Coders, are you looking for a new job? Want to work for a company that’s still got the small size and company culture of a start-up, but has a track record of performance and contracts coming out of its proverbial ears?
Maybe you want to give Cape Town’s redPanda Software a call. The software house has just moved into larger premises and is looking to expand its 112 strong team with more Java experts to fulfil on various contracts, including a significantly large deal it’s signed with a retail system development house in the UK.
Finding staff is challenging at the moment, thanks to a lack of skills in the market and aggressive recruitment policies by large corporates, but redPanda Software CEO, Gareth Hawkey, believes he can offer developers a package and culture that they’ll find attractive.
Culture club
“We want to be known as an employer of choice,” Hawkey told htxt.africa, “To that end we really focus on individual development. Our workflow is all based on modern methodologies like Agile development, but we also ensure that employees have space for a personal life too.
“In our offices we have a ‘creative room’, a golf driving net, a basketball court downstairs and a zen garden. Our philosophy is let’s work hard and play hard together, and make a happy constructive working environment.”
Hawkey says that the redPanda approach to internal culture works: turnover is less than 6% per year, which is much lower than industry averages.
Overseas opportunities
The core focus of redPanda is software development and little else, says Hawkey. He employs only one dedicated sales person, and more than 50% of the current staff are directly involved in producing code.
Demand for the seven-year- old firm’s services is booming, and Hawkey says that he’s actively hiring talent at the moment. The growing demand is largely thanks to efforts put into marketing its services internationally and winning customers abroad.
Hawkey says that this strategy is born of a personal belief that thanks to the weak rand, South Africa should be the favoured international outsourcing partner for overseas firms.
“I believe that we should become the next India,” Hawkey says, “And the industry should be focussing on this for growth. India created a brand for outsourcing as a country, I want to do that here.”
Hawkey says that the UK is a prime market for his team’s services.
“South Africa is the closest English speaking culture to UK, and that’s very important. Communication is as important as cost when offshoring. Being in the same timezone is also critical, and we’re just an overnight flight away from London.”
If that hasn’t piqued your interest, you might also want to know more about redPanda’s extensive in-house training program and other details. You can find out about that and how to apply for open positions at the firm by visiting the company website here.
