Recruitment FAQ
- How do I apply and what is the process I have to follow to get a job?
- What is it like living in and around Harpenden?
- What is it like around the Ensoft office?
- What is the social scene like at Ensoft?
- What training is provided?
- What are the opportunities for travel?
- What expectation can I have of future remuneration?
- Do you accept applications from candidates who require a work permit?
How do I apply and what is the process I have to follow to get a job?
The application process is very simple: you need to send your CV to Ensoft. The main interview sessions are then held in Oxford and Cambridge in November. The interview session last approximately two hours and includes one aptitude test and two interviews.
Jobs are offered on the basis of these interview sessions and all successful applicants are invited to visit our offices in Harpenden to get to know our people, the office environment and the local area.
Typically jobs are finalised by early January. However, we do monitor applications all year round and assess all CVs that we receive on their merits.
What is it like living in and around Harpenden?
Ensoft's offices are in Harpenden, close to the station with a very fast connection into London.
Harpenden is an affluent town, due to its excellent commute, and has a thriving centre with shops, bars and restaurants. Close by is the city of St Albans which has the added benefits of a wider social scene (theatres, clubs, a wider selection of bars) and all the facilities offered by a modern city.
Away from the commuter line there are many smaller, quieter villages with an easy commute, by car or bike, to our offices.
Harpenden has significant benefits over London suburbs. On the one hand, it is a lot quieter and has easy access to the Hertfordshire countryside, yet with only a 25 minute train journey into London, Harpenden often offers quicker access to the big city.
What is it like around the Ensoft office?
The office is spread over three floors, with an open plan layout for the main working areas. Inevitably a lot of our time is spent at workstations within this area, so it is important that the environment is right. No-one works in an office. We all work together in one of three open areas to ensure there is a good, relaxed atmosphere and everyone joins in together. There is no formal dress code. Everyone is encouraged to dress in a way that reflects their personality and how they feel most comfortable (not just in the standard computer science student's jeans and t-shirts).
But we also talk a lot! Our day is punctuated with meetings, video-conferences, 1-1 discussions and conference calls. For these we have a whole series of meeting rooms (which are named after locations we have visited on company trips and the “favourite things” of one of the directors - so they include “Cape Town”, “Hotspur” and “Kylie”!)
As a diversion from the main working environment we have two tea rooms, kitchen and social area, a “comfy area” (with settees) and office “games” (currently table tennis, pool, table football and darts). We also have a “company breakfast” together each week, and a choice of biscuits or fruit to satisfy both the health conscious and the chocolate lovers.
What is the social scene like at Ensoft?
The company's job is primarily to ensure employees get on well together and enjoy work. Part of this is to provide a framework where the enthusiasm of our recent graduates translates into social events and, of course, to fund them where necessary!
On a grand scale, like so many modern companies, we have major events, such as trips to Cape Town, Athens and Reykjavik, day at Kempton races and annual Christmas parties.
We also encourage a level of healthy activities and have an annual fell-walking weekend and participate in the inter-company UK challenge competition (a gruelling weekend of physical and mental endurance).
There are also weekly events such as five-a-side football, pub quizzes, cinema trips and Friday evenings out.
More importantly there is a whole social scene that isn't organised by the company. Parties, ski holidays and frequent trips to gigs are just part of life here. And be warned - its pretty hard to get married here without ending up wanting to invite a significant number of colleagues to your wedding (and your stag/hen night)!
What training is provided?
Ensoft recruits recent graduates, typically straight from University. Because of this our culture has evolved so that training is an integral part of our working lives.
The training covers all aspects of software development, including the core skills required to excel at software development covering design, code and test. This is based on the EnQuality methodology that equips everyone with the ability to deliver not only “on time”, but to meet all the required quality standards. The skills will be the foundation of the careers for all of our employees and make us exceptional in the eyes of our customers who are, themselves, experts in the software industry.
Beyond the core skills, we invest heavily in the specialised knowledge required for working in the networking industry - both router architecture and design and all of the technologies and protocols involved. These are taught through presentations and online training as well as through reading books.
Finally, the broader skills and, in particular, project management are a key part of the development of the company. This is taught through a detailed, proprietary training guide to management that is part of the EnQuality process.
The training starts with an intensive induction course, which is part of a three tier programme to be followed by the employee. This is supplemented by on-the-job training where new graduates are supported within their team by senior developers.
The training and on-the-job support is devised and delivered by Ensoft employees (supplemented by external courses/presentations to give a broader context to our work). This is a key factor. Ensoft develops software - nothing else! We don't do marketing, advertising, product management, sales or general admin. We are specialists in software with a reputation for quality. You will be taught by people we think are right at the top of their field - managers who do not miss dates, designers who solve problems that many have struggled with, and coders who generate exceptionally accurate code that has few bugs and is very efficient. The quality of the training can be judged by the breadth and depth of the knowledge we impart, but more importantly by just how good the people are who teach you.
What are the opportunities for travel?
We work with development teams around the world and, in particular in Silicon Valley, California. We have many opportunities for travel for technical meetings and software support. These assignments can be for a couple of weeks or for an extended period of several months. Currently we plan to ensure all employees make at least one short trip within the first few years of employment.
Outside of Silicon Valley, there are many other sites we work with in both the USA (e.g. Raleigh, Boxborough), Canada (Ottawa), Israel and India, as well as potential short trips to continental Europe.
What expectation can I have of future remuneration?
Ensoft is a very successful company, with a proven track record over more than 10 years, and a secure business stream. This provides the basis from which our employees can not only get well trained and have an interesting job, but also enjoy substantial remuneration.
Our starting salary signals our intention to recruit top quality graduates and reward them well. We make a commitment to a higher annual salary, rather than starting bonus, since that creates the key reference point for future remuneration and sets it at a higher level. (Of course we are always around to help if new starters have problems with deposits or overdrafts.)
The remuneration framework within the company then provides the mechanics to reward the contribution of all employees.
- Salaries are reviewed annually and remain competitive throughout your career.
- We have a substantial bonus scheme that rewards the specific contributions over a given year, independent of age/experience, and is awarded each March
- There is also a substantial profit share scheme, rewarding long term contribution through additional salary increases and annual payments.
- Finally, the Ensoft stock option scheme ensures that, if Ensoft were ever sold, then all employees would share in its success.
Do you accept applications from candidates who require a work permit?
Ensoft does not accept applications from candidates requiring work permits at this time. We will re-advertise if we cannot find sufficient suitably qualified people who already have permission to work in the UK.