As our understanding of AI evolves, so does our expectation of its capabilities. The UiPath team acts as architects against tedium, building applications that automate repetitive work tasks — and their mission to cut the mundane in the workplace goes both ways.
Collaboration and ubiquitous support are at the forefront of their values, and UiPath celebrates the diverse insights that each individual brings to the table.
We caught up with three members of the UiPath team and got the code to building team ethic, made only possible by embracing diverse inputs.
FOUNDED: 2005
EMPLOYEES: ~2,500 (and growing)
WHAT THEY DO: UiPath makes robotic process automation software, which allows people to automate the tedious parts of their work and become more thoughtful and strategic.
WHERE THEY DO IT: Brooklyn
WHO’S ON BOARD: NASA, General Electric and American Red Cross count on UiPath to help synthesize and automate their systems, freeing their workforce to focus on impactful and strategic company growth.
PERKS TO MENTION: UiPath employees enjoy unlimited vacation and work from home benefits, free daily lunches, and $200/month toward health and exercise spending.
Thushara Sathkumara, Backend Software Engineer
Thushara engages in all phases of the software development lifecycle, evaluating products from their genesis through troubleshooting and upgrades. He joined UiPath at a key moment of company growth and learned firsthand how UiPath’s culture embraces those who step up to take responsibility.
BEYOND WORK: Thushara enjoys capturing images of nature and nightscapes, and travels as often as possible for exposure to new corners of the world.
How does diversity of any kind — opinion, race, gender, experience, and more — fit into your team’s and company’s culture?
Though we may share things in common with other individuals, at the end of the day, everyone is their own person and can bring different things to the table, which is why diversity is so important for innovation. The UiPath Brooklyn office is a very diverse place, which I think is hugely beneficial for the workplace and the company. By working alongside people of different backgrounds, experiences and working styles, creative concepts can be born from bouncing ideas off of each other and offering feedback and suggestions. Equality in the workplace is also important for encouraging employees from all backgrounds to feel confident in their skills and achieve their best. The higher the team morale, the more productive we all are.
What are your goals for your team? What are your goals for the company?
The primary goal for any team is to grow better as each day goes by. But this cannot be achieved unless the whole team stays committed to this goal. Just because every person has his or her assignments to deal with doesn’t mean lending a helping hand to a team member is forbidden. Learn to bring each other up, not pull someone down. The attitude and outlook that every member possesses can greatly impact the team’s overall performance.
By working alongside people of different backgrounds, experiences and working styles, creative concepts can be born from bouncing ideas off of each other and offering feedback and suggestions.”
Strong cultures also create opportunities for people to bond. What are some activities you’ve done with your colleagues that build camaraderie?
Our Monday Morning Meeting (MMM) is engaging and informative for everyone who works at the Brooklyn office. During this meeting, we all share and learn about the progress of major ongoing projects and any upcoming events. We also have memorable company events like Jeopardy! and shuffleboarding. These events help for team bonding and add a little twist to your day.
Alexis Alexander, User Experience Designer
Alexis holds the key between customer and company success; as a UX designer, she uses methods originating from psychology, sociology and graphic design to craft meaningful user experiences and evolve UiPath’s products with an eye on useful, functional and gratifying design.
BEYOND WORK: Survival in the wild requires careful attention to your surroundings. Alexis appreciates backpacking for both the solo endeavor, as well as the foundational skills of teamwork and resilience that she brings back to the urban professional world.
Having worked with numerous different UiPath teams across the world, what would you say is unique about the UiPath Brooklyn office?
UiPath Brooklyn is unique in that the environment feels more startup than corporate. The workspace is communal and quaint. The lack of politics, the comfortable atmosphere and the collaborative spirit make the office feel like a second home.
Backpacking is often a days-long endeavor. Has UiPath’s flexible work-from-home and unlimited PTO policy given you more opportunity to get outside and do what you love?
Last year was my first summer working with UiPath — on most Thursdays after work I would head up to the Catskills, Adirondacks or the White Mountains and set up camp. I would spend the following day working remotely from the nearest library. After work, I’d head to the trailhead and enjoy the outdoors until Sunday night. Monday was another remote day, Tuesday through Thursday at the Brooklyn office, then repeat. I plan to do the same this season; it’s a great work-life balance.
The lack of politics, the comfortable atmosphere and the collaborative spirit make the office feel like a second home.”
Strong cultures also create opportunities for people to bond. What are some activities you’ve done with your colleagues that build camaraderie?
Every Tuesday is #try-something-new-day. We’re encouraged to order something new for lunch on Seamless and share the results on Slack. It’s simple but uplifting team bonding and adds a little twist to your day.
Thomas Colligan, Senior Mobile Developer
Thomas leads the mobile team through continuous stages of improvement, from standardizing daily procedures to writing source code with his team to introduce new features or fixes.
HOBBIES TURNED EVENTS: Thomas turns his lifelong appreciation (and study) of board and video games into occasional team tournaments, sharpening his organizational and management skills along the way.
How do you empower employees to help build and grow company culture?
We attempt to foster openness towards new ideas and a willingness to try new things. When someone wants to try something new, it is important to encourage that and participate in it if possible. The one example that stands out in my mind is when we learned that our coworker, Mary King, was a certified yoga and meditation instructor. Soon after that discovery, Mary began leading our office in weekly stretching and breathing exercises. Who wants to participate in the first session? Yes, I do! Who wants to attempt the advanced stretching techniques? I will give it a shot! Encouraging participation in events like this I think goes a long way toward empowering employees and adds a special uniqueness to the company culture every time a new idea comes forward.
Collaboration allows us to work together effectively and gives everyone a sense of assurance that even if they struggle in their attempts to meet a challenge, their team will be there to back them up.”
What aspects of company culture do you feel are most important?
I believe that humility and collaboration are very important aspects of company culture. Humility allows for learning and the free flowing of ideas from every individual on the team. Collaboration allows us to work together effectively and gives everyone a sense of assurance that even if they struggle in their attempts to meet a challenge, their team will be there to back them up.
How is UiPath’s culture evolving? Share with us a new project that excites you the most.
One event we have started recently is a mini-lecture series. This is something like a TED talk but far less formal. The goal of this event is to allow anyone who wants to present on any topic they think is really interesting. We get the whole office together, order pizza, hang out, and learn something new! Questions and discussion during and after the presentation are highly encouraged. I recently gave my own mini-lecture on web safety and security, because that is something that I am very passionate about. I was able to show everyone how passwords are cracked by hackers in real time, with the goal of illustrating to everyone why having strong passwords is actually important, among other things.
