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Month: December 2021

msg News: celebration of the company’s foundation, Christmas and expansion to the Czech Republic

Posted on by Zuzana Kocáková

The end of 2021 was very busy in msg life Slovakia. We had several reasons to be happy. In addition to celebrating 21 years as a company in November, we also held a number of events. These included a feast festival and, with the Christmas holidays approaching, other traditional activities. We have not slowed down in our search for new colleagues, but this time we have also cast our nets in the Czech Republic. The offer of Full Remote positions has been expanded again. Read what new things happened in our company during autumn and winter. The age of 21 evokes adulthood for many. However, in the context of our company’s existence, this number is a symbol of stability, experience and background. Over more than two decades, strong bonds of friendship have been forged between our colleagues. The company has gained many leading corporate clients and, together with its international background, the necessary stability. However, everything has evolved over time. “When we started in 2000, we focused only on software development,” recalls Milan Patassy, one of the company’s managing directors, of the company’s beginnings. “We now have more than 200 employees in Slovakia and, in addition to developers, we also employ more than 80 testers, as well as client consultants and specialists in migration, integration and mathematics. In total, we cover about fourteen products that we develop and test,” adds Milan.

Jobs also in the Czech Republic

The company is growing so much that we are currently looking for employees in the Czech Republic. Specifically java programmers or integration architects. Employees from our neighbours will work in the form of Full Remote. There are no concerns about whether this form of cooperation will work from the management side. We have already addressed a similar issue at the beginning when the parent company in Germany was expanding its divisions to other countries, including Slovakia.

Currently, due to the pandemic situation, the list of fully remote positions is expanding. “The labour market is changing and so are the trends and benefits for employees. Of course, our company tries to keep up with them. The health of our colleagues is important to us. That is why all jobs are currently hybrid, with Home Office. This means that 60 percent of the working time the employee can work from the comfort of home and 40 percent in the office space. It is up to the employee which days are spent in the office and which at home. For some positions we are even looking for Full Remote collaborations. These are mainly developer jobs or individuals who would have to commute from a long distance, for example, from the Czech Republic,” explains the company’s HR manager Maria.

Company benefits and gifts

Even during the autumn and winter we did not forget to diversify our work. At the end of October, we held a traditional feast in the premises of the company, where we enjoyed crispy duck and lokšiai. “During the summer, we organised weekly lunches together and, as they were a great success and received positive feedback, we wanted to continue this,” adds recruiter Dominika.

msg life gave gifts to employees for Christmas
The employees of msg life also received Christmas presents.

However, this event was not the only one of its kind. With the Christmas holidays approaching, the Personnel Department prepared St. Nicholas gifts for colleagues and their children and even organised a Christmas market, which was held outdoors. This year we did not forget about Christmas presents either. “Colleagues were able to fill in a questionnaire about what they would like to have under the tree and we were happy to fulfil their wishes,” adds Dominika.

We joined forces for a good cause

At msg life Slovakia, however, we think of others besides our employees. With winter approaching, we have also turned our attention to several non-profit organizations and volunteer associations. Examples are Freedom of Animals, Plamienok or Vagus. We materially supported abandoned pets, donated clothes to homeless people and financially supported a collection for breathing apparatuses for sick children.

 

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“We decided to be active not only internally, but also to use our energy outside the office. Together with our children, we took up to 80 kg of kibble to a dog shelter, walked the dogs and also organized a clothes collection for the underprivileged. We collected a car full of warm clothes. Perhaps the empathy of our colleagues was most evident when, together with the company, they contributed considerable sums for breathing apparatuses for sick children. A big thank you to all of them,” says Zuzana, office manager of msg life Slovakia.

msg life Slovakia helps charities with financial and material donations

Posted on by Zuzana Kocáková

If you’re worried about the pre-Christmas rush and you’re chasing presents until the last minute, there are plenty of people who would love to swap with you. Especially those who have lost the roof over their heads, are in a bad financial situation or have health problems. These are the ones we at msg life Slovakia have been thinking about the most during the month of December. The IT segment was only partially affected by the pandemic, so this year we decided to support not only our colleagues, but also selected charities dedicated to helping people in need. Thanks to our material and financial donations, they were able to forget about their difficult life situation for at least a small moment and spend Christmas in peace.

