As an IT consultancy company, we’ve been focusing for 15 years on happiness as one of the strategic pillars for our success. Nowadays, we rely on more than 1900 employees and seek to provide the most pleasant and positive work experience as possible in our 15 offices in Europe and Brazil.

Human capital is our greatest asset and even has its own name: Primers. This year, we decided to surprise them and set up an Advent Calendar that guaranteed to cheer up the moments in the company and offer unique experiences. “We work daily to keep our team happy and motivated; this is our ultimate commitment. To face yet another atypical year, we had a clear strategy: to reward our team for its dedication in an equally original and unique way. At the beginning of September, we started planning the first details for an Advent Calendar that promised to break our employees’ routine and surprise them with a different initiative every day until December 24th”, shares Bruno Ferreira, Marketing and Communication Department Manager.

Since day one, our employees have received an Advent Calendar communication in their email inbox, revealing the surprise of the day. According to Bruno Ferreira, this action became a habit throughout the December month: “during the first morning moments, as soon as they opened their email, [the Primers] tried to find out about the activity we planned for them that day. I believe that we have reinforced the feeling of belonging and team spirit”.

A bet on solidarity

The first day of PrimeIT’s Advent Calendar strengthened the quintessential spirit of this season: solidarity. Thus, all Primers were tasked with donating a toy, new or used, to help brighten the Christmas of the babies and children supported by Associação Crescer Bem, in Lisbon, and Bebés de São João, in Porto.

More than two hundred children’s books were also purchased and offered to our employees’ kids. This acquisition not only offered a gift to the younger ones, but also helped the Rui Osório de Castro Foundation, with part of the purchase of these books reverting to the cause.

Team spirit, an engine for overcoming challenges

During the month of December, PrimeIT wanted to restore the feeling of proximity that the pandemic took and re-seed the team spirit that has always characterized us.

Despite two atypical years in which the interpersonal relationship itself had to be redesigned, the foosball and ping-pong tournaments, as well as several themed challenges like padel, yoga, an online Stop game and the chocolate Santas’ game hunt in the office perfectly reflected just how unity and companionship continue to prevail among all Primers.

Reinventing was, undeniably, our Advent Calendar’s priority, and Wonderland was the greatest proof of that desire: on the 14th and 15th of December, PrimeIT’s offices in Lisbon were transformed into a Christmas village with popcorn, cotton candy, crepes, waffles, gummy candies, and a vintage carousel especially planned for the youngest. Not even Santa Claus missed the event, where he had the opportunity to get to know the Primers’ wishes and accept Christmas letters from the little ones.

2021: a year to preserve traditions and revive many others

The Christmas season was reinvented in 2021 by PrimeIT, through a truly exceptional Advent Calendar. However, we decided to maintain many of the traditions over these 24 days, for example, like an activity dedicated to Christmas desserts, including very typical Portuguese cakes such as Bolos Rei, Bolos Rainha, sonhos, filhoses, among many other conventional delicacies.

We also challenged the Primers to show up at the Porto office wearing Christmas Ugly Sweaters, animating and coloring the day.

During the 24 days of the Advent Calendar, there was also a time to special presents, which included unique experiences, movie tickets, as well as hotel and restaurant vouchers. We even had time to create a PrimeIT Christmas Lottery, in which we offered a Nintendo Switch, a Marshall column and a GoPro.

After numerous challenges overcome and several goals achieved, PrimeIT closed its Advent Calendar with a feeling of accomplishment and with the certainty that this was certainly a Christmas that will remain in the memory of all Primers.