The R Systems office in Galati has turned 10 this year. And while the team celebrated the anniversary (on October 10th!) around cake and old-time stories, here are some of the insights they shared from their 10-year challenge.
It is not about putting together throwback pictures with snapshots of today. It is about bringing forward joyful memories, personal and professional take-aways of a team which continues to evolve while rooted to its core values. Amazing fact: 4 of the very first employees of R Systems in Galati are still in the company today and so are many others who joined soon after, in 2009 and 2010.
The beginnings of R Systems in Galati…
2009 was a tough year for many IT companies. R Systems however was growing and jumped at the opportunity of taking on a team of experienced developers in Galati to work on its US-client projects. Shortly after, the new office was being set up, the first laptops and orange leather desk chairs were brought in from the Bucharest office, the team was adjusting to the new domain, the new technologies and the other teams from different R Systems locations. Many memories go back to those days: last moment interviews (on the wedding day!), team meetings in Bucharest, onsite trips, challenging deliveries, unforgettable project celebration outings.
Fast forward to 2019…
R Systems changed two office locations and moved into a beautifully restored heritage building, blending the old with a modern touch, and a comfortable, homey feeling. It has also recorded a 7x growth in team size and the ‘people’ factor is consistently the first answer to “what made you stay in R Systems for so many years?” Smart, friendly, professional, and trusting people. People not only highly skilled and passionate about programming but also willing to share their knowledge with others, to grow and develop new talents. This is also one of the main drivers of team growth in Galati and one of its most treasured programs: the R Systems Programming Academy.
Growing junior developers into system architects
Initiated 6 years ago, the successive Academies in Galati have brought wonderful new talent from among junior programmers and students from the “Dunarea de Jos” technical university. Learning and growing alongside R Systems senior experts, the new team members have been easily integrated, continued their careers in the company and ultimately grew into senior development or project management roles. Much of the credit goes to the core teams who took the time and effort to engage in the Academy projects, to select, shape and develop the best of talents.
Global project delivery
Along the years R Systems in Galati has proven a great workplace for people looking for professional development in a supportive environment that encourages learning and open-mindedness. Starting with a small team for a growing account in the US, the office in Galati has evolved into a solid development center delivering global projects for major clients in the USA, Switzerland, UK, Asia, etc. Challenging projects, direct exposure to client interaction, interesting technologies, flexible work environment and an amazing team (of professionals and friends) have been listed as some of the best appreciated ingredients of work at R Systems in Galati. They may also be the reason why some people chose to return to R Systems after having left the company in pursue of other opportunities. Standing record to date: 2 weeks between resignation and return date to R Systems. Or, as someone said, “one can never really leave R Systems”.
Last but not least, a special note goes to those who – still in R Systems or not – have had a positive impact on the evolution of the R Systems team in Galati: engineers, managers, team leaders, HR, admin colleagues and friends.
Happy 10th anniversary to us all and many more to come!