msg life helped several charities

“It started innocently. Like every year, my colleagues and I talked about what we were going to give our employees this time. We thought about it for so long that we even came up with the theme of charity.” explains the birth of the idea office manager Zuzana. After a difficult selection process, we decided to choose several charities that focus on helping people in need. This Christmas we supported both financially and materially the Platform of Families of Children with Disabilities (Platforma rodin deti so zdravotnym znevyhodnenim), the Malicek civic association that helps families of premature babies, the NGO Dobry anjel with a focus on helping those who need it the most, and the NGO Plamienok, which provides free home care for terminally ill children and help with the loss of a child. We have not forgotten about the Kto pomoze Slovensku initiative, which aims to provide financial and material assistance to health professionals and medical facilities affected by the pandemic, or the Stopa, Vagus, Depaul and Stedra vecera, which help homeless people. Our hearts have also been won by the organization Sloboda zvierat, which is dedicated to rescuing and caring for stray and abused animals and then finding them a new home. At the same time, we would like to appeal to everyone who can to help these organizations. It does not have to be financial or material help. It is enough if you walk the dogs once in a while or help as a volunteer.

Selection process of non-profit organizations

Throughout the year, we focus primarily on the satisfaction of our employees. We are constantly preparing new benefits and interesting events or activities to make them feel their best at msg life. “However, our team is also growing and there is finally room to focus on helping people in need,” adds Zuzana. The company’s office department therefore drew up a list of organizations it would like to help and gradually began to approach them. “We would prefer to help everyone, but we had to choose a selection strategy,” explains recruiter Dominika. We followed a number of criteria when selecting the non-profit organizations. We decided that this year we would support Slovak charities with a specific focus. “Our priority was to help mainly sick and abandoned children, people in need, health professionals, but also animals,” adds Dominika. The cooperation with the organizations lasted several weeks, and communication with them was very effective. Some organizations and associations provided us with a precise list of things they needed to make it easier to run the company. This not only made our work easier, but also provided the necessary equipment for people in need and abandoned pets in shelters.

 

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Material and financial donations for a good cause

msg life Slovakia was able to make Christmas more enjoyable for several families and homeless people not only thanks to the help of employees, but also thanks to funding from the parent company msg life. “Our company has invested money in charitable activities thanks to the support of our parent organization, which is based in Germany. It is not important for us to talk about specific amounts, what is important is that the money went into good hands and for the right purpose,” says Dominika. We have been volunteering throughout the year, but it was only in December that we really started to help. Developers, testers or actuaries together with their children helped in delivering food to the dog shelter or collecting clothes for homeless people. The furries were delighted to receive up to 80 kg of kibble, we provided them with material donations and some dogs were also happy to go for walks during the year. As part of the company swap, we managed to collect a car full of warm clothes for people im need. “Everyone has been helpful and supportive, for which we owe them a big thank you,” adds Zuzana. However, we were not always able to help with material donations. In such cases, we supported the selected organizations financially. For example, we organized a collection to buy expensive breathing apparatuses for sick children. In addition to our company, our dear colleagues also volunteered to participate in the collection, for which we thank them immensely. msg life Slovakia would like to continue similar charitable activities in the future. “The IT world is an area that has not been so badly affected by the pandemic. Thanks to this, we can continue to contribute to a better life in Slovakia and support good projects and ideas. In the future, we also want to focus on environmental issues and contribute to a cleaner and greener planet. We believe that we will be able to take the first steps already this spring,” concludes Zuzana.

From logistics to IT. Tester Andrea tells you what motivated her to change her job

Posted on by Zuzana Kocáková

Based on the references of a friend, with whom they had been colleagues in the past and now again, Andrea applied for a job as a IT tester in Zilina during the height of the pandemic situation. Although two years ago she never thought she would have an IT job, today she is successfully overcoming the challenges of her job as a software tester. IT jobs are always on offer, read our interview with Andrea and get inspired.

How long have you been with msg life Slovakia?

I have been with our company since February 2020.

What job were you recruited for?

I passed the IT tester interview and I started in this position.

How did you get into testing?

For health reasons I was forced to change my original profession in logistics. I worked there for sixteen years. I often dealt with requests to change or modify the software used. Today my task is to test the software. I was persuaded to apply for an interview for my current position by a colleague with whom I had worked in my previous job.

What attracted you to working at msg life Slovakia? Why did you choose us?

