The Employee – The Core Value of Company 'Fino'

Fino, an accounting and auditing company, has been operating in the Georgian market for 13 years, distinguished by its unorthodox approaches and unique structure. With experience serving over 300 clients across 17 sectors, and having completed more than 200 projects to date, the company is experiencing dynamic growth. In addition to its core activities, Fino is also introducing innovative management practices.

The company adopts a distinctive approach to work, focusing on long-term, healthy partnerships. Fino aims to offer a personalized service to each client, avoiding "one-size-fits-all" solutions. The company is committed to making its services available not only to large businesses, but also to small and medium enterprises. To support this, Fino created the 'Fino for SME' program, which aims to relieve early-stage entrepreneurs from the complexities of accounting and tax issues. Fino provides these services on favorable terms, helping to ease the challenges of starting and growing a business.

Fino stands out in Georgia for its individual approach and ability to tailor its services to each client's needs. This focus on personalization has led to long-term partnerships and the steady addition of new clients, who come through referrals from existing ones- an accomplishment Fino considers a great achievement.

The company believes that customer satisfaction goes beyond technical expertise: Fino also values the well-being and satisfaction of its employees, recognizing that a happy, motivated team is key to delivering exceptional service.

Management ahead of its Time

Managers often worry that if they don't take responsibility for certain tasks themselves, the results might not meet expectations, or may even fail. However, Fino's experience has shown that trust-based relationships, where employees have the autonomy to plan their work and make decisions, directly contribute to increased motivation and accountability.

"An employee works with more enthusiasm and motivation when acting on their own decisions rather than following someone else's instructions," notes the company's director, Mikheil Merabishvili. "If an employee doesn't make decisions and mistakes themselves, they won't develop or grow professionally. And if a person doesn't grow, it means they will always depend on the manager. Isn't this the essence of the learning process? Making mistakes and then trying again, differently?"

Fino has created an organizational culture that is unique and foundational to the company's success. Over the past 13 years, much work has been done to enhance relationships and improve the working environment. The dedication of both human and material resources for the advancement of the organization has paid off. The result is a workplace where collaboration is prioritized over competition; where people are heard and their opinions considered, and where decisions are made through mutual agreement. The team is composed of knowledgeable and highly skilled professionals trusted by dozens of companies.

"Career development is not about direct competition," says Olga Nebieridze, the company's operational director. "Empathy plays a crucial role when choosing managerial positions. Our staff can count on each other's support, whether it's for professional guidance or other aspects."

At Fino, a lot of thought goes into evolving and improving the working environment so that the employees don't experience unnecessary stress. The workplace is designed to be a place of relaxation and learning, even when the nature of the work is stressful. To facilitate this, they devised an original method for improving communication, known as the 'Happiness Committee' – a new initiative regarding employee motivation and care.

The Most Valuable Investment

In today's world, managing human capital has become a significant challenge for companies, as the psycho-emotional state of employees directly impacts their motivation and the quality of their work. The finance sector is especially sensitive in this regard, as a lot of the work is carried out independently, and communication, openness, and transparency among team members is minimal. How can one transform the work environment to deal with this? How should employers take care of the mental health of their team?

"We at Fino try to shoulder our share of the responsibility and create an enjoyable place to work using the means at our disposal," Merabishvili says. "Its principal aim was the sincere interest on the part of the 'Happiness Committee' to look after people's emotional well-being and reveal superfluous anxieties that could easily be avoided."

The 'MyFino' committee follows the principle that each team member takes responsibility for supporting a few designated colleagues. The name 'MyFino' is derived from the company's name, reflecting a personalized approach. Every employee at Fino has their own 'MyFino,' who is responsible for understanding what causes stress or discomfort and who works to eliminate as many of these issues as possible. At the same time, 'MyFino' members focus on professional development so as to foster a healthy, supportive working environment for their peers.

According to Merabishvili, "the global vision of the 'Happiness Committee' is that work should be people-centered, rather than people being fitted into work. I believe this is a pre-condition for team members to feel fulfilled and happy, both inside and outside the company."

The company noticed that service quality increased whenever the satisfactory level of team members reached a high level. This became the company approach: to inspire staff to focus on the company's success, to be loyal to its values, and to have them do their best by offering an enabling work environment.

"We sell our time and expertise, and that's why it is our strategic priority to ensure that the people who create this expertise are highly motivated, focused, and capable of delivering quality services," says Merabishvili.

When an employee sees the attention given to them and feels they are important to the company, they are more likely to strive to be their best self and support other team members selflessly.

"Informal relations in the company are also very important. When an employee knows there is someone they can trust, who will listen to them and relay their concerns to management, it is often a great relief," Nebieridze notes.

