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There are new career opportunities over at VR studio nDreams! Tamsin O’Luanaigh, chief people officer, gives us the inside story
What differentiates your studio from other developers?
When you ask the team, you’d expect them to say VR, but it is the culture here that most people notice, and it’s what we’re most proud of.
We have worked very hard over the years to both maintain and grow a positive culture around balance, collaboration, and empowerment. Balance has always been at the heart of the studio. We’ve had a real focus on wellbeing and work/life balance which has only evolved further since the pandemic. As a company that now spans multiple development studios, as well as publishing and operations, we work hard to encourage a highly collaborative work environment, where people’s ideas and opinions are respected across the departments and across different seniorities too! And that feeds into empowerment too – we want people to be given the opportunity to be the best they can possibly be and give them the space and opportunities to grow and succeed.
How many staff are you currently looking to take on?
Our growth over the past two years has been incredible with the team doubling in size – and we’re not stopping there. Just last month, we hired 11 people! By the end of 2022, we hope to expand from the 130 people that are currently in the team to 175. We have a range of open roles across various disciplines and studios that can be found on our website: https://ndreams.com/careers
What perks are available to working at your studio?
We have all the perks that you’d expect from an established games company – holidays, pensions, death in service, private medical insurance etc. Where I think we offer something different is around work/life balance and investing in individual’s development.
Our flexible working policy is core to this – with everyone having core hours, plus hybrid or remote working options – everyone even has the opportunity to work from abroad for a few weeks a year! In addition to this we have enhanced parental leave alongside duvet days and your birthday off. Everybody also has allotted personal development days to use throughout the year which is supported by our learning and development manager Dan. Our new offices that are available to anyone working hybrid were recently refurbed and are build around collaboration, both work and play – we host an annual nDreams Festival that features external speakers, team activities and (of course) a big party!
What advice would you give for a successful interview at your studio?
Be yourself. We want to see who you are, the skills you have and how you will fit in to our existing team. We don’t mind flaws or skills gaps as long as you are open about them, as we are committed to the training and personal development of our teams.
What processes do you have for onboarding staff remotely?
We aim to make the onboarding process as easy and as enjoyable as possible for new starters, whatever working pattern they choose. Paperwork is processed digitally, and new starters are given access to our HR portal and policies in advance. In the first week they undergo onboarding with our L&D Manager, Ops and Production teams who go through our goals, values, and operational information needed to settle into their new roles.
What is the culture like at your studio?
We’re extremely proud of the culture we’ve created at nDreams and it’s central to us as a studio. Our aim is to develop and publish great games, made by a happy and successful team. We want a diverse workforce, who can collaborate well and empower one another to be the best they can be.