It was a rational decision based on references and my vision, but it was also a feeling decision, triggered by the atmosphere at the job interview. That weighed the most. When I went for a job interview, I was thinking about changing careers. I did not expect such a fair and personal approach from the future manager or the employer. I was looking for a stable and humane company that would allow me to work in a healthy work environment, not forget my skills and work with the potential to improve. I really wanted to find a work-life balance. It was the feedback I received that motivated me to make this career change.

How is working for us different from previous work experience?

Corporate atmosphere, workplace relationships, internal communication and the value of people. By changing careers, I have gained experience with an employer who values its people and has high level HR management. Plus, I work in a less stressful environment and I finally know what an undisturbed holiday means.

What does your normal working day look like?

I joined msg life Slovakia during the pandemic and the persistent home office, so I was initially deprived of full socialization in the office. However, I am able to schedule my working time well, taking into account the tasks and appointments in my calendar and respecting my privacy. Rather, my experience is that the work week or month is divided into phases because the work agenda of the day adapts to it. The period before the release of the system is more demanding, almost entirely focused on testing and frequent project meetings. The other days it is an agenda and performing tasks as needed or requested by the manager, mostly testing the functionality of the environment.

What is your job? What are you currently working on?

The biggest part of my work agenda is manual software testing, when I solve assigned Jira tickets, test new topics and create tickets for discovered bugs. One of my tasks is the so-called smoke test of the environment and a general overview of the environments we use in the project. After agreement with the team, I initiate the update or run the update manually. Training also fills the working hours as required.

Who all are you communicating with to solve any problems?

I communicate with the team leader, project colleagues, developers and integrators. Communication with testers from the customer side and with project management is less frequent. It’s great to have constant online contact with our colleagues in our office and with the team on the project.

What project are you working on right now?

I’m working on a Canada Life project where I’m testing billing – it’s a component of our system for automated processing of financial flows between the customer, the bank and the insurance company. It is such an interface between the bank and the general ledger, where payment transactions are recorded.

Do you have experience with other projects within msg life Slovakia?

No. CLA is my first project.

What apps do you use at work?

I use JIRA on a daily basis – software to enter, track and coordinate tasks and problems that are solved in projects. I also use MADOS (Maintenance and Delivery Online System) to access and manage all the environments on which I test the web versions of our software from an update perspective. DBVisualizer is also helpful for me to work with the database and MS Office. We have a Microsoft Teams application for communication.

What skills are important for your job?

Knowledge of foreign languages, ability to see the context and accept change, responsibility, precision and willingness to learn a lot. Experience in the insurance or financial sector and good IT literacy are a definite advantage and will facilitate training.

What do you like most about your job?

Two years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be working in my current position. It’s not my dream job, it’s more of a challenge, but it brings me positives that compensate for the long hours behind the computer. I realise that I am not a ‘ready-made man’ for my employer and I have to learn more than my colleagues who were ‘born in IT’. That’s why I’m happy that the amount of information I’ve acquired is starting to fall into place and I’m able to solve many tasks independently. If there is a problem, I have people around me who are willing to give advice at any time. The language courses, the motivating remuneration programme and the care of the employees are great. The company provides excellent conditions for work-life balance for both parents and childless people, while respecting family and leisure time. And frankly, it will be very nice to work with colleagues in person as well.

Who are your colleagues?

Great team. One in Žilina, the other in Bratislava. Although the project is challenging, I am very pleased with the people who are working on it. We sat down both professionally and humanly. Thanks to my colleagues, I don’t perceive working in a home environment at all. I appreciate their willingness to help, to share information, to lighten the situation in a difficult time and to stand by when things are not going well. Several of them became friends and partners for hiking and leisure.

What qualities should your new colleague have to fit in?

Humour and team spirit will delight.

Three words that come to mind when you hear msg life Slovakia?

I’m glad to be here.

Are you looking for an interesting IT job in Žilina? Check out our other job offers and join us:

msg life Slovakia celebrates 21 years of changing the world of insurance development

Posted on by Zuzana Kocáková

The story of this company started with just three employees in 2000. Read more about the development of msg life Slovakia.

