Hello everyone!

I’m Natsuki, responsible for engineering recruitment.

Today, I interviewed  Lucian Sargeant, who has been with us for 3 years.. Lucian is a team leader and  is a wonderful engineer who actively works on task assignments and process improvements, contributing to the development of a collaborative environment.

Lucian Profile

- Country of Origin: South Africa 

- Moved to Japan: 2+ years 

- Residence: Tokyo 🗼  

Q. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Lucian Sargent. I work as a backend software engineer at Givery, where I have been for 3 years. I was promoted to a leader after one year of joining Givery. In addition to my existing backend responsibilities, I now have a few extra duties to represent the team regarding any issues that may arise and to help keep processes streamlined.

Q. What does your daily schedule look like?  

At Givery, all of our production and error logs are integrated into Slack, which allows me to start my day by checking these logs for any issues. Typically, there are almost no problems overnight, and most issues that do arise are resolved during working hours.

After reviewing the production logs, I focus on the tasks assigned for the sprint. I prefer to tackle my deep work early in the day, and as the day progresses, I transition to activities such as code reviews, one-on-one meetings with team members, and other discussions.

Q. I understand that Givery has a Track team. Could you explain what those teams are and what initiatives they are undertaking to facilitate smooth operations?

We have three main teams: the Track Test team, the Track Training team, and the Track Jobs team. I currently work on the Track Test team. While we consider our role in the overall ecosystem, the functionalities we add do not necessarily impact other products, so much of our work is quite isolated.

To address this, we recently introduced bi-weekly meetings for all teams to discuss their work. This helps us identify any unintended implications for other projects. I believe these meetings are crucial for catching issues early and ensuring that we address any changes that might affect others.

Q.Could you tell us the mission that the Track test and the product aim to solve?

Our mission is to help people find their dream jobs and enable companies to more easily identify suitable candidates. We aim to connect the right people so they can work where they should and want to.

Q. I would like to know how the people at Givery are focused on what they do for customers. How does Givery ensure that they are working on the right features and initiatives for users?

We have a structured process in place. Each product has a project owner who spends a lot of time considering how new features and changes will impact customers. We evaluate the backlog of features to determine which ones provide the most value. Our dedicated customer service team works closely with customers to gather feedback. This feedback is used to maintain communication with the customer service team, and any customer requests go through a refinement process, are prioritized, and we focus on the most valuable items.

Q. How do you feel about Givery's culture?  

I find the company culture at Givery to be very inclusive. Before joining, I was a bit worried about working for a Japanese company due to the horror stories I had heard about their strict environments. However, during the interviews, everyone seemed very nice, and I felt hopeful.

Now that I’ve joined, I truly enjoy working here. I didn’t expect to find a better job, but I believe I have. The team is incredibly helpful; no one shies away from responsibility, and everyone takes charge of their assigned tasks and completes them to the fullest.

Additionally, apart from the day-to-day work aspects, there is a strong sense of camaraderie here that I haven't experienced before. People go out of their way to get to know you, making it feel less like just a job. I feel like I've made genuine friends here who will likely be friends for the rest of my life.

Q.Apart from hiring, is there anything the company does to help facilitate the building of trust among team members, or is hiring sufficient for that?

I believe that team members help build trust among themselves, rather than it being imposed by management. Trust generally develops based on the quality of work produced. Additionally, we have after-work events, like pizza parties and quirky team-building activities, such as trying to build the tallest tower out of chopsticks. While they may seem trivial, these activities help bridge the gap between members who don’t work together daily, create opportunities for communication, and contribute to building a better team.

Q.Apart from having an excellent team leader, what do you think contributes most to the camaraderie within your team?

I believe that much of team building relates to hiring. Those responsible for reaching out to candidates and conducting interviews have a good sense of the personalities of new hires. Since I joined, several new team members have been hired, and they integrate well into the team.

In other companies, you might feel isolated at times. At Givery, we value the principle of "Give and Give." While tasks are assigned, the act of giving and supporting each other is rewarding. You come to depend on your team members, and even if you make a mistake, you know you will receive support in return. This fosters an environment that makes collaboration much easier.

Thank you, Lucian!

We learned a lot of interesting things about Givery's team building and our product Track!

For those who want to know more about topics not covered here, please check out the video below👀

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnbVbTH0fM4

If you’re interested in getting to know Lucian better we’re hiring for his team, here is the link to the position!

https://www.wantedly.com/projects/1976325

https://www.wantedly.com/projects/1768301