Welcome to our blog series where we feature one-to-one interviews with members of our talented team. Sit down, relax and take a minute to learn more about what life is really like here at AuditComply. Explore the twists and turns of each unique journey and what they value most about their impact on our company and customers.
Meet Richard Sayers, our Head of Android Development in Belfast.
Learn more about his career journey with AuditComply & how his talents translate into a more enjoyable, meaningful & seamless experience for our users.
Job role: Head of Android Development
Time with AuditComply: 4 Years
How would you describe AuditComply in three words?:
“Innovative, Adaptive, Friendly”
What brought you to AuditComply? What motivated you to apply for the position?
“Throughout university I was interested in working with mobile devices due to the added restrictions around screen size and device power capabilities, and decided I wanted to focus on Android or IOS development in my career. I was also keen to join a small company where my day to day work could make a real impact on the experience of users and where I could form good relationships with my colleagues. When I saw the position at AuditComply it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
What excites you about working at AuditComply?
“Definitely the rapid growth of the company. It’s often a risk joining a startup as many struggle to get off the ground and as I wanted to join a company I could stay at for many years and grow with, it was a bit of a gamble. AuditComply however has already grown massively in the 4 years I’ve been here and this year particularly has really taken off!”
What has been your biggest accomplishment since you joined?
“I think it would be the Template Builder upgrade. Last year I implemented a large update to the platform’s Template Builder feature, which previously struggled for performance on large data sets. It was really satisfying to tackle such a large challenge and to see a significant improvement in the finished product.”
What has your experience been like with AuditComply’s culture?
“Very positive. Workplace culture was a big priority for me when choosing a company and even in my interviews it was clear that AuditComply had the right kind of culture. In software firms there is always a challenge to support new developers’ evolution while allowing the senior engineers to continue to produce code. AuditComply hits this balance exactly and it proved the perfect place for me to grow my skills with talented engineers offering support whenever needed.”
What parts of AuditComply’s mission do you connect with most?
“The positive impact our product can have on industry. I am quite concerned with issues such as climate change and worker welfare and by working with companies to improve both the safety and efficiency of their day to day operations, through Risk Assessments, Auditing and Analytics, AuditComply is helping to move the global market in the right direction.”
What are your favourite perks / benefits?
“Flexible working hours. At AuditComply we can start work any time from 8-10am and finish 8 hours after that , e.g. start at 8:30am, finish at 4:30pm. I believe different individuals are more productive at different times of the day so this flexibility allows each of us to work in a way best suited to us. I think it also shows something of the trust that management places on employees to manage their own time and still be productive.”
How have you grown professionally since joining the team?
“Working here I have had several opportunities that would not have been available at a larger firm, for example I have been able to go out to meet some of our customers and talk to them about how they use the product and what features or issues are most important to them. These meetings are invaluable not only to my understanding of our mission but also in my own personal development as an engineer. On top of that, the excellent support given by the senior developers was key to developing my skills and allowing me to take on more challenging work as Head of Android Development.”
How would your family or friends describe you in three words?
“Energetic, Insightful, Sassy”
What would you do (career-wise) if you weren’t in your current role?
“I was very close to studying Creative Writing instead of Computer Science so I could well have been a successful author instead (or more likely a very unsuccessful author).”
What do you like to do in your free time?
“Every week some friends and I play Dungeons and Dragons. My friend is a professional screenwriter so he makes some incredible stories for us to play. Another friend is the Number 1 ranked Disk Golf player in Ireland so I will sometimes play a few holes with him. I also enjoy Archery and will go to the range most Sundays or if the weather is bad I’ll stay in and play with my cat Kiko.”
If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you meet?
“Bob Dylan. I’m a massive Bob Dylan fan so I would love to meet a young Bob and talk about the inspiration behind his music.”
How would you sum up your experience with AuditComply?
“If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t still be here.”
If you’re passionate about helping teams thrive and are excited by the opportunity to make a big impact at a fast growing company we’d love to talk to you! Check out our open roles and apply today.