Page not found – Payara Services Ltd https://www.payara.fish devoted to Open Source, Java, our customers and the community Fri, 01 Mar 2024 13:47:52 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 Payara Cloud Hackathon now open for sign-ups! https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2024/02/20/payara-cloud-hackathon-now-open-for-sign-ups/ Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:15:23 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10956 Sign up now and join the Hackathon between the 11th and the 31st of March. Build an app with Jakarta EE 10 and Payara Cloud for a chance to win £3,000 in prize money for the winner, with £2,000 and £1,000 prizes for runners up.

Join us in shaping the future at our “Innovating for a Sustainable Future with Jakarta EE” Hackathon. This is your invitation to dive into the world of development with a cause, using Jakarta EE to craft solutions that pave the way for a greener, more sustainable world.

Whether you’re a developer, designer, or innovator, we’re looking for applications that tackle environmental, social, and economic sustainability challenges.

With a focus on deploying to our Payara as a Service platform Payara Cloud, this is your chance to showcase the power and versatility of Jakarta EE technologies.

Find out more and sign up on the official Payara Cloud Hackathon 2024 page.

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Maximizing Developer Productivity: Tools and Techniques For Java Developers https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2024/02/06/maximizing-developer-productivity-tools-and-techniques-for-java-developers/ Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:56:20 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10917 Join our insightful webinar “Maximizing Developer Productivity: Tools and Techniques,” featuring Java Champion and Developer Evangelist Trisha Gee from Gradle and Jakarta EE Expert Luqman Saeed from Payara. This session is tailored to enhance your coding efficiency and productivity, offering practical insights into smarter and more effective software development.

During the webinar we will cover the following:

-An introduction to advanced productivity tools by Trisha, aimed at streamlining your coding process and improving focus.

-Practical coding techniques that extend beyond basics, focusing on effective task management, automation, and the strategic use of libraries and frameworks.

-Strategies to maintain high code quality while keeping pace, incorporating methods like test-driven development and code reviews.

-A chance to interact directly with Trisha and Luqman in a Q&A session, where you can seek advice and share your experiences.

-Real-world examples demonstrating the tangible benefits of these tools and techniques in software development.

-Insights into staying abreast of emerging tools and trends in the fast-paced world of software development.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Java developer, this webinar is designed to provide you with valuable insights to improve your productivity. Save your place now and join us for a session filled with expert guidance from Trisha Gee and Luqman Saeed, helping you to enhance your development skills.

Register Here

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2023, that’s a wrap! Celebrating 30% Employee Growth, Innovation and Employee Satisfaction https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/12/22/2023-thats-a-wrap-celebrating-30-employee-growth-innovation-and-employee-satisfaction/ Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:57:26 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10858 As we say goodbye to another remarkable year, it’s with immense pride that we reflect on the incredible journey of growth and success Payara has experienced. The past twelve months have been nothing short of extraordinary, marked by a surge in our workforce, spanning 16 countries across the globe, the creation of new business units, and the introduction of perks and benefits that have truly resonated with Payarans.

Expanding Our Team: One of the most thrilling aspects of this year has been the substantial increase in our team size. We welcomed an additional 30% of talented individuals into our organization, each bringing unique skills, perspectives, and energy to the table. This growth not only bolstered our workforce but also injected fresh ideas and enthusiasm into our workplace culture.

Innovative Business Units: This year, we didn’t just stop at expanding our team – we also took bold steps to diversify and strengthen our business. New units were created, each designed to address emerging market demands and capitalise on untapped opportunities.

A Culture of Care: New Perks and Benefits: Understanding that our success is intricately tied to the well-being and satisfaction of our employees, we spared no effort in enhancing our workplace experience. A comprehensive review of our benefits package led to the introduction of exciting new perks that have been embraced wholeheartedly by our staff, proven by our last eNPS score which was 51 above industry standard!

Professional Development Opportunities: Investing in our employees’ growth has always been a priority. This year, we amplified our commitment by providing extensive professional and personal development opportunities. Empowering our team with the skills they need to excel is not only advantageous to our staff but also to our collective success as a company.

As end this year of huge achievements, we extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible team whose dedication and hard work have made it all possible. As we look ahead, we do so with renewed optimism and enthusiasm, ready to build on this year’s success and embrace the challenges and opportunities that the future holds. Here’s to another year of growth and innovation where we will be adding more Payarans to the tank.

If you want to be a part of it, click the link to register for job alerts!

Join Us – Payara Services Ltd

Here are a few quotes from our Senior Leadership Team summarising their reflections of 2023 and their thoughts moving into 2024.

Steve Millidge, CEO and Founder

‘2023 has been a huge year for scaling our teams at Payara. In particular we have grown our sales leadership and operations. We have strengthened the connection between Engineering and Customers by building a product management function. Next year we have big growth plans and will be looking for people across all areas of the business and at all seniorities. 2024 is a truly exciting time to be joining Payara.’

Jullia Millidge, Head of People

‘2023 has been a fantastic year at Payara – we have welcomed many new Payarans to the team, we have a clear and purposeful strategy , and we had an amazing Payara Retreat in Prague which will live long in the memories of many Payarans.

In 2024 we are looking to build on what we have all achieved so far…….our Growth Mindset will drive continuous opportunities for excellence and improvements, our Challenger Brand will see us being more impactful in our industry and beyond, and our focus on Customer centric activities will ensure we focus on making sure everyone has the best journey with Payara.’