Entrepreneur got some feedback from Fino employees on this work concept too: "My 'MyFino' is the most cheerful among the 'MyFinos.' Having a MyFino is wonderful. When you're working on a project and something bothers you, being able to talk to a colleague you feel close to means a lot. If you have problems, they help you to handle things more easily. Also, if you need to bring something up, it's much simpler to communicate," says one.

Thanks to the committee's work, potential problems or challenges employees might face are identified early, allowing for timely intervention. This proactive approach helps maintain long-term, strong relationships between management and team members. These are not just words; there are examples at Fino where feedback from employees has led to significant changes. For example, according to the data obtained from 'MyFinos,' a "middleman" communication layer was introduced between clients and the accounting team in the form of an "Account Care Manager." The organization also developed an internal training system, the 'Learn-Teach' program, aimed at enabling employees to share their experiences.

A Problem as an Opportunity for Development

How did the idea of the 'Happiness Committee' come about?

The pandemic marked a starting point for significant changes in companies, since they faced so many challenges at the time; challenges that meant traditional approaches would no longer work, and greater originality was required.

The work of Fino employees is so specialized, that efficient and effective communication among team members became practically impossible during the forced remote work period. This lack of communication, compounded by stress and uncertainty, worsened overall performance. The problem was that the employees were not discussing their issues, despite the manager's efforts to encourage dialogue. As a result, the company experienced increasing employee turnover.

The problem was particularly concerning for Fino, where maintaining long-term and healthy relations with employees is a priority. The idea arose to create a system that would provide continuous support to employees in the long-run. This is how the 'Happiness Committee' was born, driven by the enthusiasm of several key individuals. Business consultant Sandro Jejelava and HR professional Tamar Saladze, along with the company representatives, were integral in planning the project.

The company's goal was to identify the causes of stress and discomfort among employees so that ways could be found to eliminate them. Fino's management agreed to give full autonomy to the committee by providing a budget so that it could act for and on behalf of the company, and respond independently to certain problems. Later on, solutions or collective activities aimed at motivating and improving employee happiness were planned.

Committee members actively communicated with the employees assigned to them, addressing both work-related and personal issues affecting them. The initiative proved effective, as the "bottom-up" information enabled rapid responses and appropriate actions, leading to a greater sense of trust and loyalty from employees.

Prior to the creation of the 'Happiness Committee,' the company faced high personnel turnover, a lack of employee referrals, and few cases of former employees returning. After implementing the project, a sharp increase in loyalty among employees was seen.

"If a team member hasn't found their place in the company, this information is communicated to management so they can quickly intervene and help the individual make the right choice. As a result, timelines become more manageable and predictable. Ultimately, at Fino, we create an environment where people are motivated by the work they do," Merabishvili says.

This project, and the management's approach, has raised the level of communication within the organization, and made employees more open—today, Fino is a different company altogether. Merabishvili shares: "Caring for each other never gets old, and we've once again been convinced that if you care about people, they will take care of the success of the business."

"I think the idea of 'MyFino' is not just good, but also fun," one Fino employee tells us. "Clients differ from each other in the workload and challenges they present. Consequently, various difficulties appear that often influence our emotional condition. I believe the presence of 'MyFino people' in the company eases employees' daily burden."

"My 'MyFino' is a positive person. I still remember my first call from them. I didn't even know something like 'MyFino' existed," another employee notes. "That call put me in a good mood, as I'd joined the company only a few days prior."

Recognition and Project Success

In 2024, Fino received significant recognition and positive feedback for its Happiness Committee project. The Happiness Committee won awards in two major business events, Meritos and the Development and Happiness Summit, and was a finalist in the Meliora Responsible Business Competition, competing alongside much larger companies.

The successful result of the project is felt both inside and outside the company, and means a lot to the Fino team, highlighting as it does that the company chose the right direction of development.

"We started the project in 2020, but we showed it to people only in 2024. We were very surprised, because we didn't expect such a reaction. This recognition gives us even greater motivation to increase the focus and engagement in continuing this work," says Merabishvili.

The Fino team recently announced an interesting initiative: they are ready to host any company—small, medium, or large—at Fino to share all the details of this project, both practical and theoretical. "Our mission is to improve the overall business environment, because we work with businesses. Our goal is not only to sell services, but, first and foremost, to achieve shared success," Merabishvili says.

Why Should Employees Feel Good?

Fino recognizes that the driving force is not merely the work of individuals, but effective communication, mutual understanding, and the desire to respect differences and diversity in thought. Given the right setting, employees never find reason not to collaborate with their peers. Human capital holds the key to any strategic development for a company; thus, their welfare encompasses what is considered to be success. At Fino, people—both clients and employees—are at the heart of the organization.

After implementing the Agile organizational structure, the company became much more flexible. Besides core areas, projects are managed by cross-functional teams. Employees can be involved in various activities and test their skills in different areas. For example, employees from the financial department have already had opportunities to participate in marketing projects, with several precedents set.

