Software engineer shares how company growth has supported his personal, professional needs

We’re getting to know people in product, engineering, and machine learning teams at our Kraków growth hub and bringing you a glimpse into their typical day. Tomasz Romaniuk, a senior staff software engineer at Zendesk, shares how his personal and professional needs have evolved as Zendesk has grown and matured as a company. Meet Tomasz and learn why he thinks Zendesk is a great place to grow.

You’ve been with Zendesk through significant transitions, growing your career as the company grows and matures. What’s your role today?

“I’m a senior staff software engineer and spend about half of my time writing code. The rest of the time I’m doing conceptual work, things that you might call a tech leader role. I’m also transitioning to our Explore product. Last month we hosted team members from Montpellier for two days of onboarding and working sessions at the Kraków office. We also spent time getting to know each other because this is the first time we could meet in person. I’m really excited about this move. From a technical perspective, everything is new for me.”

How have your personal and professional needs changed over the years, and how have they been supported?

“I had joined a small startup during a very exciting time; after more than six years of that high-demand environment, I was becoming a father and looking for different things. I went on paternity leave as an employee of Base and came back three months later as a Zendesk employee.

“Our culture changed in a positive direction, giving us more work-life balance. This is exactly what I wanted, more time with my family. At the same time I could be productive and have challenges in my work. It’s still an intense environment, there’s still a lot of work to be done, and goals to be made. But now there’s some breathing room, so you can enjoy your work and the things in your life outside of work.”

You mentioned having a good work-life balance at Zendesk. What global programs does Zendesk offer that are contributing to that balance today?

“Our Recharge Friday company-wide days off are something I love. This is something our employees really appreciate. We currently receive one every quarter, and my favorite activity is to ride my bicycle.”

Are there also local benefits that have helped you maintain better work-life balance?

“In Poland, Zendesk gives you three months in addition to our one year of parental leave. Twice I used it to spend time with my kids when my wife went back to work, and it was a wonderful experience. I was always encouraged to use this benefit by my manager. This is good for you and for your family, so it’s good for the business. That’s how I felt.”

Aside from the ability to be present with your family, what keeps you at Zendesk?

1. “The people are honest and full of empathy. I am never afraid to ask questions, and I always feel safe sharing my opinions. I don’t have any threat of being criticized or having someone respond that something is stupid. This is a very open and safe place to work. Our culture really shines.
2. This really is a great place to grow. At some companies you get stuck because the only way to grow is up. You can grow and be appreciated in many ways here as an individual contributor. You can work on interesting and complex projects, and you can make an impact right now as a software engineer.
3. I like working in product. This really resonates with me because we’re making something that external customers use. And they can choose to use another product, right? They choose your product because they like it (many times they love it) and it solves their problems. It’s great to work for a company with a strong brand and a good product that I’m really proud of.”

Interested in joining the product, engineering, machine learning, data, or IT teams at our Kraków growth hub? Explore open roles here.