Valentina Kovacic, Head of Marketing

‘In 2024, Payara is set to be a challenger brand, disrupting norms and embracing fresh perspectives. Join us in making a mark in the Java industry. As we expand our team across teams, we will continue to nurture talent and reward dedication. Working fully remotely, together we will continue to elevate Jakarta EE, championing its significance in the industry.’

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Payara Festive Recipe Book https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/12/19/payara-festive-recipe-book/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:29:40 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10854 Happy Holidays!

We are proud to bring you our Payara recipe book which features recipes from our very own Payarans from all over the world!

Download the Recipe Book here

 

Enjoy!

The Payara Team

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Payara Candidate Journey https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/12/01/payara-candidate-journey/ Fri, 01 Dec 2023 13:35:42 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10815 At Payara, we have worked hard on our candidate journey and are always trying to improve our candidate experience. This year, we have implemented more automation, which I know is like Marmite (some love it and some hate it!). We know automation can be a great addition to a candidate’s journey, as it has many benefits such as speeding up decision-making time, allowing candidates to book interview slots that suit them, and ensuring our own hiring managers have a full-picture view of their hiring campaign.

At Payara, we don’t want to waste anybody’s time, which is why you will see a very simple application process.

Apply – Your CV and application form will be first screened by the TA team. We screen every single one! If you tick the qualifying boxes, you will then be passed to the hiring manager for further in-depth review. If you don’t meet the essential criteria, the TA team aims to let you know within 48 hours.

Interview – Our interview process can vary depending on the role you have applied for, but as a rule, we aim for no more than 3 interviews.

  1. Solo Interview – You may be shortlisted to attend a solo video interview where prerecorded questions appear on the screen, and you record your answers to them.
  2. First Face-to-Face Interview – If successful at the solo interview stage, you will be invited to interview via Teams with the hiring manager. This is where you can learn more about the team, role, and the plans for this position.
  3. Final Face-to-Face Interview – If the hiring manager has recommended you for a final (firstly, congratulations!), you will then be invited to meet with one of our HR representatives and the Team Leader to have a culture-based interview where you will learn more about our inclusive and immersive culture. This is the interview where you will be able to learn more about our values and culture and if that aligns with you! Depending on the role, there may be a task to present, but we usually only ask this to be a short technical challenge or presentation.

If successful, you are then offered the position, and our people team starts your onboarding, which has been top-rated by our current Payarans! Our TA team even keeps our hiring managers accountable by giving them SLAs to ensure they are reviewing candidates and giving feedback ahead of the industry standard.

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Rewarding Great Payarans https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/11/07/rewarding-great-payarans/ Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:52:21 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10751 We reward our team members, called “Payarans”, for either modelling great core values or for their excellent performance going way beyond expectations of their role. This has become an annual tradition at Payara.

So, what’s the rationale behind Rewarding Great Payarans?

When a Payaran feels appreciated for their hard work and dedication they are likely to feel more motivated to continue performing at high levels, have higher morale and want to build a great team around them. Commitment to achieve the company goals through team working and supporting each other leads to high levels of effective communication and collaboration, which ultimately leads to business success and growth! 

At Payara we love to showcase the talented individuals we have – and we do this continuously through our reward and recognition Perks, but sometimes Payarans need to be recognised for their constant high performance and desire for themselves and the business to be the best – regardless of the role they play. 

The Annual Director’s Thank You award is the highest level of recognition in Payara and is only awarded to a few Payarans each year. Towards the end of the financial year, a proportion of the profit is shared equally across those Payarans who have exceeded all expectations to ensure business success. Those selected receive a financial reward and a personal letter from the Directors explaining why they have been selected, how grateful the business is for their continued contribution,  and how much they are appreciated by everyone. From the Payaran’s perspective, it feels great to have your work rewarded in this way and to see that the Directors acknowledge you are a great Payaran. 

Everyone loves to feel that they are valued and appreciated for what they do daily and a Director’s Thank You is a very special way to receive that confirmation. 

Check out our open job roles:

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Virtual Payara Conference: Empowering Enterprise Innovation with Jakarta EE https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/10/23/virtual-payara-conference-empowering-enterprise-innovation-with-jakarta-ee/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:38:02 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10720 We are hosting our first ever Payara conference! This day long event is totally virtual, so you can join online from anywhere in the world. It’s a must-see for anyone who wants to stay up to date with the future of Jakarta EE. We will be looking ahead to Jakarta EE 11, exploring the challenges and opportunities of enterprise Java and learning more about Payara Platform, plans for 2024 and the different options available to you as an enterprise Java developer.

Thursday, 14th December 2023, 11am – 5:30pm GMT

Join us at https://www.crowdcast.io/c/virtualpayaraconference

  • Free virtual conference
  • Choose which sessions you want to attend
  • Talks from top industry analysts, Java champions and Jakarta EE experts
  • Find out more about the Payara Platform 2024 roadmap from our CEO
  • Talks available on-demand after the conference for all who register

Hear from industry leaders:

Tanja Obradovic, Jakarta EE Program Manager 

Michael Redlich, Java Champion, Java News Editor at InfoQ

James Governor, Co-Founder of Red Monk, the Developer Focused Analyst Firm 

Steve Millidge, Payara CTO and Founder 

CDL, Insurance Tech Providers and Payara Enterprise users

Featuring talks:

‘Customer Success Story – Why is a Migration from WebLogic to Payara Server a Smart Business Decision?’ by CDL and ‘Jakarta EE: Going Beyond the Era of Java EE’ with Michael Redlich.

