Hion is a top organization for Senior Developers

Hion is a workplace where a Senior Developer can truly challenge themselves and impact the organization's development while enjoying a strong community and a relaxed atmosphere.

We interviewed our Senior Software Developers, Timi-Artturi and Hermanni, and listed five reasons why Hion is an attractive choice, especially for experienced developers.

1. Technical versatility, scope and challenging projects

Hion offers technically challenging projects and is known for its technical wide. “On the WordPress side, we don’t just create business card websites; they usually involve integrations and more demanding technical elements.” – Timi-Artturi

“I don’t know if we can say the most challenging in Finland, but at least some of the top challenging projects are done here. You get to challenge yourself when the technical solutions are demanding.” – Hermanni

Hion is not confined to a single technology. While we were previously known as a strong WordPress company, we aim to be more than that. Our goal is to be a diverse software development company where developers have the opportunity to engage in various types of work.

“Previously, we were known as a company called Geniem. I know several WP developers who applied to work for us precisely because they know they get to work on challenging things.” – Timi-Artturi

Developers can work with various technologies, and we encourage using different tools to achieve the best results. We regularly use diverse tools, technologies, and platforms such as Google Cloud Platform, Docker, WordPress, and React.

“As open-source tools, we have ACF Codifier and RediPress, which I find more interesting and indicative of our technical quality.” – Hermanni

Developers can choose their tools based on their needs, emphasizing continuous learning and finding best practices. We have also standardized titles and our developers now carry the title of Software Developer.

2. Continuous development and freedom to influence

We emphasize the opportunity to challenge oneself, expand professional skills, and technical expertise. Hion is currently developing working models, providing the opportunity to contribute to the implementation of new services. Tools can be chosen based on individual needs; there is no predetermined requirement to use a specific tool.

“Thinking outside the box is emphasized. For example, for large amounts of data, a separate fast search index, RediPress, has been used instead of WP’s database searches.” – Timi-Artturi

“You get to influence things. We have developed a lot of operations, but I see it positively when you get to influence the used technologies. And when we started using Google Cloud services, you get to think about good solutions to things.” – Hermanni

We support the development of existing technological expertise and encourage expanding skills in different technologies. We also encourage obtaining certifications – for example, we offer everyone the opportunity to obtain the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) certification.

One of our key values, sustainability, is also concretely reflected in the work of developers. Depending on interest, it is possible to participate in the internal GSW (Green Sustainable Web) task force, where sustainability-related work practices are actively advanced. We also have internal guidelines to ensure that the services we design and produce are as energy-efficient as possible. Or if interest leans more towards the world of artificial intelligence, we also have an AI task force. We want to stay up-to-date and, at the same time, ensure the development of our employees’ expertise.

3. Quality of customer relationships

Hion’s strategy focuses on long-term customer relationships and challenging projects.

“The ambition is to have big clients for whom we work consistently. I like that because these cases are often more demanding, and you get to know the client and serve them better.” – Timi-Artturi

Senior developers at Hion not only code but also play a significant role in customer relationships, mainly working at the customer interface. They are involved from the planning stage, describing solutions, and creating technical plans. This enables influencing technologies and providing technical expertise early in the project, ensuring that the final product is also technically aligned with the client’s goals. This, on the other hand, creates a trusting relationship with the customer.

“We can be involved in the planning stage, not just starting to implement after someone else has made the specification. When trust has been gained, you can also be involved in the planning process.” – Hermanni

It is also important that senior developers have the opportunity to spar with other developers. At Hion, we hold meetings as needed to discuss upcoming projects, seek advice and share tips. This promotes knowledge sharing, and no one has to reinvent the wheel. Senior developers have the opportunity to take responsibility for projects and can act as mentors to junior colleagues if they wish.

4. Community and support

Hion strongly invests in community and open communication. Tuesday’s code coffees for WordPress developers and Thursday’s Dev Meet for all developers provide forums for sharing thoughts and ideas. With these we aim to encourage openness and the courage to say if something is not working or if a better way of doing things has been found. These collective meetings have been deemed crucial and also involve remote workers.

Slack serves as our main communication channel, where you can ask even those “stupid” questions. We want to create a safe place that enables open discussion among everyone regardless of their role. The goal is always to collectively consider solutions; there is no authority who knows all the answers, and anyone can ask questions and challenge, and then solutions are discussed together.

“We encourage openness on Slack as well. It’s a safe place to ask even ‘stupid’ questions. There is no authority who knows all the answers; anyone can ask any question, and then we collectively think about solutions.” – Hermanni

Come as you are! We also appreciate the diversity of the team and are not interested in recruiting people who fit a specific model. Everyone has their strengths, and the best ideas arise in a diverse group.

“Everyone can be themselves. If you’re not the type to present a demo to 40 people at Dev Meet, you don’t have to be.” – Hermanni

Job roles are tailored to each person, utilizing their personality and strengths. The most important thing is good communication and getting along with others, ensuring smooth information flow and collaboration. We also encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and try new, sometimes challenging things.

5. Work-life balance

We emphasize the balance between work and leisure. This requires self-management and communication if the workload becomes too high. In such cases, it can be considered in resource allocation.

Remote work options also support flexible work, whether you prefer working from your cottage, abroad, or home. Our offices in Helsinki and Tampere are very comfortable, and many people enjoy occasionally visiting the office. Especially information sharing and sparring become easier when you can quickly solve things when meeting face to face. Interaction and sharing updates are particularly important for community building.

If challenging yourself is your thing and you want to develop your skills, check out our open positions and send your application.