Talk to any HR leader and they’ll likely agree on one thing: a thriving workplace isn’t just built on tasks and targets — it’s shaped by shared experiences. Celebrations and informal gatherings aren’t just “nice to have.” They help teams build trust, strengthen bonds, and create a culture where people genuinely enjoy showing up. And let’s be honest — wouldn’t you prefer working in a place that feels like more than just work?

Lithuania. A natural fit for talent in search of a team.

You will find that the workplace culture in Lithuania heartily supports such initiatives. More than that, camaraderie is one of the defining aspects of working life there. This is hardly surprising. Lithuania is a country which embraces celebration, where you’ll find the calendar packed with such events as Užgavėnės, a wild combination of pancake day and Halloween, where people dance around fires in crazy masks and feast until sunset.

Then there’s the giant St. Casimirs Fair, where the capital’s UNESCO-listed old town is taken over by a sprawling craft fair, with the air filled with the smells of local delicacies, folk music, and excited banter. Further into the summer, you have Street Music Day, the Sea Festival in Lithuania’s coastal city Klaipeda, and, of course, one of the year’s highlights, St.John’s Day, with its folk-tinged fire ceremonies and full moon lakeside singsongs. And all of these events have one thing in common, a strong sense of community and shared joy.

If you are a person who feels that such camaraderie and celebration inspire you to better results and a more fulfilling life, the workplace culture in Lithuania is for you. And there’s plenty of evidence to support that most people do. Research conducted by Gallup found that strong teams are more than a good thing. Having increased engagement levels in teams results in a 41% reduction in absenteeism, a 24% decrease in turnover in high-turnover organisations, a 17% boost in productivity, and a 21% rise in profitability.

What you’ll find in Lithuania – all you’re looking for.

As a new joiner to mostly any company in Lithuania, you can expect not only the regular onboarding and training activities but a social event of some kind. It might be for an informal lunch or bar snack. Might not sound like anything so unique, but it’s the way it’s done.

Lithuanians like to socialise, so that means you needn’t worry about being lonely, your team will be quick to make you feel at home. Take Paystrax, for example, a rising star in the world of Fintech. The company has the tradition of “Friday brunch”. This is held on the last Friday of each month, where employees are invited to share their favourite dishes with others. It could be anything from a home-cooked meal to desserts from a local bakery. As Goda Jurgaitytė, Marketing Manager, shares: 

“Over the years, we’ve enjoyed foods of every kind, from those you’d usually only see at a grandmother’s Christmas table to the latest trendy recipes. We also try to match the brunch with any events, such as Halloween or Užgavėnės.”

And if you are to join a Lithuanian team in the summer months, you’ll definitely get treated to one of the country’s signature dishes. Here, we are talking about šaltibarščiai, a cold beet soup whose shocking pink colour makes it perfect for Instagram. Lithuanians love it so much they have a festival dedicated to it. And you can bet that your work colleagues will be very eager to introduce you to it.

It’s not all food-related fun and frolics, though. CarVertical, a rising star in the field of automotive data solutions for car owners, has found cool ways to unite their teams around the industry they work in. Each spring, they hold a themed party, which often revolves around their industry. For example, they held a “car dealer” party where team members were invited to dress as second-hand car dealers, as well as a “Tokyo Drift” party. And that’s not all, they will also regularly schedule informal fun events like a “poker” night.

Team Building in Lithuania: a natural way to bond.

As mentioned, team-building activities are central to workplace culture in Lithuania. This really kicks into gear when spring rolls around. Why so? Lithuanians have an almost spiritual connection to their natural environment, so when the weather warms up, you’ll find that lots of companies send their teams out on weekend retreats. One of the most popular activities is kayaking along the many river and lake networks that crisscross the country. To see just how popular this is, you need only look at the sheer volume of LinkedIn posts this generates in the summer months. And it’s not only about kayaking. Teams will also camp out within one of the country’s rich and green forests, and spend a valuable couple of nights under the stars. The aim? For everyone to not only get to know each other better, but to give them a more natural, less forced way to practice real teamwork, and even generate a few ideas.