The parent company msg life has been providing professional and advisory services in the insurance and financial sector for more than 40 years. During this time it has managed to consolidate its position within Europe and has expanded from Germany to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, the USA and Slovakia. The company has been operating in our country for 21 years in three cities – Bratislava, Košice and Žilina – where it employs a total of more than 230 employees. The company’s story started with just three employees, one of whom was the managing director of the Slovak branch, Milan Patassy. “When we started in 2000, we focused only on software development,” recalls Milan Patassy, one of the managing directors of msg life Slovakia, of the company’s beginnings. Over time, the company not only increased the number of employees, but also expanded its area of operation. “We currently have more than 230 employees in Slovakia and, in addition to 70 developers, we also employ more than 95 testers, as well as integration architects, mathematicians, business analysts, migration specialists and project management managers. In total, we cover approximately 14 products that we develop and test,” adds Milan. Our company celebrated its 21st anniversary this year. During this period we have managed to win many important clients. Along with an international background, we have gained stability and are currently looking for employees on the Czech market as well.

Job offers also in the Czech Republic

Specifically, we are looking for Java developers with a focus on the insurance industry or integration architects. Employees from a neighboring country will work directly from home. There is no concern from the management whether this form of cooperation will work. A similar issue was addressed early on when the parent company in Germany was expanding its divisions to other countries, including Slovakia. “After more than 20 years, I can say that this is an achievement that is of strategic importance for msg life. The results achieved have finally freed us from all the doubts and uncertainties of developing products remotely,” adds Robert Hess, another of the company’s managing directors. As a result of the pandemic situation, the list of fully remote positions In Slovakia has recently been expanding.

“The labour market is changing and so are the trends or benefits for employees. Of course, msg life Slovakia tries to keep up with them. Employee health is also important to us, which is why all our employees currently work from home. Our job offers offer a hybrid form of work. This means that 60 percent of the time the employee can work from the comfort of home and 40 percent in the office. It is up to the employee which days are spent in the office and which at home. Telecommuting is also an option for some development positions or for people who would have to commute long distances to work,” explains HR manager Maria.

Corporate activities and events

The company is aware that there is increasing competition in the software development field, so it is a priority to promote an open company culture, friendly atmosphere and care for employees through a rich benefits program. “Cohesion at work and in the family is very important in Slovakia and we support it through events for the little ones, such as children’s day celebrations or Christmas parties. They represent the values that I believe characterize society as a whole: stability, openness and correct behaviour. In addition to these values, we all value a culture of learning from our own mistakes,” says managing director Milan Patassy. Over time, many colleagues have become friends and company events have become more spectacular and fun.

“We realize how important it is to make work fun for our colleagues. That’s why we regularly try to strengthen the team with various events. Regular events include, for example, a summer party. This year, we have also introduced various themed lunches and we try to think about the health of our employees with a health week or yoga sessions. Many of the events have a high success and positive feedback, which we are very pleased about,” adds recruiter Dominika. Currently, the average age of the company is below 38 years, which ensures the initiative and innovative thinking of younger employees, the expertise of the middle generation and the experience of people who have already reached their fifties. “We are also very pleased that the proportion of female employees has increased to 30 per cent,” adds Milan Patassy.

Charity and education

At msg life Slovakia, apart from our own employees, we also think about those who need it most. In recent months, we have also turned our attention to several non-profit organizations and volunteer associations. Examples are Freedom of Animals, Plamienok or Vagus. Colleagues from msg life Slovakia provided food for abandoned animals, clothes for homeless people and funding for breathing apparatuses for sick children.

“We decided to be active not only internally, but also to use our energy outside the company’s premises. Together we donated up to 80 kg of food to a dog shelter, walked the dogs and organized a clothing collection for the underprivileged. We collected a car full of warm clothes. Perhaps the empathy of our colleagues was most evident when, together with the company, they contributed considerable sums for breathing apparatuses for sick children. A huge thank you to all of them,” says Zuzana, office manager of msg life Slovakia.

Just as the company sees the value in helping others, so too does it strive to help its colleagues advance their careers. “Our team is the foundation of the company’s success. Every employee has their own boundaries, wants and needs and we fully respect them. We support our colleagues and create space for their self-development. Our greatest assets are the knowledge and know-how that make us specialists in the insurance and software development industry. We support continuous learning and the acquisition of deeper knowledge and expertise. We invest in human resources and in education, as we know that this is the best decision of the present as well as of the future,” adds HR manager Veronika. Are you interested in working in a stable software company? Take a look at our current job vacancies and send us your CV.