While the global pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on many businesses and families, one Romanian company has some good reasons to celebrate: : Cognizant Softvision, a global software product engineering company with deep local roots, last month reached 2,000 employees in Romania, making it one of the largest technology employers in the country.
Romania is a key software product engineering hub for Cognizant Softvision and its clients. Since the beginning of 2020, the company has hired more than 400 software engineers and opened new studios in Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Baia Mare and Cluj-Napoca. Cognizant Softvision associates have been working 100% remotely since the pandemic started and will continue to do so until further notice.
Iasi opens new workspace, welcomes 300th associate
In addition to reaching its 2,000-employee milestone, Cognizant Softvision’s new studio in Iasi (centro C3) recently welcomed its 300th employee as the latest member of its Enterprise Coffee Community:  Alexandru Puscasu joined as a Java Software Engineer. 
With the addition of Alex, Iasi is now home to 300 Softvisioners – all connected by a mindset that turns challenges into opportunities to learn and adapt. The studio has grown considerably during the pandemic and is poised to gain additional tech enthusiasts to the team. In fact, while it took nearly seven years to reach 200 employees, Iasi celebrated its 300-employee milestone just 18 months later. 
Working smarter during the pandemic
Cognizant Softvision is known for its studios, which are opportunistic hubs that bring the communities together. The hubs hold activities and events where colleagues can listen, and share ideas, knowledge, and experiences. This approach has led to the need for more workspaces, like the new office in Iasi, which provides an innovative and dynamic interior office concept that fosters such collaboration. 
However, practicing this dynamic, collaborative environment was not without its challenges when Cognizant Softvision – like all businesses – was faced with the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cognizant Softvision had to do a 180-degree shift from its traditional delivery model to a fully remote model. The company accomplished that change with its concept of Virtual Pods. Virtual Pods is a successful work-from-home framework and collaboration philosophy that goes far beyond a physical workspace. Virtual Pods is a hub for clients to innovate and discover solutions alongside Cognizant Softvision employees. Clients are able to develop programs, participate in workshops, and foster a mindset of digital co-creation for clients.
A seamless transition
With its recent milestones and the addition of new colleagues, Cognizant Softvision embraced new operational changes to help create efficiencies:

• Conducting interviews online, including HR and technical interviews (read more Hiring in the Distributed Era). 
• Swapping in-person events for webinars, keeping the same frequency and purpose: to socialize and share knowledge.
• Celebrating all milestones and daily successes online.
• Successfully on-boarding new clients – running projects from several business areas such as financial, banking, retail and e-commerce, healthcare & pharma, education, accounting, traffic and transport, big data, analytics, and home security. 

Implementing these changes enabled Cognizant Softvision to make the team-oriented, vibrant culture more transparent and recognizable in the local and national market. Softvision continually welcomes the opportunity to meet new people, and it has joined many local IT events, including: Codecamp, Fii ITist, Dot NET Days and more, in order to be visible and present in the local community.
 
Cognizant Softvision has embraced online global events as well. Recently, the company hosted Programmers’ Week – a global experience and weeklong online programming event. The event began in Romania six years ago and is run entirely by programmers for programmers, providing education sessions, discussions, and workshops on a range of technology topics. 
Expertise and opportunities abound
Like many Softvision associates, Iasi’s 300th associate, Alex, says he chose Cognizant Softvision for the diversity of projects, flexibility of the work schedule, and professional development opportunities. Since he joined last March, he says he has realized his long-term vision of embracing challenges, discovering new responsibilities, and growing alongside like-minded colleagues within a top digital transformation partner. What impresses him most? “The maturity, expertise, and the shared level of trust within the team.”
To learn more about Cognizant Softvision or to join the Isai team, visit the website.