Working Culture and the Recruiting Process at Something Random

Introduction

Hi, my name is Ania Żurawicz-Skorupka, I am a co-owner of Something Random acting as COO and Head of People. We are a group of experienced game creators on our way to making truly wonderful VR titles.

I studied Human Resource Management at the University of Łódź and got my bachelor's degree there. I’ve been working with the team since Superhot days some 7 years ago. Starting out as an Office Manager, I created a whole HR team from scratch, ran the studio until we got together, and started Something Random along with Kuba Witczak, Piotr Goguś, and Cezary Skorupka. 

Something Random

The company is still small so there is no need for fragmentation. Even development itself is not split into separate departments as many people combine several fields of expertise. i.e. a designer can also act as a concept artist or writer.

Because we don’t have a rigid structure we put a huge emphasis on communication. Team members are encouraged to speak about their concerns not only about the project but also about their workplace or company policy.

To avoid chaos and deliver the work on time, we use a mixture of Kanban and Agile. Basically, whatever allows us to structure the work, note down tasks and ensure everyone knows what needs to be done. The most important decisions are made by project directors who (if needed) can swiftly resolve any differences – but they usually don’t have to since the emphasis on communication allows us to resolve conflicts on the spot. 

Hiring a New Specialist

Soft skills are the key to our company working as we intend it to. They are higher in the hierarchy than technical prowess or experience. If we can’t communicate with someone efficiently, or the person doesn’t "feel the vibe" managing them takes away precious time and energy from the rest of the team. We are always looking for open-minded, outspoken people who share our vision and treat the projects and the company as their own. 

Working with Beginners

We are putting a lot of work into making new teammates feel comfortable. Currently, we are working on a welcoming package consisting of a file including all useful information (and some extra random present), they go through an onboarding process with an HR specialist, then are assigned a "host" that takes care of them in the initial days. The whole company is introduced to the new teammate and is encouraged to get to know each other. If it means "losing" a day or two of work to idle chit-chat – so be it. It’s more important to make newcomers feel welcome than to rush in to finish a task only to leave the new employee stranded. 

Managing Burnout

First of all, we talk about how crucial taking care of mental health is. One way to protect is to not allow crunch. In SR people are forbidden from working more than 8h a day, doing late nights, etc. It’s always bad for the person that does it, bad for their health, and in the long run – bad for the project. From the get-go, we scope projects and set up deadlines so that we have a buffer of time to use whenever things go wrong, development extends, etc.

On the soft side, we encourage people to have private lives and don’t force them to integrate on mandatory company pub crawls or whatever. If people want to spend time together after work they will do so and if they rather go home and read a book - it’s their choice.

On a day-to-day basis, we’re building a healthy work environment where people can feel safe and really release their creativity. Even so, if people feel anything weighs on them or have any other mental health issues they can use the services of a psychologist contracted by the company. 

Freedom as a Part of Working Environment

Freedom is crucial, however, it must be within certain limits that we put up together. Those may be either the project pillars and foundation we don’t change or a code of conduct in a workplace that bans certain forms of communication (like shouting at each other). Total freedom is just a mess and you can’t live a happy life and create good things in a mess. So it’s always a balancing act between freedom, limits, decision making, and guidance. 

Something Random's Approach to Education

It starts with the recruitment process – we look for people that are already willing to improve themselves. We actually have more of a problem of people wanting to go to too many events and lectures or take up too many courses. On the odd chance, when a person shows a decline in interest in their job, we try to shake things up. Change their project, maybe give them a different set of responsibilities. Basically, talk, see what’s the matter, and try to solve the issue together. 

Team Dynamics During the COVID Situation

We started out in COVID so from the beginning we had to create a way of work that takes remote into consideration. When properly set up – the remote doesn’t damage productivity, it can even increase it. Some people do their best work just by tuning in to their tasks, without any distraction. Others work better in a busy environment. We provide place and space for both.

One thing that remote work can damage is creativity that comes from casual conversations and playing the game together. It can’t be replaced with a video call. That’s why we gather everyone at least once in a while and emphasize that "just talking and hanging out" is an important part of our creative process. 

In the case of our team members, a hybrid way of work works best. It allows for both – focused task completion and creative explorations. 

Advice for Beginners

If you wish to work at Something Random, be a fun, wholesome person with good communication skills that just happens to be great at programming, HR, design, business development, music making, PR, or some other part of the game-making process. Then send us a CV or something like that.

Ania Żurawicz-Skorupka, COO and Head of People at Something Random

Interview conducted by Ana Kessler