According to the operations manager, "We encourage their ideas and approaches- very often with very good results. Some employees have been able to offer interesting approaches and out-of-the-box solutions which benefit the company and make the employee feel more part of the organization. They see themselves as contributors to achieving the company's main goals."

Merabishvili elaborates: "Participatory management is part of the company's form of governance. Team members are involved in strategy formulation and planning, and whenever major changes are made, the management stands ready to consider their opinions and to take them on board. This encourages their participation and accountability in the process, and lessens opposition to change."

The effort invested in building a strong organizational culture forms the foundation for the high-quality services Fino provides. The environment created within the company motivates employees to give their best, dedicate themselves fully to supporting clients, and continually develop both personally and professionally. Each employee represents the company and its image, and how they are treated within the organization is inevitably reflected in their behavior. Thus, Fino believes that investing time and attention in human capital yields the greatest returns.

The company invests a lot of time in employee selection, striving to hire individuals that align with its corporate culture. When a team is composed of people with similar values, conflicts and misunderstandings rarely happen. Employees can work more effectively toward common goals without feeling the need to behave unnaturally in their roles.

This approach not only simplifies the adaptation process for new hires but also ensures that they adopt the organization's values, which are reflected in the quality of service they provide to clients.

"The most important thing is to see value alignment in the candidate, which helps us find common ground," Nebieridze says. "When someone consciously wants to contribute to the company's development, many communication barriers are already overcome. As a result, relationships within the company are entirely based on equality, focused on collaboration, and oriented toward delivering results."

Side by Side on the Path of Development

Reporting details vary across sectors within auditing, accounting, and taxing, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in terms of legislation.

"The biggest asset for companies like ours is to have a team whose members operate within different sectors and companies, adapting quickly to the latest changes," Merabishvili says. "In this rapidly developing environment, a company needs to pay close attention to professional growth and the continuous development of its staff.

"The 'Learn-Teach' program is one of the company's core initiatives to foster this growth. Through this program, employees engage in short, daily training sessions on relevant topics, create learning materials, and share knowledge and competencies, fostering mutual support and a culture of learning. This helps the sharing of competencies and knowledge, besides offering mutual support.

"One of the major factors in the development of Fino has been our ability to create a corporate culture where people are motivated to share their knowledge rather than compete with one another," he adds.

Psycho-emotional support is crucial for job performance, because the company's activities to a great extent depend on human labor, and this increases the chances of mistakes being made. However, at Fino, they don't believe this should be an obstacle.

"We have a system in place to evaluate each successful case, as well as the obstacles or mistakes that occur," Nebieridze notes. "Employees understand that timely feedback on mistakes is key to identifying skills that need improvement. If a mistake is made – a fact which is impossible to avoid in human labor- it's better to have it happen in the beginning, in order to solve it as quickly as possible. One of our team's achievements is that we discuss not only other people's errors, but also our own. Hidden errors are the worst thing that can happen in this area."

At Fino, they believe that such a supportive environment is the reason current employees love their company so much, and why they maintain good relationships even with former employees.

Gamification in Modern Management

Of course, not every new activity, project, or assignment necessarily catches the staff's interest. If the novelty is presented in a captivating, interesting way, however, resistance can be diminished. That is exactly when the idea to introduce games into routine work appeared at Fino.

"We decided to implement gamification in the company, because games take us back to childhood, and with them, we start doing things with more enthusiasm. Through simple rules, employees could participate in marketing and other activities, earning currency units we created to foster a more competitive environment. These units can be exchanged for various items, and we also have winners and hold award ceremonies," the company's director tells us.

A very good example is the new marketing strategy, which the Fino team found challenging, and which required their active participation. Initially, this new direction made employees feel somewhat uncomfortable. To overcome this barrier, the team introduced a fun approach by incorporating games and competitions. This eventually brought more joy to the team's daily routine, and the frequency of informal communication among the employees allowed them to connect on a deeper level, creating a stronger sense of camaraderie.

What's Next

One thing is clear—no matter how interesting the practices you implement are, you should never stop improving, learning, asking for advice, and developing.

Looking ahead, Mikheil Merabishvili emphasizes that Fino strives to stay ahead of the rapid technological progress and the dynamism of its industry. From day one, the company has focused on adapting technologies to its operations, ensuring it remains in sync with the changing landscape.

By 2024, digitalization had become a central focus for Fino, marking a pivotal moment in the company's ongoing growth and innovation.

"Over 13 years, we've taken significant steps toward digitalization, ensuring that our work processes are as modern and software-based as possible—whether it's quality management, recruitment processes, client information management, or documentation handling," Merabishvili explains.

Fino's primary goal is to preserve and develop the environment it has built over the years, as well as the relationships it has nurtured. Success depends not only on high-quality work, but also on relationships within and outside the organization.

The company's CEO says that Fino will continue to adhere to these core principles, working with even greater determination to foster an environment that supports the growth of both businesses and employees alike.