Register now via Crowdcast to see the full schedule and get this important event in your diaries.

Register

We hope to see you there!

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Payara Platform Surpasses 150,000 Monthly Users, Achieving Global Adoption Milestone https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/10/10/payara-platform-surpasses-150000-monthly-users-achieving-global-adoption-milestone/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:36:40 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10692 Payara is pleased to announce that it has reached 150,000 monthly users! 
150 000 monthly users of Payara Platform
Read the press release:
Payara Services, the leading provider of open source Jakarta EE application server software, is proud to announce a significant milestone in the global adoption of Payara Platform. Designed for mission-critical systems in production and containerized Jakarta EE and MicroProfile applications, with over 150,000 users globally relying on Payara Platform every month, Payara has firmly established itself as a preferred choice among developers, as well as companies and institutions worldwide.
Developers from diverse regions and industries have embraced the platform, leveraging its capabilities to build and deploy enterprise-grade applications.  The community-driven nature of Payara Platform additionally fosters collaboration and innovation, which has led to its sustained growth and development.
 CEO and Founder, Steve Millidge, Payara, comments: “We are immensely proud of the global adoption of Payara Platform, which serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our community members and the excellence of our product. With more than 150,000 monthly users and counting, Payara Platform has become the go-to choice for those seeking a powerful, aggressively compatible, open source application server. This milestone demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality solutions that meet the evolving needs of the software development community and enterprises. We have also recently launched Payara Cloud, a fully managed cloud infrastructure management solution that fully eliminates the need of Kubernetes, and brings significant cost savings for businesses.”  

Payara Platform has witnessed explosive growth since 2016. Its popularity has surged as developers and businesses recognize the numerous advantages it offers, including enhanced performance, scalability, and a robust ecosystem of tools and support. Additionally, Payara’s commitment to Jakarta EE standards ensures compatibility with existing Java EE applications, providing a seamless transition to modern, cloud-native architectures.

 

Get started with Payara Platform:

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Geo-Differentiated Pay versus Geo-Neutral Pay: Payara’s Business Challenge https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/10/04/geo-differentiated-pay-versus-geo-neutral-pay-payaras-business-challenge/ Wed, 04 Oct 2023 14:22:47 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10684 Payara was born global – we started hiring globally by design, so the issue of pay and compensation has always been a challenge. Payara was also born to be remote first – enabling us, by design, to hire and support top talent for each role regardless of the individual’s geographical location. So, the issue of pay and compensation, Geo – Neutral versus Geo-Differentiated, has been a long and frequent discussion within the business. 

Basic salary as part of a larger pay and compensation package plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining a talented workforce, but now thanks to the rise in remote working many more business are entering the Global hiring market, and this raises new and difficult challenges when it comes to determining pay structures. Some businesses make the decision to implement geo-differentiated pay, which accounts for regional cost-of-living disparities, while some make the decision to implement geo-neutral pay, which applies a uniform compensation across all locations.

But which option should a business choose? How do you apply it in your organisation and, is it in line with your Business Values and Performance management structures? 

First let’s explain what each term means in more detail, and what the pros and cons of each option are for Payara.

Our team are based all over the world.

Geo-differentiated pay, also known as geographic pay differentials, considers the varying costs of living (COL) across different regions usually on a global scale, but it can be used within a large county using COL index in different cities for example.  

This approach offers Payara several advantages.: 

  • It ensures that Payarans (the name we give to members of our team) can afford a comparable standard of living regardless of location, reducing financial stress, and increasing overall job satisfaction. 
  • It aids in attracting and retaining talent in expensive areas by offering competitive compensation relative to the local cost of living. This can help us establish a strong presence in costly markets.  
  • It can foster a sense of fairness among Payarans who perceive their compensation as reflective of the local economy. 

However, geo-differentiated pay has its drawbacks.  

  • Implementing and managing different pay scales across regions can be administratively very complex and time-consuming.  
  • It requires accurate data and ongoing monitoring of cost-of-living indices, which may be subject to fluctuations and is often difficult to find and correlate.  
  • It can inadvertently create disparities and divisions among Payarans, leading to potential morale and productivity issues. Payarans in lower-cost of living regions may feel undervalued or unfairly compensated compared to their counterparts in higher cost of living areas, negatively impacting team cohesion. 

Can you begin to see how this could be a very tricky situation? 

Geo-neutral pay, on the other hand, involves providing a uniform compensation structure irrespective of location.  

Advantages of Geo- neutral pay are:

  • It offers simplicity and ease of administration since there is no need to manage varying pay scales based on regional differences.  
  • It promotes consistency, ensuring equal treatment for all Payarans regardless of where they are located, which could eliminate potential conflicts arising from perceived inequities in compensation. 

But again, Geo-neutral pay has its drawbacks.  

  • It may fail to account for significant cost-of-living disparities, resulting in employees struggling to meet their basic needs in high-cost areas.  
  • The disparities may lead to higher turnover rates, reduced job satisfaction, and difficulty attracting top talent in those  regions.  
  • It may pose challenges in competing with local employers who offer higher compensation packages reflective of the regional economy. 
Staying connected across continents.

Both arguments have persuasive advantages and disadvantages to be taken into consideration along with the business strategy, growth and hiring budget. As a business, Payara has to carefully consider many circumstances – we are a software product business, we hire for many different roles, we have global customers so some of our Payarans require specialist skills (like language abilities,) or need to be in certain geographic locations to be able to provide a great customer experience, we need to consider legal and jurisdictional compliance and ensure a positive Payaran experience for all our staff  to build and grow our unique culture.  

