Human Resources
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10
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Being a technology company, our developers are the cornerstones of what we do. Their work is highly visible and respected, and our product wouldn’t come to life without them. But have you ever wondered what they do on a daily basis? What steps do they take from a blank canvas to a functioning product ready for our customers to use?
We spoke with Carolina Camilo, our Delivery Director, to understand what a day in the life of a Software Engineer looks like. Carolina started out as Product Development Manager with Xref in 2017. Now she manages a team of 19, all responsible for product delivery.
Here is her story.
One of the best things about working with a tech company like Xref is flexibility around work, especially since we hire in-house developers. Here’s a look at what it’s like for a Software Developer working for Xref.
A typical day consists of brainstorming, coding and reviewing code, assisting your fellow teammates as necessary, as well as a few meaningful and productive meetings.
Tasks are assigned to team members either to best suit their skills but also to occasionally challenge them and help them learn and grow on a professional as well as on a personal level. To collaborate, there’s a daily standup meeting to share progress every morning and to touch base on the most critical tasks for the day.
Developer Pooja shared a top tip with Carolina:
“As a software developer, you may have multiple tasks to complete throughout the day. A great productivity hack is starting with the most important or the hardest task.”
There are lots of different programming languages out there, but our team practice Feature-Driven Development (FDD). Depending on the tasks assigned, the team will spend time writing code, solving pending problems, fixing bugs, reviewing pull requests and preparing deployments.
Each of those aspects is so broad and presents unique challenges that our team never find it boring. Software Developer Dominic agrees. “Increasing your knowledge is a crucial part of growing as a software developer. Through personal training, you allow yourself to expand your knowledge and prepare for more challenging tasks that are directly associated with your growth.”
We also spend a lot of time brainstorming new product features, exploring new tools, and reading about innovative technologies.
Project Manager Daniel Soldani shares what he enjoys about his role.
“As a Project Manager, what I enjoy most about my current role is overseeing how all the different aspects of a product or feature being developed, come together.
I’ve worn multiple hats throughout my time at Xref. I’ve been lucky enough for Xref to have invested in my professional development, which has got me to where I am today.
The Xref team are extremely supportive, the working arrangements are flexible and you will feel empowered to have a say and make a difference.”
Xref offers all our people strong career progression opportunities. Follow our Director of Engineering, Imran Shahid on his career journey at Xref.
“From the first developer to a Senior Developer with a team of five, then Head Architect leading a team of 20+, to the Lead DevOps and Security role, and now as the Director of Engineering for both Xref and RapidID.
I have found Xref offers great work opportunities and a good work culture. To get both of these in one place is highly unlikely, most companies offer one or the other. I am fortunate enough to experience both at Xref. This is a fun place to work and I get up every day looking forward to making a mark on the business.”
The desire to work remotely remains high amongst developers who want more flexibility and a better work-life balance in their careers.
The 2022 State of Engineering Report, found that three-quarters (75%) of developers surveyed said they want to work at least three days a week remotely. 68% of those surveyed claim they get more meaningful work done while working remotely.
And our team agree! Xref offers our development team a flexible work-from-home environment. They can focus and complete coding tasks without distraction. When we need to discuss features or challenges, we meet via Zoom.
However, we also have fortnightly office days. This is where the additional collaboration happens and helps us to foster the Xref team culture.
Furthermore, we can go to the office on any day. It is always open to anyone and our team may visit the office for in-person discussions, dedicated internet or quiet time, if they can’t get that at home, for example.
Online and in-person catch-ups. Having fun over Slack with some gifs.
Developer Anagha gives one simple tip to help budding software developers: “Write clean and short code blocks. Nothing is worse than trying to figure out what you did a couple of months ago and how it needs to be changed.
As the #1 reference checking company worldwide, we’re proud to offer our customers a dynamic, innovative product. Our niche, HR offering empowers organisations to make great people decisions throughout the hiring and employment path. We’re a global, publicly listed company who is on an exciting growth journey. Watch this space!
Want to hear from others about working at Xref? Watch this video!
If you're ready to join us, check out the software developer jobs that are currently open.
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