Cognizant Softvision continues its expansion!

Long gone are the days when one used to go to work just for an attractive compensation package and an upgrade in title. Today, motivation goes beyond material benefits, making the switch to purpose, impact and the fulfillment one gets that his work really counts and makes a difference. At Cognizant Softvision, global leader in digital engineering, the smartest engineers bring digital transformation for many industries every day, building some of the most engaging software products for the world’s leading companies, as Cognizant Softvision has always been in the frontline when it comes to innovation. The company has big expansion plans in Romania, that continue in 2020.

Cognizant Softvision was launched at the end of 2018, through Cognizant’s (one of the most powerful IT players worldwide) acquisition of Softvision, a company founded 21 years ago in Cluj-Napoca. This resulted in one of the most powerful companies in the world in digital design and engineering, combining the DNA of Softvision’s methodology and delivery approach in engineering design and digital product development with Cognizant’s deep industry knowledge, client relationships on a global scale and digital expertise in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, IoT, human science and other new technologies. The global portfolio of the company includes top clients such as Groupon, Macy’s and Mozilla.

Romania is now the hub of Cognizant Softvision’s global network of more than 3.000 products, design and engineering professionals in 25 studios across nine countries on five continents. With 1.800 employees now in Romania, the company is already recognized as one of the country’s leading technology employers. And it continues the expansion in Romania, a pool of digital innovation, with some of the best design and engineering talent anywhere, by planning to launch new digital design studios in key cities such as Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca and Baia Mare and to grow the team. At the beginning of the year, new Cognizant Softvision studios were launched in Bucharest – in the „Timpuri Noi” Square (TN03), this being part of the continuously expanding Bucharest team. By the end of 2020, hundreds of new positions are expected to be filled and new design studios are expected to be launched in key metropolitan areas: Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Timisoara and Baia Mare.
 

Transform while perform, a unique work model

Cognizant Softvision’s teams design and engineer innovative software products, from mobile apps that enhance the online shopping experience using Machine Learning or helping to detect parcels in images, to chatbots that enable a way to interact with a system through an intelligent conversation. The Cognizant Softvision unique model has been proven to help clients achieve digital transformation, by helping develop new products and experiences, transform legacy applications and modernize their core infrastructure.

The Cognizant Softvisioners work as: Guilds and Communities on one hand, global teams with deep digital experiences in their areas of expertise, and on the other hand - Pods, cross-functional delivery teams that bring results and innovation to clients. Teams bring together the power of a network of connected communities and finally, the company's partner ecosystem enables bringing holistic end-to-end, innovation-driven solutions to clients, also enabling communities and clients transform while they perform.

„Our Community Managers are responsible for creating and implementing growth strategies across the communities, our technology centered hubs. Together with the Community Leads, they are in charge of the technical development of every community member by creating an individually adapted professional journey for everyone. Moreover this model is generating a deep feeling of belonging to a group of people with the same passion, ambitions and objectives where it is easy to connect, engage, be inspired and learn. Our clients and employees are equally important and this model helped us ensure a strong culture around solutioning and delivering high quality services while growing as professionals by having innovation and technology evolution as a common language”, says Mihai Constandis, Country Manager, Cognizant Softvision.
Our communities are very inclusive and forward thinking. While the team includes mostly mid and senior level professionals, students and entry-levels are welcomed in the company. „We have developed a Pre Employment / Training on the Job program – an intense training dedicated to students and entry-level professionals, the strong Communities backbone in terms of knowledge, and experience is a great asset when it comes to supporting entry-level rapid ramp-up”, adds Mihai.

Innovation celebration through the largest Coding Contest in the country

Innovation has been in the DNA of the company since the beginning. Every year, Cognizant Softvision celebrates its technical team every year during "Programmers' Week", an event that coincides with International Programmer's Day (September 13). The event started six years ago in Romania and last year it included a tech conference and webinars, held by world technology gurus that debated the latest technologies.

Cognizant Softvision also put in stage, the largest Coding Contest organized so far in Romania, in the autumn of 2019, a real celebration of innovation. Over 200 programmers were challenged to use their imagination and expertise to develop innovative products in technical categories such as ChatBots, AR / VR, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The total value of the prizes amounted to $70,000 - the largest in the history of such competitions in Romania. The biggest prize worth of $25,000 was won by a team of students, with a social project meant to help doctors diagnose pneumonia more effectively. All these actions are doubled by the team's participation in the most important technology events in the country, including GoTech World (Java Stage Partner), DevTalks, Voxxed Days, Codecamp, SEETEST, JS Camp or Droidcon.

Monthly evaluation based on human touch

Although they are connected to the newest technologies, technology has not replaced human interaction in work relationships. That's why Cognizant Softvision adapted its structure to be able to focus more on people management, choosing not to automate certain processes to stay in touch with people. Changing the way people are evaluated is part of the new direction. „If in the past, the evaluation was done once or twice a year, today it is a process based on monthly feedback. If change is needed, it can be done quickly and the monthly feedback process has proved very successful.”, says Mihai Constandis, Country Manager, Cognizant Softvision. People want to feel as part of the bigger picture and they want to feel that their opinion matters and that their insights are contributing to a bigger picture that is allowing the company to grow and develop. „Our people are well connected to the outcomes and immediate impact of their work”, adds Constandis. Time is also one of the most valuable benefits that employees demand today and Cognizant Softvision offers people the option of working from home and a flexible schedule.

Making a difference in health and education

Not only do Cognizant Softvisioners see impact in their daily work, but also in sustainability and social activities they choose to involve within the company, in the communities it activates, centered on health and education access growth. In 2019, the team planted 100 trees in Iasi, offered 300 equipped school backpacks for less fortunate children, 300 Christmas presents for children who might not otherwise receive one and 100 presents for children from the orphanage on Saint Nicholas Day. Also, 600 vulnerable children from the rural area were helped and a social and educational center is being built for them.

Cognizant Softvision equipped the Cluj Children Hospital (where more than 30.000 children are treated annually) with 200 new beds and a fully equipped house is being built near the Oncological Hospital from Cluj-Napoca in order to ensure a place where the parents of the sick children can live during their treatment. The company facilitated early diagnosis, evaluation and therapy programs for autistic children and summer camps and therapy sessions for children with Down syndrome.

The team offered 100 hot meals for homeless people in Cluj-Napoca on Christmas Eve and 1.900 hot meals for homeless people in Cluj, Bucharest, Bistrita, Satu Mare, Adjud, Constanta and Zalau.