So on balance what has Payara chosen to do ? Simple. We use a balanced approach which combines elements of both options which offers us the best solution – we try to ensure fair compensation at all times  and remain competitive in our offering.   

Like the sound of our approach? Check out open job roles:

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Mentoring and Coaching in the Workplace https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/08/21/mentoring-and-coaching-in-the-workplace/ Mon, 21 Aug 2023 10:14:41 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10590 Payara loves to upskill its team – and we have set ourselves an ambitious challenge of investing over 100 hours of Learning and Development time for each team member each year. Over the past couple of years traditional ‘course / qualification’  based learning has been replaced  by online sessions  which better suits both individual and business needs … and it’s here to stay! 

So, what is the place in this online landscape for Mentoring and Coaching ? Is in-person knowledge sharing still beneficial ? 

It has been recognised for some time that mentoring and coaching are effective tools for boosting professional growth to achieve long term career success, and a business that invests in this form of knowledge sharing sees improved employee performance, better workforce retention and increased satisfaction.Man leaning over another man in Payara t-shirts at Laptop

At Payara we promote mentoring and coaching for all, but especially for those in a mid-career stage. This is often the period when a career can stagnate as the knowledge for performance of the role is accumulated fully, but no further development is actioned. Investing in those that want to see an increase in the scope of their role or the opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities, through mentoring or coaching internally, is a great way to hone the skills of your next generation of leaders. 

So, what is the specific benefit of mentoring or coaching for an individual? It’s the opportunity to learn from other experienced professionals who can give valuable feedback and guidance due to their enhanced knowledge and skills set, and also to build a supporting relationship which  promotes collaboration and open communication. 

If mentoring or coaching are carried out successfully an employee  is much more lively to develop confidence in their abilities and take on new challenges and responsibilities which can lead to them  expanding  their professional horizons within our business.  

It is a win-win reality for both the business and the team member– we get to retain some exceptional talent within the business and they get to stretch their new abilities to grow and develop their professionalism whilst still enjoying working as part of a great team.

By investing in mentoring and coaching, a business can create a pipeline of knowledgeable, skilled and highly motivated employees who achieve the organisational goals and contribute to the success of the company. 

Want to join our Learning and Development orientated business? See our open job roles and sign up for job alerts:

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Payara Becomes Official Partner of Fadata Ecosystem https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/08/18/payara-becomes-official-partner-of-fadata-ecosystem/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 10:38:48 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10585 Fadata, a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, is pleased to announce that Payara has become an official partner of the Fadata Ecosystem.

The agreement forms part of a bigger picture from Fadata, to provide insurers with out-of-the-box software solutions. The Ecosystem of partners is designed to enable speedy, seamless deployment of new technology capabilities from different sources, to ensure insurance companies can meet changing customer needs and expectations with fast paced innovation. Fadata clients now have direct access to the Payara application server for more efficient deployment. Thanks to the partnership, Payara has been optimised for the Fadata Ecosystem to support insurers to enjoy more flexibility and functionalities in the Cloud. Becoming an Ecosystem partner means that Payara terms and conditions and licensing policies are pre-approved by Fadata, and the relationship ensures ongoing improvements from which Fadata’s clients can benefit.

CEO and Founder, Steve Millidge, Payara, comments: “We are excited to be working with Fadata. Payara is one of the leading application service providers, committed to delivering robust and scalable solutions for Jakarta EE applications. By collaborating with Fadata as a trusted partner, Payara will help more insurers stay ahead in today’s competitive market, by providing first class support and performance optimization. We already have many insurance companies relying on our application server solutions and look forward to working with more with Fadata.”

Neyko Bratoev, Head of Fadata Ecosystem, comments: “Payara is an ideal fit for our mission to deliver a successful Ecosystem for insurers. The complementary technology offers insurers the best infrastructure to become optimised in the Cloud. Partnering with Payara enables our clients direct, quick and easy access to the best-in-breed application server technology that can support them to adopt new technologies for a more competitive edge.”

The Fadata Ecosystem continues to develop to offer insurers a pre-made enterprise solution. Fadata is partnering with leading specialists in their field to build its comprehensive marketplace and cement the forward-thinking ideal of enabling value-added, customer-centric developments with ease. For more information, explore Fadata Ecosystem.

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Experience Fully Managed Jakarta EE Cloud Deployment with Payara Cloud’s New Free Trial https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/08/17/experience-fully-managed-jakarta-ee-cloud-deployment-with-payara-clouds-new-free-trial/ Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:40:37 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10580 Payara invites developers and enterprises to explore the capabilities of Payara Cloud by taking advantage of the new Free Trial. To give developers a taste of its exceptional capabilities, Payara is proud to introduce a new 15 days Free Trial of Payara Cloud, enabling users to experience effortless cloud deployment like never before.

Payara Cloud redefines the way Jakarta EE applications are deployed, taking an approach that handles server-related complexities on behalf of users. It leverages the core principles of Jakarta EE to isolate deployable applications from infrastructure intricacies. This innovative platform, built to run on Microsoft Azure using the Azure Kubernetes Service, seamlessly takes a user’s application bundle (WAR file) and deploys to automatically provisioned containers in Kubernetes pods.

Payara Cloud fully automates essential tasks, including YAML configuration, container image building, pod creation, Kubernetes deployment, API server updates for Azure ingress management, and SSL certificate generation. With Payara Cloud, developers can focus on their code and business logic, while the platform handles the rest.

