused enough on well-being here in our first year. I’m glad we’ve started this project,” says Albert Kirk Iversen from RaskRask.

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