A diverse group of people posing for a photo

Life at Kitomba

15 May 2024 by Kitomba

At Kitomba, we’re very proud of our team and our culture as we get to work with the most talented, driven, curious, kind and fun people. We’re also passionate about our customers and committed to their success in the hair and beauty industry. While we work hard, we always find time to connect, get to know each other and have a good time. 

Read on to get to know the Kitomba team and learn more about the activities and events we participate in.

Our values

Teamwork

Individually we’re Smungrle (smart, hungry, and humble), meaning the real magic happens when we work together as a team. We recognise that every problem is a shared problem and value close collaboration and communication across departments to get the best possible outcomes. We lend a hand, actively listen and learn from each other, take responsibility, and have each other’s backs no matter what.

Customer obsessed

We exist because of our customers, and their success is our success. That’s why we always put them first. We put ourselves in their shoes to think about their needs, what’s
important to them, how they feel, their challenges, and how what we do can impact them. We value customer feedback and constantly look for ways we can add value and make our customers’ lives easier.

Make things happen

We’re passionate about our shared vision and goals, and we’re committed to working hard, taking ownership and developing solutions to achieve them. We make decisions and move forward. We experiment, try new things, and are always curious. We aren’t afraid to give something a go and see failures as learning opportunities. We prioritise communication, transparency, support, and sharing; creating a collaborative environment that empowers us to get shit done.

The mullet

Just like the mullet we’re business at the front, party in the back, work hard, play hard, and that pretty much sums up our vibe. We’ve got that perfect mix of fun and professionalism and prioritise our work-life balance and mental health. Internally, we’re a bit quirky, light-hearted, and we love to laugh and socialise together. But we also know when it’s time to put our professional hats on. We take pride in the work that we do, we’re reliable, competent, and consistent, and we’re all about finding solutions and exceeding expectations.

Supportive

We’re all about understanding each other personally and professionally. We understand each other’s roles and stresses, making sure everyone feels supported. We value staying connected with our colleagues and celebrating wins, and learning lessons from those successes but also slip-ups. We share credit, prioritise teamwork, check in on each other and truly listen. We work in a no-judgment zone, respecting other people’s personal choices, acting with maturity and honesty.

Team activities and events

Our head office is located in Wellington and it’s a place where we get lots done while also having fun too. There’s something for everybody, from annual Christmas parties with costumes and company picnics, to Bake Club, Lunch Club, and Beer Club. For coffee lovers among us, there’s freshly brewed coffee on tap every Friday at a neighbourhood coffee shop and for those who can’t live without snacks, there’s our famous snack station fully stocked with healthy and delicious treats and nibbles. At Kitomba, we also love our wellness initiative where we get to learn from health and wellness coaches about healthy lifestyle habits and participate in fun challenges to help improve nutrition, sleep and mindset.

Kitomba Christmas Party 2021

A group of people dressed in costumes


Perks and benefits

We also offer other perks and benefits:

  • Employee Share Purchase Plan from our parent company Constellation Software Inc.
  • Flexible leave offerings, including opportunities to purchase additional leave (up to 10 additional annual leave days)
  • Employee Assistance Program, offering mental and physical wellbeing counseling
  • We support and encourage our team to grow and develop, and have a focus on training and development e.g. we offer access to Udemy
  • Activity Days that give our team a break from work to relax and connect

Cookie exchange at Kitomba office

 


Supporting our community

We’re passionate about making the world a better place and supporting causes that we believe in. Over the years, we hosted fundraising events to support Wellington City Mission, Pink Shirt Day for anti-bullying, St. Baldricks Foundation for childhood brain cancer.

A group of people wearing pink shirts and t-shirts and eating cakes

Kitomba employees putting together donations for Wellington City Mission

Hackathon

Every year Kitomba runs a Hackathon for our development team. Hackathon is a short event spanning a few days where developers explore new technology and product ideas. Google, Facebook, and Apple all do it, so Kitomba does too! 

Our development team is given a couple of days of free rein to work on projects, ideas, and features they’re passionate about with a ‘show and tell’ for the whole Kitomba team at the end.

Why are hackathons great? They give an opportunity to our developers to break free from everyday routine and offer an outlet for creativity. In the past, hackathons sparked many innovative ideas that made our software better including online voucher sales, one of the favourite features of our customers.

A panel of judges looking at the big screen

 

Two web developers holding up their certificates for winning at Hackathon

Humans of Kitomba

At Kitomba, we love Humans of New York so much that we decided to start our own Humans of Kitomba series where every month we feature a member of our team. Meet Pranil, Emma and Shaun and get to know them! You can also check out our Instagram to meet even more of the team!

Humans of Kitomba Pranil

Pranil

Pranil has had multiple roles at Kitomba. From helping customers in the Support team to Onboarding, to Key Accounts, and finally to his current role: Product Owner! His experience of working so closely with our customers has made him an invaluable asset to our development team. 

What do you like most about working at Kitomba?

“The people. I’ve been here for almost seven years and it’s the people I’ve had the pleasure of working with that are the biggest part of that.”

What’s your fondest Kitomba memory? 

“Beer club! it’s not as rowdy as it used to be (probably a good thing) but I formed some amazing relationships over the years that still put a massive smile on my face today.”

What do you love most about the hair and beauty industry?

“The creativity in our industry is incredible! I’m often inspired by the dedication and passion our amazing customers have for what they do.”

What’s your favourite food or beverage? 

“I’m a real foodie so I’m into all food and my list could go on forever but the pasta will always have a special place in my heart. I’m also a sucker for tacos, empanadas, and Mum’s masala lamb chops fresh off the BBQ, especially when paired with a nice IPA or sour beer.”

Humans of Kitomba - Dylan

Dylan

Meet Dylan, our Business Data Analyst! Dylan joined us in 2015, and since then he’s had quite the journey at Kitomba.

What do you like most about working at Kitomba?

“I seldom work on two identical projects. I have a lot of diversity in my work and even after more than six years at Kitomba I am still always growing and sharpening my skills.

I love our team at Kitomba! I have been fortunate enough to work with so many talented and hardworking people that always set the bar really high and made it a great place to work.”

When would you interact with our customers? 

“When I first started at Kitomba, I was on the help desk and I used to spend all day speaking with our customers. Lots of our customers are creative professionals and there was never a dull moment on the phone. I definitely had a few of my favourite customers who would brighten up my day whenever they call me.”

What do you like to do in your spare time?

“Socialising with my friends. I’m an absolute sucker for Karaoke (though unfortunately, I don’t have the singing voice to back it up)”

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

“I can hear the beaches of Croatia calling my name.”

Humans of Kitomba Shaun

Shaun

Here’s Shaun, a member of our Customer Support team. Not only is he committed to helping our customers, but he’s also devoted to playing music and video gaming. 

What do you like most about working at Kitomba?

“The people I work with – everyone’s pretty rad.”

When would you interact with our customers? 

“Whenever someone needs support using our software.” 

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

“I play a lot of video games and a range of instruments too.”

Jobs and internships at Kitomba

At Kitomba we love working with talented, passionate people that want flexibility, job diversity and, most of all, like to have fun. As we grow, we’re always on the lookout for talented people to join our team. Check out our current job openings on Seek.

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