Unlike other solutions, Payara Cloud stands out by comprehensively managing deployment, configuration and scaling of Jakarta EE applications. Renowned Java Champion and consultant Adam Bien praised the approach, stating, “Payara Cloud’s focus on separating infrastructure from business logic stands out, in contrast to other approaches that attempt to shift deployment to build time.”

Developers within the Jakarta EE ecosystem can easily access the benefits of Payara Cloud through its user-friendly interface or seamlessly integrate it into their continuous deployment pipelines using GitHub Action Workflow and Payara Cloud Command Line (PCL). Additionally, Payara Cloud’s future integration with external Kubernetes platforms such as Kubernetes itself, OpenShift, or Rancher will further enhance its versatility.

To sign up for the Free Trial and learn more about Payara Cloud, please visit payara.cloud.

Watch a Payara Cloud Demo here.

On Wednesday 23 August 2023, 3.00PM GMT, we will host a webinar Assessing Jakarta EE Cloud Deployment Options in a Cloud Native Era, which will discuss Payara Cloud in the context of other Jakarta EE Cloud Deployment Options.

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The Importance of Workforce Planning at Payara https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/08/02/the-importance-of-workforce-planning-at-payara/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 15:27:40 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10531 As a SME (Small to Medium Sized Enterprise) competing for talent in a highly competitive market, the People team focus on working alongside Team leaders to increase their understanding of how to approach future state team organisation, identify roles, and develop the existing team members. To do this we use a mechanism called Workforce Planning. 

Workforce Planning is a mechanism that all businesses use to assess and plan for an increase in staffing numbers both through Growth Roles (new positions created)  and Churn Roles (turnover due to terminations or retirement).

Effective work force planning will help any business identify the necessary skills, experience and competencies required in their growing team. To do this a business will need to consider the following:  

  1. What skills and knowledge are needed for roles?
  2. What is the forecast number and time scales for hiring?
  3. What recruitment planning needs to take place to attract the talent required?
  4. Can we upskill and develop existing staff?
  5. Are our pay and compensation strategies competitive to attract the talent required?
  6. How can we transfer essential skills and knowledge?
  7. Have we got  clear career pathways that lead to succession planning?  
  8. Is our recruitment process smooth efficient and inclusive? 

At Payara, the People team host weekly and monthly education sessions for Team leaders to discuss and focus on the list above with the aim of encouraging Team Leaders to prepare for growth and change. 

During the business year we carry out the workforce planning cycle twice, asking team leaders to consider their team in detail against the questions below: 

  • Who is performing in the top 20 % – who would they want to retain at all costs!! 
  • Who is performing in the bottom 20% – who do they expect to lose through Performance Management churn or resignation? 
  • What new roles may be created due to new projects or team needs ? How many and when during the year ? 
  • Are there any  internal promotions or movements within the team which will leave a backfill position?
  • Any other changes which will impact headcount and hiring?

The outcome of the discussions are always interesting and lay the foundation for the People team to develop and evolve the recruitment plans in place continuously. As a business with an aggressive 3 year growth plan, hiring the right talent at the right time is a huge investment, so ensuring the business gets the best outcome is a high priority . 

In summary, Workforce Planning is an essential tool used to identify opportunities and investments for growth, but needs to be agile and flexible to allow for business strategic changes in direction or timeframes and align with talent market trends. 

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Payara’s Charity of the Year: Children International https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/07/26/payaras-charity-of-the-year-children-international/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 09:45:49 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10504 Payara is proud to announce that we’ve chosen Children International as our Charity of the Year!

About Children International

Children International were established to help bring an end to child poverty through their work with children and their communities, providing access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities, as well as empowering children to have hope for a brighter future.

Working within 10 countries, across 67 community centres, Children International has already helped over 1 million children through its programs, including their child sponsorship program, which allows donors to match with kids in different countries to make a personal impact to their future.

Children International Logo

Their main projects focus on:

Health

Children International ensure that the children they work with are provided with access to basic healthcare, as well as supporting children to develop healthy habits and connecting them to services when they need additional support.

Education

In impoverished communities, children don’t have the same access to education or learning resources, or don’t have the opportunity to attend school. Children International break down those barriers through tutoring programs, scholarships, and computer training.

Empowerment

They empower children to have hope for their future, seeing possibilities beyond their current circumstances, through life skills training, teaching leadership skills and the value of teamwork.

Employment

Children International design programs which support youth employment, teaching children the skills necessary for finding and interviewing for roles and connecting them with local employers.

Payara’s Involvement

As with all decisions within Payara, we aligned our charity choice with our company values – specifically passion, growth, and community. The decision to support Children International was made through a company-wide vote, allowing Payarans the choice of which cause they felt most passionate about, ensuring we’re not only inclusive of everyone’s opinions, but also choosing a charity with a global reach that works to improve the communities of others through multiple development programs.

After previously partnering with ecological charities, Payara wanted to look at other ways we could give back to those in need as part of our social responsibility efforts through our Giving Back campaign. We are committed to helping people become their best selves through development opportunities and, given the significant changes that have occurred throughout the world in the last few years, we wanted to choose a charity which would support this.

Our donation to Children International has allowed us to sponsor 4 children of different ages and genders, and from different locations, providing them with opportunities to live safely, access basic health care and reach their full potential with access to learning materials, education, and future employment. As Payara is a global team, we wanted to find ways to support the world’s future workforce, giving children living in poverty the same chances as others, no matter where they’re from or what circumstances they’re in.