But it’s not just kayaking. There’s also activities like marsh walks, where you and your colleagues get down and dirty, orienteering your way through some picturesque and challenging marshland. Some other companies are active in helping to sustain the country’s rich nature through team initiatives like tree planting. For example, the team at local ventilation solution provider, Salda, planted 17,000 oak and spruce trees throughout Lithuania. It has also become something of a yearly tradition for the local game development industry, with folk working for different studios coming together for what Lithuanians call “miškasodis”.

Meanwhile, getting out and about is not only about one-off summer activities. Many companies also have their own cycling clubs or running clubs. And for those who like to push themselves a bit further, there’s also company entry into the local Vilnius marathon or half-marathon.

Working: in the office, in nature, and further afield.

Meanwhile, some companies, like Hostinger, the globally renowned web hosting company that is headquartered in Vilnius, are famous for the workations that they organise in and around Lithuanian nature during the summer. Sometimes near the forest or lake, sometimes by the dunes of Lithuania’s unspoilt and beautiful coastline.

And talking of workations, one of the most celebrated examples of this in Lithuania is the yearly group-wide foreign trip organised by Tesonet, the unicorn cybersecurity company, and home to Nord VPN. Every autumn the company organises a fleet of planes, and decamps its entire Lithuanian office, all 2000+ of them to sunnier climes for parties, team building and maybe a few more parties. This is by far the largest example, but it is in no way an outlier, as a number of companies organise such events for their teams.

And office life in many companies is all about the culture and the community, that’s why you’ll find everything under one roof. For example, the rising star of the local scene, digital health and wellness unicorn-to-be Kilo Health, offers everything from an in-house movie theatre, regular community events, a gym, fitness classes, to its own social clubs. It even has its own bar nearby, which is itself a popular local hangout.

Celebrating and fundraising the Lithuanian company way.

One of the most distinctive and proudly local company traditions is Cake Day. Started by the Lithuanian news portal Delfi as a way to promote good causes, the idea is that on a certain day, employees bring in baked goods to sell to each other in order to raise money for charity. What began as a fun fundraising initiative has since blossomed into a national obsession, with Instagram feeds overflowing with photos of canteen tables laden with cakes, buns, and cookies.

Work anniversary traditions are also, of course, something that is keenly followed across the board in Lithuania, but again, they vary from company to company. Hostinger, for example, enjoys celebrating milestones at work (and in life) with special events and gifts. CarVertical, meanwhile, holds OKR parties, where the entire company will gather for lunch to celebrate the completion of an OKR. And this sense of celebration also stretches to personal birthdays, with every birthday being celebrated not just with cakes, but with hot dogs, or whatever the lucky person finds most appetising or fun.

How one company does it all.

Here’s what Gertrūda Eimutytė, Employer Branding, Events and Internal Comms at Mediatech has to say about the amazing workplace culture at rising Media R&D House.

“We value community above all, which is why our benefits are designed to foster both personal and collective growth. We come together for team buildings and OKR events every quarter, with annual New Year events centered around shared learning experiences like skiing or surfing. Weekly “Pastry Fridays” give us a chance to pause and connect, and monthly “Breakfast and Learn” sessions create a space for anyone to share knowledge or simply listen.

We’re dedicated to supporting well-being with private health insurance, gym memberships, in-office physiotherapy, and 67% coverage of either parking or public transport tickets. Plus, each year, you have the option to work from anywhere for a month—sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to spark fresh ideas.

Milestones are celebrated with care. Life events—birthdays, weddings, graduations, newborns, even losses—are acknowledged with a bonus. At Christmas, we come together to celebrate, often gifting experiences rather than just presents. One memorable highlight was the Sun & Sea performance.

We also choose age-appropriate gifts for employees’ kids to ensure they’re meaningful and used instead of just going to waste. And each year, alongside a selection from our Anniversary Collection—ranging from t-shirts to suitcases—the longer you work, the more significant the item you receive. At Mediatech, we celebrate the journey together, ensuring every step people take with us feels meaningful and rewarding.”

There you go. If you are looking for a job culture where community is the byword. Where there are strong work anniversary traditions, and celebrating milestones at work is a cherished part of the job, the workplace culture in Lithuania is definitely for you.