"I think the business is very welcoming. Everyone you speak to is very welcoming, very friendly and very willing to help out in whatever way. "
In our latest team story, Project Manager Samantha Tate, shares insights on her role and the projects she has worked on since starting at Audacia.
What did your career look like before joining Audacia?
Prior to working at Audacia, I was a project manager for three years where I worked on a wide variety of projects, which included software implementation, office renovations, data governance, frameworks, risks, strategies, GDPR and other areas.
Even though I hadn’t come from a software background, I was still very intrigued about the opening with Audacia. The more I learned about the business, the more I realised that I wanted to work here.
What was it that made Audacia seem like a good employer?
A lot of it was going on to the company website and finding out more about the company. I looked at the different projects the business was involved in and was really impressed by how these projects had a positive impact on the environment and society. On top of that the website gave a good insight to the company culture and how the employees were treated.
I was transitioning from a global company, where it was easy to feel like a number, rather than a person. However, learning more about Audacia, I got the impression that people are treated as people. Having been at the company for a year, I’ve found this to be true; the individual does matter, which I think is too rare in a lot of companies.
All of these factors made the choice feel right. And then especially learning that the office was dog friendly; that helped too!
What are some of the projects that you've led since joining the company?
The first project I came in on was with a utilities provider — one of our longest running projects. I then picked up some projects for a nationwide house building company. At the moment I’m working with a multinational car manufacturer and I've also done some analysis on a few other projects as well.
The scope and requirements of these projects have all been quite different. Some clients want a platform that can manage all of their critical data, some want software that can manage their finances. They might want software that is customer or internal business facing. It’s a bit of everything really.
What are the kind of similarities you have through projects that are so varied?
I think the key with project management is being organised and having foresight over what is coming up and what could come up, as this will allow you to pre-empt risk. I think this skill is pretty common across most projects, whether that’s software, construction or any other industry.
A lot of skills on projects are very transferable, in terms of the management of the teams, the management of the workflow and mitigating any risks that are appearing. Open and close communications is also a great way of consistently building good working relationships with the client and the project team.
Having these transferable skills has been a big thing for my own career; I’ve come from a non software background, but I still fit into the tech industry because of the skills I’ve developed.
What opportunities do you have outside of your role?
Whilst project management is at the core of my role, there are also opportunities to get involved with business analysis, aspects of the sales process and other areas. So there is plenty of opportunity to get involved in other aspects of the business to broaden your knowledge and your skill set.
It’s also possible to join committees that steer the business as well. For example, I’m a member of the CSR committee. It’s great; we've been able to plan activities around a variety of different topics, looking at not just token gestures, but certain aspects of changing the community for the better.
What is the culture at Audacia like?
I think the business is very welcoming. Everyone you speak to is very welcoming, very friendly and very willing to help out in whatever way; whether that's advice on clients, ways of thinking or, simply, a teams channel that might be of interest.
The culture of the business as a whole is not like anything I've ever been part of before and I think a lot of this strength comes from leadership. They'll tell you exactly how it is and what's going on and what that means for you. There’s no office politics or agendas.
That is such a rare thing in a business of any size; to have a culture of “you matter and we will be honest with you at all times”. People’s strengths are encouraged and they try to build on the weaknesses rather than putting people down for them.
We've got a proposals board where anyone in the business no matter who they are, can contribute suggestions.
Then the business can acknowledge that proposal and, if it gets enough votes, it’ll be approved. Someone’s level of seniority doesn’t affect whether their ideas are considered. Everyone is treated equally and fairly and given opportunities to grow to progress.
What would you say to someone who has just joined Audacia?
When it comes to doing a good job, Audacia will support you in every effort. Ultimately, what you put in you will get back; if you care about what you're doing, the business will always back you up in everything you do.
Audacia is a leading software development company based in the UK, with headquarters in Leeds. Find out more about what it's like to work here and our current open vacancies on our careers site.
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