Through our sponsorship donation, we’ll be receiving regular updates from the children (who we’ve lovingly dubbed mini-Payarans), making the connection even more special, and allowing us to share information about their lives, hobbies, and communities with our Payarans. Through this, we’ll also get to hear first-hand just how our sponsorship is helping shape the lives of these children, and the experiences now available to them.

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Do You Want a Collaborative Workforce? Invest in Cross-Team Challenges  https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/06/14/do-you-want-a-collaborative-workforce-invest-in-cross-team-challenges/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:03:24 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10111 In today’s remote working but interconnected business environment, effective teamworking is crucial for achieving organizational success. Team building activities play a vital role in fostering Initiative, Trust, and Community, some of our Core Company values, among team members. An innovative approach to team building is through cross-team challenges, where individuals from different teams come together to tackle shared tasks. 

So, that’s exactly what we did at our recent Payara Retreat 2023 based in the wonderful city of Prague.  

The primary goal of any Payara Retreat is to develop strong human relationships through in-person meetings, and cross-team challenges can provide an opportunity for team members to interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and skillsets to achieve this goal . Our first introduction activity was ‘Post-it People’ – a fun, quick and challenging activity encouraging interactions with many colleagues by asking tailored questions in a limited time.

Des and Arie playing the Post It note game

Through this fun game, everyone gains exposure to different perspectives and experiences. This exposure fosters a culture of learning and knowledge so everyone develops a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diversity of  people that exist within Payara. 

Cross-team challenges encourage collaboration and enhance communication skills. This was demonstrated in a fun and engaging way through another game – ‘Find the fish’. One team member is blindfolded and the rest of the team have to verbally guide them through various obstacles to ‘find the fish’ in a competitive environment.  

Eliot blindfolded

When individuals from different teams collaborate on a shared task, they learn to navigate through potential conflicts and differences in approach. This process encourages open and effective communication, as team members strive to find common ground and align their efforts towards a shared goal. Although this cross-team challenge was a fun game, it can show Payarans how to work together to improve overall communication and coordination within the business, which in turn leads to increased efficiency and productivity. 

Cross-team challenges also promote teamwork by fostering a sense of camaraderie and unity. When individuals from different teams come together to face a common challenge, they develop a shared sense of purpose and identity. Our final challenge took this concept to a whole new level! Each team was tasked with producing a ‘bridge’ from nothing but dried spaghetti and blu-tac in a limited time of 20 minutes. On completion, they were assessed on the length of the bridge, its creativity and design and its ability to achieve the goal of supporting our Payara Fish (and chips).  

Bridge building activity

The bonds formed during these collaborative experiences extend beyond the specific project, creating a network of support and collaboration when back in our remote workplaces. This sense of unity contributes to a positive work environment and improves overall employee morale and satisfaction. 

In conclusion, team building through cross-team challenges offers numerous benefits for Payara. It facilitates knowledge sharing, enhances communication skills, and fosters teamwork and collaboration. By bringing Payarans from different teams together, we can harness the power of diversity and create a cohesive and high-performing workforce.  

Any business seeking to build strong, agile, collaborative teams and achieve sustainable success in today’s remote business landscape should invest in giving their workforce the opportunity to have fun and build relationships through cross team challenges!

Like the sound of working in this team? Visit our ‘Join Us’ page to find open job opportunities.

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Launching Payara’s New Bonus Perks Scheme https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/06/08/launching-payaras-new-bonus-perks-scheme/ Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:23:50 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10086 At Payara we aim to make working with us a great experience for everyone, but as a globally distributed SME this can be challenging. Culture, languages and time zone difference all need to be managed to make the experience beneficial for everyone.

So, to ensure we are doing the best we can we launched our new Bonus Perks scheme with 19 company wide Perks that everyone can take advantage of. We worked hard to create a tailored Perk Package, listening to what Payarans really wanted, and that evolved into 5 clear categories:

· Health and Wellbeing Perks

· Flexible and Remote Working Perks

· Professional Development Perks

· Time off Perks

· Bonus and Reward Perks

Tailoring our Perks package helps both with attraction of new Payarans, and also retention of our current team, as it shows we recognise and value the interests of our team, which in turn helps reinforce our amazing internal culture and consequently reduces turnover rates – who would want to leave with the Perks we offer!

Our tailored package also helps give us a competitive edge against other companies by showing we are truly listening to our staff and offering what they want, rather than a standard set of Benefits. As an SME, having the flexibility to update and refresh our Perks annually keeps our focus on ensuring we are creating a package that everyone benefits from. Overall, tailoring company Perks fosters a culture of respect and appreciation which will lead to higher role satisfaction and employee engagement.

Finally, top priorities for Payarans were:

Bar graph showing priorities for different Payarans

Read our previous blog to find out how this fed into our process of designing our new Perks package.

Want to enjoy these Perks yourself? Check out our open job roles and sign up for job alerts on our ‘Join Us’ page:

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Payara Boosts Cybersecurity Credentials as CVE Numbering Authority https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/06/02/payara-boosts-cybersecurity-credentials-as-cve-numbering-authority/ Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:29:20 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10273 Payara is proud to announe that it has become a CVE Numbering Authority. Read the full press release:

Payara, a leading provider of Jakarta EE and MicroProfile runtimes, has been authorized by the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA).

