We recently got to catch up with one of our company partners, Sagitec, in Tampa Bay, Florida. Sagitec is a global technology company that delivers dynamic IT solutions to leading public and private organizations. Today, they provide innovative and continuously evolving benefits administration solutions to their clients that solve unique business problems and adapt to complex, frequently changing environments. Sagitec has recently hired LaunchCoders for their tech talent team and we were eager to talk about with them about the process!

Below is a conversation with Sagitec:

LaunchCode: When did you identify a need to fill Junior Tech Talent at Sagitec?

Sagitec: With our rapid expansion and changing technology, our clients wanted solutions that could be nimble and agile. To do this, our teams had to be quick on their feet too. Though our organization is not hierarchical and has a flat structure, we have many different roles and teams that do a myriad of activities – software development, testing, business analysis, technical architects, project managers, trainers, and domain experts. All of these teams and people bring specialized technical expertise for our client projects.

Given the various requirements our projects have, we are always looking for quality tech talent and seek to fill positions through various avenues and not just traditional pathways of hiring, such as from universities.

Given the various requirements our projects have, we are always looking for quality tech talent and seek to fill positions through various avenues and not just traditional pathways of hiring, such as from universities.

What's historically been the approach to filling jr. tech positions?

We did take the traditional pathways to fill our positions like hiring form colleges and universities initially. But over the last few years, with the pervasiveness of technology, we have expanded to non-traditional pathways of hiring like LaunchCoders or hiring military women and spouses, as we realize talent can come from anywhere.

We realize talent can come from anywhere.

How has Sagitec benefited from LaunchCode?

LaunchCode provides great opportunities to people from all walks of life interested in technology and software development. LaunchCoders are knowledgeable and possess the necessary skills that we required. The four LaunchCoders we've hired have all been integrated into Sagitec quickly, adding value in their projects — we are proud of them.

Many cities have gaps in technology talent and organizations like LaunchCode are making it easy for employers like Sagitec to fulfill quality talent needs and grow at the pace we are growing. Click to tweet

At Sagitec, what is your commitment to diversity in the workplace?

We have always encouraged diversity and inclusion. Our philosophy has always been to hire on the merit and capability of the candidates and not look at any other factors. We have zero-tolerance for any kind of discrimination.

We also support other organizations and recently partnered with the Women Ambassadors Forum for an event to provide opportunities for female veterans, most of whom have a college education and are qualified for jobs in technology. Sagitec has always promoted an atmosphere of continuous innovation and improvement and will remain an equal opportunity employer.

Sagitec has always promoted an atmosphere of continuous innovation and improvement and will remain an equal opportunity employer.

Many of our LaunchCoders come from non-traditional backgrounds. What non-technical skills have your LaunchCoders brought to the table?

LaunchCoders bring many different skills to the table. Being a team player, project management skills, ability to quickly learn new technology, logical thinking, problem solving, and written and verbal communications are just a few skills that we look for in our employees.

Are there any particular LaunchCoder moments or stories that stand out to you?

One of our employees is very experienced and from the telecom background. With LaunchCode and its training programs, he has been able to start a brand-new career in coding which just goes to show that if you have the passion for technology and software development, your background is inconsequential. We hire quality talent from any background if we see the willingness to work hard and provide results.

We also got to speak with our recently placed LaunchCode candidate, Paul. Below is a Q&A with Paul about his experience working with LaunchCode and Sagitec!

LaunchCode: Overall, how has your experience with LaunchCode been?

Paul: My overall experience with LaunchCode has been excellent! I have learned a lot and am now able to apply my knowledge to real-time projects at Sagitec Solutions.

Tell us about your previous work experience and why you went into computer engineering.

I previously worked in Telecom/Data Centers. But I have always been interested in a career in coding – you should see my excel spreadsheets – they are packed full of formulae and code snippets. So it was very organic for me to step into software programming with LaunchCode's LC101. And it worked out great.

How has it been working as a placed LaunchCoder at Sagitec?

It has been great! LaunchCode did a great job of matching the Sagitec opportunity with the skills they taught me in class. In addition, Sagitec is an outstanding place to work – they treat staff like family and it’s a fun place to work.

LaunchCode did a great job of matching the Sagitec opportunity with the skills they taught me in class.

Can you share some highlights of working with LaunchCode and becoming placed at Sagitec?

I learned a lot from LC101 – the curriculum is spot on and covers full-stack web programming. Everything from the front end to the back end is introduced and projects are provided to test what you have learned. LaunchCode did a great job of matching me up with the Sagitec position. Finally, I ended up with a great job!

I learned a lot from LC101 – the curriculum is spot on and covers full-stack web programming.

What would you say to anyone who is looking to change their career path and dive into computer engineering?

My advice for them is to go ahead and do it. To follow their passion and heart. And do it through LaunchCode.