Operating environment
Organisation
A cornerstone for Via is its functional, flexible and open team organisation. Interpreter teams are autonomously responsible for dividing and organising work. Traditionally, interpreting has been carried out in isolation. The current team organisation at Via makes work less lonely and improves employees’ wellbeing at work.
In a cooperative, supreme power of decision lies with the general meeting of the cooperative. At the meeting, members elect the Board of Directors that provides strategic guidelines for operations and controls Via’s operations. The Board also elects and authorises a Managing Director who is ultimately responsible for all Via’s decisions, finances and customer relations. The Managing Director is also responsible for the quality and development of services as well as the smooth operations of the service process. The daily operations of teams are managed by regional supervisors based all over Finland.
Human resources
Via employs interpreters, some of whom also teach sign language and/or signs. Via’s administration is in the hands of the Managing Director, regional supervisors and office personnel.
The aim is to turn 5 to 10 temporary working contracts into permanent ones every year and to develop Via’s payroll system so that it provides incentives for employees.
Customers
- deaf, deafened, hard-of-hearing, deafblind and hearing people using varying languages
- local authorities and their joint procurement units, companies, associations, unions, educational institutions, other interpreter centres and other organisations. The total number of Via’s organisational customers is about 150 at the moment.
Owners
The cooperative is owned by its interpreter-members. Via’s rules require members to work in a professional, independent and entrepreneurial manner in one of the cooperative’s fields of operation according to the operating principles of the cooperative. New members can be accepted on application. Applications with recommendations should be addressed to the Board.