Payara can now publish authoritative cybersecurity vulnerability information about its products via the CVE Program. Vulnerabilities will be given a unique, alphanumeric identifier, building the CVE List that feeds into the U.S. National Vulnerability Database (NVD), and playing a role in the CVE Program’s mission to identify, define and catalogue cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

The CVE Program is sponsored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Developers using Payara products will benefit from the collaboration, as vulnerabilities will be part of the standardized and publicly disclosed CVE List. This will result in time and cost savings for those using Payara products, as security issues can be discussed, dealt with and prevented through use of a trusted, standardized catalogue.

Payara will assign CVE numbers and publish vulnerability information for all its open-source products, with Payara Enterprise customers able to request immediate fixes on demand.

Service Manager and Senior Engineer at Payara, Fabio Turizo, said:
“Becoming a CVE Numbering Authority creates an extra level of dependability for those using our products and continues our commitment in adhering to and maintaining the best possible security standards. A key benefit is peace of mind when developing your mission critical Jakarta EE applications. As a CVE Numbering Authority, we ensure that when problems do occur, they can be quickly identified and a solution found, with ease of communication and total transparency.

This adds to the growing list of security measures we offer, including security fixes and patches, and tools to secure and restrict access to a production system, encrypt communication, and audit security events and configuration changes.”

A global open source company, Payara creates innovative infrastructure software. This includes Payara Server Enterprise, an easy-to-use Jakarta EE and MicroProfile runtime which supports mission-critical production systems with secure deployments, and Payara Cloud, an all-in-one fully automated Jakarta EE deployment PaaS solution that eliminates the need for application servers and knowledge of Docker and Kubernetes.

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Payara Retreat 2023: Payara in Prague! https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/05/28/payara-retreat-2023-payara-in-prague/ Sun, 28 May 2023 13:43:43 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=10300 Payara Retreat (formerly “Payara Week”) is our annual, on-location event to become closer to one another, to put our ideas for Payara’s future success on the table, and to have some fun across all teams.

Last year, then-Payara Week was online, and we proved that we could connect well virtually. However, it meant a lot to meet again face-to-face, for the first time since Payara Week in 2020, the week before the world closed down!

A lot has changed since then – including the growth of Payara. Almost double the amount of team members, or“Payarans”, met for the renamed Payara Retreat in the beautiful city of Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.

Our global team gathered, from locations spread all over the world; from Arie, who travelled the furthest – 6,853 miles from Syamsudin Noor International Airport in Indonesia – to Petr, who lives in the outskirts of Prague and simply had to take a short car journey. It was a treat to match ‘real-life’ people to the faces behind the screens.

Our Head of People Julia wrote here in detail about some of the cross-team challenges we enjoyed as part of the event, but we’ll expand in this blog about some of the other activities …

Future of Payara?

The focus of Payara Retreat is to concentrate on the business and our place in it: where it is at, where it should be, what’s working well, and what we can improve. 

For this Payara Retreat, our CEO and Technical Director Steve Millidge asked us to think about ‘Where will Payara be in three years?’. We worked together in our functional teams to think about the evolution of the company and how our own job roles relate to this. 

Later in the week, we also worked together in groups that mixed different functional teams to think about solving business problems. Payara Retreat was an opportunity to really apply ourselves to the questions outside of the day-to-day work activities that sometimes get in the way of the bigger picture. One of Payara’s key differentiators as a workplace is the opportunity for everyone, not just senior leadership, to suggest change and make a real impact on the business. This shines through particularly at Payara Retreat, where we were asked directly: what would you change? 

Interactive Sightseeing Tour 

For most Payarans, it was their first time in Prague, and for many their first time in Europe! To really explore the city, as well as bond with each other as a team, we took to the streets in a CityQuester Sightseeing Tour.

These fun tours see you led, via a map and a phone, to locations across the city to complete challenges. We saw hidden gems we never would have found otherwise – like the beautifully decorated yet tucked away main post office – and completed tasks like acting out a play, dancing in the street, solving riddles and taking silly selfies. It got very competitive and very entertaining! At the end, we gathered to be awarded prizes and see what antics the other teams got up to – definitely a unique way to get to know each other and the city. 

Meal to Remember!

We all bonded during a memorable group meal at U Pavouka, a restaurant designed to offer a “medieval tavern” experience. We were served 12 rustic courses by candlelight, enjoying the entertainment of fire throwers and belly dancers, live musicians and even pirates! It was a raucous, exciting evening and for many a highlight of the trip.

Team Bonding 

Getting to know each other wasn’t confined to the conference room and planned events. Evening meals were adventures in themselves, exploring the city and finding the best food spots. One evening, Service Engineer Fabio became unofficial social secretary and led a trip to Prague Castle; others organised trips to nearby museums and to eat traditional Czech food. 

Those of us who enjoy running also had a mid-week jog over the Charles Bridge early in the morning, giving us a chance to see it as empty of tourists as it will ever be! We really enjoyed a team run, and decided it will definitely become a tradition for next Payara Retreat. 

Payara Goodies!

And it wouldn’t be a Payara event without specialised swag! All team members got a tote bag emblazoned with a special Prague-themed design, a Payara plush notebook, and a cap. There were also plenty of Payara t-shirts, pens and stickers to go around. 

At the end of the week, we all went back to our home countries full of new ideas about the future of the company and refreshed connections with those we see through a screen everyday. Can’t wait for next year!

