Working at P27: ‘We’re not a typical fintech’

P27 may be best known for its ambition of developing the Nordic payments infrastructure. But attracting talents excited about the prospect of working at P27 is critical to realizing the vision of building the Nordics’ first multi-currency, cross-border payments platform.

“It’s rare that you get a chance to be a part of building a company – and a culture – from scratch,” says P27’s Head of HR Linette Emborg. And that spirit of building something new is an important part of the culture at a pioneering fintech like P27, a company that aims to build and launch a first-of-its-kind payments platform in the Nordics.

‘The most attractive fintech workplace’

Emborg has relished the challenge of building an entire HR function from the ground up. Most rewarding, she explains, has been creating a P27 culture together with the organisation and instilling new employees with a common set of company values that guide them in their ways of working.

“From the very beginning, I’ve been asking myself and others, ‘What kind of company do we want to be?’”

When pressed for an answer, Emborg doesn’t hesitate: “We want to be the most attractive fintech workplace in the Nordics.”

In practical terms, that means creating a workplace with a strong sense of “togetherness” where employees feel they have influence and can be part of creating something new, where they can use their expertise while learning and being innovative.

“We also have to be open, transparent, and trusting, and be willing to give and take feedback. Ultimately that’s the most efficient way for us to learn and develop together.”

Working at P27: taking ownership from day one

Judging from the steady stream of unsolicited CVs and emails Emborg receives each week, there’s no shortage of people interested in joining P27.

However, identifying and attracting the right candidates can be a bit of a challenge, she admits. Experience is a must, as is a commitment to building something new and accepting that answers to some questions don’t really exist yet.

“We need talented people who are ready to hit the ground running and take ownership from day one, building and rowing the boat at the same time,” says Emborg

Not a typical fintech

While P27 was born from the banking world, Emborg describes P27’s DNA as closer to that of a fintech than a bank.

“But we’re not a typical fintech either,” she adds, referring to having six major Nordic banks as owners, something that sets it apart from many other start-ups in the region.

P27 has already taken great strides toward building a strong company by attracting several new hires, roughly half of which have started since the start of the year. And as the company moves closer to its expected launch date, Emborg doesn’t see the pace of recruitment slowing down anytime soon.

“P27 will always be a lean company,” she says. However, talents are always of interest to us and we still have some key positions available.”

NOTE: The official launch of P27 services is subject to regulatory approvals and therefore P27 will not conduct any business activities until required regulatory approvals are obtained.