Working Without Job Titles

Our Human Engineer, Pedro Teixeira, recently wrote in HRO Today about the concept of a tech business without job titles, touching on the thinking behind this along with how the company works in this way. At Mindera, we’re really proud of our company’s unique structure as well as our approach to roles and responsibilities using autonomy and self-organisation.

We’ll let Pedro take it away!

Pedro Teixeira on the idea of a business without job titles

We’re dreamers at Mindera, so we like to test the boundaries of what’s possible as long as it helps us to achieve our purpose – to work together in a friendly, environment-happy place, not driven by cash, but by getting things done. We think the coolest tech is created by people who love what they do.

Mindera’s founders had all worked in traditional corporate hierarchies before. They found they were too bureaucratic, so it was a conscious choice to work towards how a TEAL organisation might operate, which is built around the principles of autonomy, self-management and collaboration.

Together, we wanted to create an environment where the team is more important than the individual, decisions are made by those impacted most, people have the autonomy to try out new things, and lessons are learned from failures and seen as part of our growth.

We don’t have job titles, departments or a formal hierarchy, as they can create bottlenecks. Instead of wading through layers of approval and ticking boxes, everyone at Mindera is encouraged to make decisions with the support of mentors and collaborators, not commanders.

For us, it works. We can work faster and be more agile as we’re not dependent on levels but groups of people making it happen. Our Minders (how we lovingly refer to employees) like being treated like adults and value our collaborative way of working that values trust over control.

Understanding what our ‘job’ is

We don’t like to put people in a box, so our ‘roles’ are just guides and should also manifest our focus and responsibilities. They aren’t technically roles, but we have an orchestration team discussing where people are and who we need to recruit.

We wanted a model that would give us the flexibility to explore human capabilities outside of a job title. Without job descriptions, we find people are more likely to take on more responsibility, are able to contribute to other parts of the business, try new things and have new experiences that a long and prescriptive list of responsibilities and expectations simply wouldn’t allow.

This fosters continuous learning and the holistic building of experience, so progression becomes more about contribution rather than climbing the corporate ladder. This could be a challenge, but we overcame it through clear communication. While we don’t believe in hierarchy based on power, we do believe in collaboration. We work like a human brain and a network of neurons, constantly sending messages back and forth to get the job done.

Deciding on what skills to develop

We’re geeks at heart and love problem-solving. With each new project comes new challenges and new skills that need to be developed to overcome these challenges. When you work in tech, you can’t be afraid of change, as this helps us grow. With each piece of work, we collectively build our skillset, and because we work collaboratively, we share this experience with others across the business so that they, too, can learn.

We treat Mindera like an ongoing experiment where change is encouraged. Alongside ‘on-the-job’ skills development, we run technical training and encourage employees to explore different career paths and take on different responsibilities – from iOS and backend development to volunteering at our Mindera School, organising Mindera trips, giving a talk at an event or contributing to the recruitment process.

We’re so agile in developing new skills that our clients often ask us to help them fill tech roles within their organisations. For example, one of our clients currently needs a Product Owner. When this happens, we look around Mindera to find the best person, with the right experience, to best support. It’s a great way to build a deeper, more collaborative relationship with our clients.

We’re a unique company, and so we attract unique people. We love that about Mindera.

Internal & external skills

We’re a tech company with people at its heart, and so people always come first. Most companies operate under the premise that employees should be replaceable like parts of an assembly line, which is not the case at Mindera.

We choose people carefully - bringing them in if they align with our principles, have the right technical skills, and can add value to the organisation; if we meet someone we think can add value to Mindera, we bring them on board even if there is not a clear role for them, as that expertise will help grow the business in the long term.

Companies waste too much time and money trying to find the perfect candidate to match a long list of requirements. These businesses are never going to win in this fast-moving and change-driven landscape. If you love tech, have the right skills to offer, and have the right attitude, Mindera will welcome you with open arms.

Check out our careers if Mindera sounds like the perfect fit for you!