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International Girls in ICT Day: Meet Elif! https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/04/27/international-girls-in-ict-day-meet-elif/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 10:43:15 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=9860 Today, (April 27) is International Girls in ICT Day! This is an annual event designed to celebrate women exploring and pursuing careers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The theme this year is ‘Digital Skills for Life’, so we spoke to one of the Girls in ICT at Payara, Elif, a Junior Service Engineer. She told us about her passion for ICT and her career path.

We hope her story can help encourage other young women to pursue ICT careers and pick up their own digital skills. If you are a young woman interested in a career in ICT, make sure you sign up for job alerts with Payara, to be the first to hear about our remote work graduate scheme.

Can you tell us your role at Payara, and what does a typical day look like for you?

Elif with her niece and her dog, Tontis

My role at Payara is working with customers and community users to help solve the problems that they are facing, by doing this I provide customer satisfaction. A typical workday for me involves developing my skills and making the customers satisfied. Each issue is different from the others, and with each different issue, I need to learn more and more so that I can be of the best help to them.

Did you always know that you wanted to get into the Tech industry, and what interested you about it?

Yes, my brother is a computer engineer and has been working with technology for years. I always perceived him as a role model and always heard from him about the innovations and updates in technology. As an individual, it motivates me to constantly learn new things and I was always curious about the newest innovations.

When we step into the outside world, we see how simple mobile technologies, the internet, and digitalization make our lives. Seeing how easy technology made our lives, I wanted to take part in it. That’s why I always imagined myself working in this field professionally.

The theme for this year’s ‘International Girls in ICT Day’ is Digital Skills for Life – what do you think are the key digital skills you would recommend girls to learn at school or in their free time for a career in ICT?

The key digital skill I would recommend is Web-based research and problem-solving and focusing on how to use the internet the best that they can. In today’s world, you can access almost everything you need, this can be online courses, certificates, anything that can come to mind. By using the internet the right way, they can develop their skills the best that they can.

Can you remember when you learned your first digital skills you still use today?

Ever since I first got my computer, I have used the internet and web-based research to help me solve problems. Now I use this skill in my day-to-day life to help solve customer and community issues.

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Want to join Elif at Payara? Check out our open roles and register for job alerts:

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Payaran Bonus Perks – How We Built a Tailored Perks Package https://www.payara.fish/teamblog/2023/04/26/payaran-bonus-perks-how-we-built-a-tailored-perks-package/ Wed, 26 Apr 2023 11:48:56 +0000 https://www.payara.fish/?p=9846 In April 2023 Payara rolled out 19 company wide tailored Perks to all Payarans, but how did we decide what Perks to include? What did we focus on to make sure we were getting our offering right?

First, we identified what we were hoping to achieve – a centralised Perks Package that was beneficial to all Payarans …Why?Learning & Development perks icon

1. To enable our hiring team to showcase the Perks on offer to potential candidates which sets us apart from other similar companies – Candidate Attraction 101!

2. To showcase our Perks to our internal audience – not only to give them clear visibility of the great offering we have, but also to show that we actively listen, and value their suggestions – Payaran Retention

Having informally discussed what Payarans were looking for and carried out a survey to see how Payarans prioritised Perks, it became clear that the most popular Perks fell into 5 main categories. Here’s what the majority of Payarans were looking for:

Health and Wellbeing Perks
Payarans value their mental and physical health as a priority. With this in mind we were able to create Perks that targeted Health and Wellbeing including Wellness Wednesday – monthly time off for an extended lunch break to carry out a trip to the gym or walk in the park, Mindful days off – paid time off for those days when life becomes overwhelming and there is a need to focus on relaxation, a financial allowance – that can be claimed for courses/ treatments, and a financial Fundraising allowance the can be claimed towards a charity activity that a Payaran supports.

Remote / Flexible working
Remote working is a given for all our staff, but to support them more we offer a welcome goody bag to all new starters to make them feel one of the team, and also a financial allowance to make their work spaces great– maybe by adding a plant or a footrest?. We also offer a degree of flexible hours enabling them to manage their personal responsibilities more easily.

Professional Development
We have a strong focus during working hours to promote upskilling in role, but to balance that with personal development gives a strong and healthy rounded Payaran, so we offer a financial allowance for Personal Development.

Generous Paid Time Off
From celebrating birthdays and anniversary start dates, to taking part in volunteering activities and having paid extra vacation as part of our Loyalty reward scheme, Payara is able to offer paid time off for all!

Bonus and Rewards
We openly recognise each other through our Reward and Recognition scheme, giving individuals and team leaders the opportunity to praise the performance and hard work in others. We also have a ‘Here to help’ annual bonus which can be offered to all Payarans in the event of a global crisis –Annually, those in Payara who have exceeded expectations and been excellent role models are awarded a Directors Thank you cash reward with a personal letter of appreciation from the Directors.

Special Perks
We know that all Payarans love to connect, but being a remote working company this has its challenges, so we create an amazing fully paid Annual Retreat in an amazing location where friendships can be formed, and fun can be had. We also meet quarterly for a virtual day of fun, learning and business news which drives engagement and helps grow our incredible culture. Finally, we love to show that Payara cares and feels responsible for the global nature of our business, so annually we ask Payarans to choose a Charity Partner that we can support.

So, in summary, a business that focuses on providing a tailored Perks package to its staff, having listened to and valued their needs, will drive mutual appreciation and respect – which in turn will support both retention and attraction activities.

Sounds good?

Make sure you sign up for job alerts and see open roles on our ‘Join Us’ page, to become a “Payaran” and benefit from our Perks scheme:

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