Here at Ataccama, we’ve worked to build a culture where everyone feels happy and challenged in their position. Some colleagues have been with us since the very beginning, in the same team, in the same area. But for some people it means trying out more than one thing: new roles within their team, different teams, or even new responsibilities at our offices in other countries. We think a company actually works best when people have opportunities to explore, develop their talents, and work together to find out what fits them best and what they enjoy most. The playground is unlimited for each of us.
But don’t take our word for it. How do Ataccamers themselves see this #UnlimitedPlayground?
Pavel Franěk — Systems Engineer
You worked in a theater for four years before joining Ataccama. What brought you to a software company?
Yep, I played at a Prague amateur theater and worked at Municipal Prague Theatres. I had a bunch of different jobs there, including IT support. When I started looking for something new, a colleague from the theater who worked at Ataccama told me that I was a quick learner and could fit in well. At the interview, we found out (not surprisingly) that I didn’t have many of the necessary technical skills. But they gave me a chance and assigned me a task: a written problem from a client that I was supposed to answer. They said my solution knocked their socks off. Even without the experience, I had a good grasp of how to tackle the problem, and so I joined the support team.
How did this role suit you? And why did you later decide to change to a different position?
I really enjoyed it, especially responding to tickets. I don’t love phone calls, so I learned to read between the lines of the tickets. But I still felt like a rookie. Then one day the company needed to find a new support team manager, and they picked me. I knew the job wouldn’t fit me 100%, since I don’t really enjoy being in leadership, but we agreed it was just for the time being. Fortunately, we found a new support leader soon after (who did like being in leadership), and I was able to take on something different. Ataccama offered me a spot with the presales consultant team. There, I mostly worked independently on specific tasks, which just confirmed for me that I am a team man. It also involved a lot of administration, and I wanted to be closer to technology. At the end of last year, I joined the Cloud team. It really clicked; I’ve found my place here.
How would you define the #UnlimitedPlayground at Ataccama?
Management listens here, so if you don’t feel that your job is a good fit, they help you to look for a better solution. No one is forced into anything they don’t want in the long run.
You have lots of freedom to try on different hats. Because of this encouraged experimentation, I learned where my boundaries are, as well as my strengths.
Eliška Vondráčková — SW Engineer
Within a year you moved from being a tester to being a software engineer. How’d that happen?
About 3 years ago, when I came to Ataccama, I was in my second year at Czech Technical University and majoring in computer science. I didn’t have much confidence and I was worried about whether I would make it as a tester at all. But actually, it went pretty well. Over time, I started writing more integration tests, and one day our developers came to me to ask if I wanted to start programming already. I was a bit surprised, but also glad someone trusted me. The whole team helped me a lot in the beginning, so I managed the change quite well.
What does #UnlimitedPlayground” mean for you?
If you show an interest, you can try anything here. And I learned to get out of my comfort zone more often. Since accepting the challenge of becoming a software engineer, I started saying yes to other situations that were beyond my comfort zone. I volunteered at a prison in Spain, I started to attend job fairs to represent our company, and began to take yoga lessons on my own. In the past, I would have been very afraid to try out all of these new things. Ataccama has taught me to say yes to challenges I wouldn’t have dared to before.
David Kolínek — Product Owner
You joined Ataccama 3.5 years ago as a UX designer. Today you are a product owner and you work closely with our CEO Michal on long-term strategic product planning. How and why did your competencies change?
I joined the Ataccama ONE project as a UX designer. At that point in time I was the only UX designer, but the product deserved what I’d call “competent reinforcements.” So we started building a new design team which I led, while also working on design for other company projects. After six months, I became a product owner. I would say that my growth was spurred by my need to be involved in other things that are not necessarily in my job description, to always do something extra. I also feel comfortable in a position where I have responsibility.
We often use the phrase #UnlimitedPlayground in connection with Ataccama. How do you see it in the company?
There are about 200 of us working at Ataccama, which means that when employees are capable, things can develop for them very quickly. I’m talking about people who drive things, engage even where they have not been assigned, do tasks beyond their responsibilities, and have good ideas which they also execute. The company notices and responds to such people. Our CEO, Michal, very often pulls these people into leadership positions. Success in Ataccama is not about how many years you have been here, but about how proactive you are. Of course, that’s not for everyone. Some people are at a point in their lives where they prefer to stick to their assigned responsibilities, and that’s alright, too. What is nice is that everyone knows that the door is open for it. In corporations, this approach is often undesirable — everyone has their defined competencies in the company, and if you want to do something extra, a colleague might see it as stepping on someone’s turf.
I also think that after some years in one position, people might need a change. At Ataccama, that often means moving to another team, rather than another company. And it is great that Ataccama not only allows it, but in fact strongly supports it.
Ready for a new playground? Find your role at jobs.ataccama.com.