Working Culture and the Recruiting Process at Amber

Introduction

Hello there, I am Mariana Lupuianu, a true HR person and a psychotherapist. I've studied in Romania and completed several international courses to improve my knowledge. Inside Amber, I am managing the Global Talent Acquisition department. I joined five years ago, and at that point, I was the only one on the TA team, and slowly I started to create what we have today: a global game development studio with over 1,100 colleagues in more than eight physical offices around the world.

Work Organization at Amber

We are an Agile company and have self-organized teams. Our organization has business verticals (e.g. full game development, art production, live ops, development solutions, and support, etc.), but in a grid system, where our people are organized in skill-based Guilds, spread across all these verticals.  

We have daily stand-ups to prepare what we need to do on that day, which applies to the production teams and HR. We have different channels where our colleagues can communicate (Slack, Jira, Teams), and they meet face-to-face at least once per quarter.

We strive to be up to date with the latest equipment and best practice when it comes to facilitating fast, secure, and comprehensive comms solutions for our staff, mainly because our inter-operating teams are spread across the globe.  

Hiring a New Specialist

Besides the technical skills specific to our game development industry, we focus on finding candidates with the following skills: teamwork, continuous improvement, product-driven and people-oriented. Our culture puts people first, so we want to make sure to share the same professional and personal values. 

Working with Beginners

The onboarding process is one of the most important entry points for every colleague that joins our team. Statistically, a weak onboarding process could lead to an early leaving, and we want to avoid that, so we are constantly improving.

We have a friendly onboarding, starting with welcome e-mails, office tours (even online), and induction. Then we have team induction, where they meet each team member and start creating connections. We constantly follow up every month to make sure each individual has a clear path and objectives. 

Managing Burnout

Since mid-2020, we have implemented a well-being counseling program to support employees in navigating the challenging times of the pandemic. Amber people can access 1:1 therapy sessions delivered online or offline by professional psychologists. We have also brought Bookster in Amber so people can enjoy reading or listening to audiobooks on their favorite topics. 

In Amber, we have constantly informed people they can choose their most effective way of working: from home, the office, or hybrid. In December 2020, we have upgraded all our medical subscriptions for Amber people so they have better access to private medical services.

Last but not least, in December 2021, we implemented the Additional Days Off global policy, which allows employees who have consumed all their annual leave days to request more days off to avoid burnout. This is highly appreciated, and we do believe in work-life harmony, as we constantly need to recharge after intense work levels. 

Creative Freedom

One of our values is Kaizen, which means constantly improving. We are considering every feedback or suggestion our employees are willing to share with us. 

We also have a studio called Inova, where we gather new ideas, ideas that can become business generators for our company and for everybody’s wealth. So encouraging proactivity is a must when it comes to fostering an entrepreneurship mindset.

Amber's Approach to Education

Two of our core values are Learning and Mastery, and we all strive to perfect our craft, no matter which part of the organization we work in. We believe in continuous feedback, and our formal Performance Review process focuses intensely on growth. People managers in Amber play a key role in supporting their team members' development, and we have a solid internal network of subject matter experts that mentor and train their peers. 

Learning happens through structured training programs, learning projects, and more informal community-sharing sessions and lunch & learn events.

Our commitment to education is what drives us to also share our knowledge with the broader community: we have created NGOs in Romania and Mexico with a clear mission to provide access to learning resources to anyone who shares our passion for game development. Many of our senior experts teach classes in universities, deliver workshops and act as mentors for the next generation of game artisans. 

Tips for Artists Willing to Work at Amber

Keep working! Don't let anyone's opinion about your work stop you from doing what you are driven to do. The result will evolve and create a solid foundation. If you want to go higher, you will need an unshakeable base!

Mariana Lupuianu, Head of Talent Acquisition at Amber

Interview conducted by Arti Burton