When we first embarked on the journey of establishing Ocado Technology’s presence in Poland, little did we know we were about to create something truly exceptional. I want to share the incredible story of how we built a world-class tech organization in Wrocław.
From the very beginning, our partnership with Annie Marie Neatham, Steve Rogers, and the Global Consulting team was built on an unprecedented level of trust. itMatch wasn’t just a recruitment vendor; we were strategic partners entrusted with the critical mission of not just hiring talent, but building an entire organizational culture.
Why Wrocław? A Strategic Decision
The decision to choose Wrocław wasn’t random. Ocado had a clear strategy of geographical diversification to mitigate talent acquisition risks. While initial discussions included Kraków, Barcelona, and Sofia, Wrocław emerged as a compelling location due to: a high-quality universities and diverse professional talent pool, as well as lifestyle appeal and an exceptional quality of life which attractive top tech professionals
Building the Dream Team
We weren’t just hiring; we were curating a team of exceptional talents. Each hire was a carefully considered decision, never a compromise.
Our journey began in the stylish Puro Hotel, where initial interviews and meetings laid the groundwork for what was to come. Finding the right office was a challenge, but we ultimately secured a prime location in the city center – a symbolic representation of our ambition.
Our recruitment process was groundbreaking for its time. We introduced practices that were far from standard:
- Comprehensive pair programming sessions
- Full-day immersion interviews
- Shared lunches to assess cultural fit
- Cross-checking interviews with multiple team members to minimize bias
- Detailed, constructive feedback for every candidate
We embraced a startup mentality – from receiving packages to conducting mid-term reviews and exit interviews. Regular catch-ups, building a recruitment community, and maintaining high-quality standards were our hallmarks. Agility, flexibility and constant change were our everyday life.
Our success stemmed from:
- Unwavering commitment to quality,
- Exceptional candidate experience,
- Making recruitment a top management priority,
- Continuous process improvement,
- Ongoing training for technical recruiters
Over 8 years, we successfully hired over 700 professionals across Kraków and Wrocław, predominantly focusing on mid to senior-level roles. This wasn’t just hiring; this was building a world-class tech organization. It would be impossible to name everyone involved, but we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who worked side by side, from leadership to every single Developer, Product Manager, UX Designer, Tester, and beyond.
To the team that made this real – Iwona Toporkiewicz, for starting this journey and blazing the trails in Kraków, Joanna Lutostańska-Dziubek for for her invaluable contribution in finding top talents, taking care of the Wroclaw on-site/ RPO/ team and bringing lots of pink energy – thank you.
We didn’t just build a team; we created a legacy.
