ZiMAD is an American company headquartered in California. Our employees live and work not only in the US, but all over the world. The active development of the remote working model has transformed the business environment, and competent construction of business processes allows us to work successfully and release new projects even when we are on different continents with colleagues. Nevertheless, many employees say they want to work in the office, see their team, and take advantage of all the business development opportunities that relocation provides.
How we chose a new location for the office
In addition to scaling the existing projects, we are constantly working to create and develop new ones. The company is continuously growing and expanding, and of course, we are looking for exciting opportunities and talented employees in all countries.
We strive to create a “second home” atmosphere within our walls, while giving teams the freedom to choose work scenarios. Our new office in Niš provides new opportunities for all the employees who create our projects. Among other things, the ability to move around the world to develop their business is important to them.
We considered Cyprus, Georgia, Armenia, Poland, Spain, Montenegro, and Serbia for opening a new office. First of all, it was important for us to make it convenient for the employees to relocate and settle down here, because many of them move with their families and pets. Therefore, one of the key factors was the standard of living and infrastructure – affordable rental housing, cultural leisure activities, comfortable climate, availability of stores, schools, and kindergartens.
The idea to create a new office was originated by the company’s owners and the CMOs. After considering all possible options, they chose Niš in Serbia. Initially, we considered other locations — Belgrade and Novi Sad. But these destinations turned out to be very popular for IT companies to relocate, which affected both the rental costs and the prices in stores, so we chose a less well-known and quieter option.
Nevertheless, having developed infrastructure in one place, our employees don’t have to stay there. Everyone makes the best choice for themselves, and it’s up to the company to give them the opportunity to move. The employees now have positive impressions of Niš. For example, there are significantly more opportunities for leisure and travel as the airport is very close to the city, and from there you can fly to another location for the weekend. The bus service is also very well developed – it takes 2.5-3 hours to get to Belgrade.
Work, coffee, and birds
We moved in the first quarter of this year, and now ZiMAD occupies a small two-story space in an apartment building. Niš is a warm and quiet town, and our office neighbors suddenly turned out to be a family of birds that nested outside the window right in our internet wires. We considered it a good omen and are happy about this neighborhood 🙂 And if their key area is in the fiber optic wires, ours is the Open Space, as the predominant number of workstations is located here: they were decorated with large tables and comfortable chairs.
The Open Space is decorated with light shades with wood motifs. In addition to equipping the workspace, we equipped a chillout area and two kitchens with unlimited coffee and delicious food – an opportunity to relax, eat, and chat with colleagues creates a comfortable and trusting atmosphere, which we value so much in our company. Separation of functional areas allows their maximum efficient use and quick access to any part of the office, keeping a balance between openness and confidentiality of business processes.
Summary
ZiMAD helps with relocation by providing co-financing and legal support: as a rule, the possibility of relocation is discussed individually with the administration of ZiMAD. Our employees are the main resource of the company. Relocation can help many of them work together with colleagues in a comfortable place, while spending more time with their families and getting things done faster.
