Team Growth Thanks to a Tip from a Colleague

Some time ago, we launched the byte5 talent bonus, which rewards employees who bring friends and acquaintances into the byte5 team. The first to earn this bonus is Trish, who brought her good friend Janosch on board. Today we have the two with us for an interview.

With a constant influx of new team members, byte5 has been growing for years. In order to achieve our ambitious goals, we are committed to ensuring that this continues. Nevertheless, we also feel the shortage of skilled workers that currently prevails in the IT sector. Finding talented people who not only enrich our team with their skills, but also with their personality has always been our number one priority when hiring new team members.

We go different ways to find great new colleagues. One of them is the two-part bonus that members of the existing team receive for finding new talents. After some team members had already received a smaller reward of 100 euros for arranging job interviews in the past, we were pleased about the first position filled by a friend of an employee at the turn of the year: On 1 January 2020, web developer Janosch started his employment with byte5. Janosch is a long-time friend of our web designer Trish, who joined byte5 in late summer of 2019. At our Christmas party, COO Chris presented Trish the symbolic (unicorn) check for 2000 euros.

How exactly did Janosch come to byte5? What is his friendship with Trish like? And how is it to work with each other daily? The two of them tell us in an interview!

Trish: We have known each other since 2008. We met through friends with whom we went to CosPlay conventions with back then. Janosch was fifteen, I was fourteen.

Janosch: We’re just like siblings.

Trish: Yes, I think so, too. We have known each other for such a long time and have been through so much together. We grew up together. Sometimes we had tough times, sometimes rather quiet ones. Of course, sometimes we fought. But when we started working, we got into a great rhythm: Even if we don't talk to each other every day, we know that we can always go to the other. And when we meet again, it doesn’t feel like we haven't seen each other for a long time.

Janosch: I think that's important, too. Now that we are adults, we no longer have the time to see each other every day. It's just cool that you can still rely on each other.

Trish: It depends on the project whether we work in the same team. Thus far, we haven't had that much overlap because we are in different departments and Janosch has only been with byte5 for a few weeks. But it's definitely cool to have someone around you've known for so long during your breaks. We always lived relatively far apart and now we see each other every day – that's a completely different thing. You just know how the other one –

Both at the same time: … rolls. (laughter)

Janosch: Work is fun and seeing Trish there is a bonus.

Janosch: When Trish told me about byte5, I was like this: “What – there’s employers like that?!” (laughter) I was immediately up for it. That’s why I trained myself in my new field of ​​specialty before I started. I was not previously aware that there are companies out there, that operate on a human basis and do not see their employees just as workers. At byte5, you are not a number, but you are really seen as a human being and accepted as such.

It was cool, beginning to work here. I felt totally welcome. With the daily team breakfast, I quickly developed a connection with the whole team. The people here are all just super nice. I think that if you feel good at work, you’re half way there. It makes you want to go to work and like the work you do – for the team and for the projects. Briefly put: my expectations were exceeded!

Janosch: The offer is really cool. In our case, we would not even have needed this incentive.

Trish: In fact, shortly after I started at byte5, I asked our CEO Christian: “Say … are we actually looking for new developers? I might have someone.” He just threw me the postcard. (laughter) So, I learnt about the reward afterwards.

Trish: I’ll either fund a vacation with my best friend with it or it will be an investment into another tattoo.