"There are times when requests go beyond traditional expectations." What unusual demands do IT professionals make of IT companies: the experience of top employers

As Tatyana Lobetska, Talent Manager at Levi9, told dev.ua, in general, candidates rarely make non-trivial demands on the company. «Most often, this is a clarification regarding the terms of cooperation, work schedule, or technical support. For example, some candidates are interested in the opportunity to work on a non-standard schedule. There have been cases when applicants asked to change the classic work week from Monday-Friday to Sunday-Thursday due to religious beliefs (in particular, to observe the Sabbath),» she says.

Another popular topic is technical equipment. «Candidates often have specific wishes regarding the brand or model of devices they will have to work with. Some, on the contrary, want to use their own equipment, and they usually clarify this during the first interview,» says Tetyana.

According to her, Levi9 is always open to dialogue and strives to find optimal solutions for each specialist, if this is within the pool of possibilities and does not affect the quality of work.

Kateryna Kokhanova, Fulfillment Manager at Ciklum, has a different experience. «Candidates often come to the employer with certain requests. This is quite natural, because everyone strives to create comfortable working conditions for themselves. Some requirements are quite standard, for example, a flexible schedule or the ability to work remotely. However, there are cases when requests go beyond traditional expectations,» she shared with dev.ua.

For example, Kateryna said, one developer insisted that Ciklum buy him an exclusive office chair for a significant amount. «Another candidate wanted to perform his duties exclusively at night. At the same time, his role did not belong to the support function, for which such a schedule is at least inherent,» she added.

Another candidate, according to the specialist, asked if he could bring his personal laptop to the office to work on another project at the same time. Also, Ciklum had an applicant who was interested in whether there was a massage therapist in the office because he wanted to attend sessions in the middle of the workday.

«A separate case is mentioned when a candidate asked to receive a salary in cryptocurrency. Although crypto is increasingly included in financial transactions, such a requirement still remains a rarity in the corporate sector,» Kateryna states. She notes that candidates may have completely different ideas about ideal working conditions, and each example provides additional understanding of how the labor market and expectations of specialists are changing.

In turn, Daria Kuzmik, Talent & Culture Lead at Railsware, notes: «We are all people with our own needs and requests. For some, they may seem strange, and for others, they may be absolutely normal. In fact, almost every candidate has certain requests for the company — and this is the norm,» she says.

The specialist gives examples: for some it is important to have a break from work from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM to pick up the children from kindergarten. For some it is important to start later, because they have the gym in the morning. Some want to go to the office, and some want to change their location every month. «All these expectations are normal if they are agreed upon „on the shore“. The more open the candidate is about their requests and needs from the beginning, the easier and simpler it is to build future cooperation,» states Daryna.

At the same time, there are also frankly impudent requests that contradict the company’s policies. «And this is definitely not OK. For example, «I will read during working hours, and the company must pay me for it. Because I don’t want to spend my own time on self-development,» Kuzmik gives an example. Such demands, according to her, are a bit contrary to common sense, because the business pays for the services provided or tasks completed. But self-development is the responsibility of the specialist. «In turn, we as a company create very flexible conditions where everyone can find their own way to productivity. Whether it’s animals in the office, or a certain type of tea, or any equipment needed for work,» notes Daryna.

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