Stepping into a new realm after a challenging 2023
What’s worse than losing a job due to redundancy? Losing it three days before Christmas. I’d always thought my previous role was secure—I was on track for a promotion to a senior QA engineer position. But when our Manila office shut down, I, along with the rest of the team, found myself out of a job. Although I was offered a position at the global office, I chose to pass on it, sticking to my principles.
Likha-iT, or so its definition, created its way to me
Three months into unemployment, somehow, I found Likha in Kalibrr, skeptical at first because it seemed like a typical startup. . But I decided to give it a shot, and I’m glad I did. Three months in, and the company never ceases to amaze me . Due to its unique approach that strays away from the usual conservative corporate styles, my efforts and talents were quickly recognized and appreciated. I was regularized early and was given the chance to receive several benefits early on.
The Likha-iT way valuing output while not undermining employee welfare
Always approaching things with prejudice, probably because it’s my defense mechanism due to recent experiences, I proceed to abide by the work procedures, onboarding, and house rules. That’s when I started to see how Likha-iT differs from all the companies and jobs I’ve worked at. From benefits where they provide specific allowances ranging from food, relocation, commute, and even monthly team wellness allowances, to even minimizing seniority stigma by using the IM system (adapted from freee), where each individual will have their own private IM level to measure their experience and expertise without actually imposing subordination (everyone’s equal and discourages using too formal honorifics). I also love that the company celebrates each win, small or big as long as it’s something worth celebrating by conducting regular company activities, dinners and workshops that aim to break boundaries and build a strong team spirit.
Likha-iT x freee: Quality emphasized outside the software QA engineering fields
Regarding software development and project management, there’s always been a stigma between developers and QA when handling quality. However, the relationship in Likha-iT is fostered around objectively and constructively assessing one’s output without hostility or the concept of a blame game. Usually, the QA process revolves around the SDLC/STLC concept, but Likha-iT and freee improve this by emphasizing quality checking in reviews, ensuring each PR will check success criteria that include test cases under it. The usual QA process involves optimizing E2E test scenarios and minimizing QA resource utilization through manual regression testing. Having to work with a different agile structure in my previous company, I believe the approach here is practical when transitioning to QA testing since most of the bugs are already intercepted by the developers. Also, we don’t sleep on vulnerability testing; PSIRT makes sure that access controls and data are within proper and ethically permeable reach.
Constructively Failing
For the longest time, I’ve approached things with perfection, hard work, and anxiety that I’ll get no job security. Still, a company like Likha-iT will always compensate for more important things: connections, a constructive approach, and learning from diversity. The global team works diligently to bridge communication gaps and cultural differences, creating an effective and cohesive unit.
I’m stumbling through every new task and experience in Likha-iT but confidently and constructively overcoming them with less fear.
