SoftServe opens additional offices in Ukrainian regions to provide associates with a stable workplace during blackouts
SoftServe opens new offices in Poltava and Kyiv, expands coworking in Ternopil and Vinnytsia, and investigates the possibility of launching three other workspaces within the next quarter. By taking these steps, the company aims to provide the majority of associates with close-to-home offices with a stable connection to work during blackouts.
Poltava became a relocation spot for many associates from Kharkiv, which was heavily shelled by Russian troops early in the war. Currently, around 100 associates live in Poltava. Thus, the war triggered the need for an office, and the energy crisis only accelerated this demand. The coworking in Poltava of 240 sq.m. opened a few weeks ago. It has the capacity for 40 people who can work there even during a power outage.
Apart from two running offices on Kyiv’s right bank, the company opened an additional workspace on the left bank. Rocket strikes and blackouts often caused massive traffic jams that made it extremely difficult for people from the left bank to get to the offices. The coworking with 35 work desks opened its doors in December.
Besides opening new offices, the company is expanding the current ones because the number of visitors has significantly increased. Ternopil’s office of 222 sq.m., which opened in November, later grew by 20 additional workspaces. Coworking in Vinnytsia has been operating since 2021, and the company plans to double it. Both workspaces are used by local employees and those who relocated there because of the war.
SoftServe is looking into opening offices in Sumy, Kropyvnytskyi, and Cherkasy within a few months.
“We’ve analyzed associates’ relocations during 2022 and regularly monitor the level of attendance in our offices all over the country. In the last few months, some offices were half full in peak periods. Similar to Poltava or Cherkasy, some cities hosted more relocated colleagues. Our offices will have uninterrupted power supply and Internet connection, which will make them alternative workspaces for our associates even in case of a full blackout,” says Anastasiya Frolova, Country Manager Ukraine, SoftServe.
Despite critical infrastructure shellings and systematical power outages, the company maintained high productivity and the record client’s Net Promoter Score of 80 points in Q4. This was made possible by extensive office infrastructure (93% of associates live in the cities with SoftServe offices), opening new locations in the regions in 2021-2022, and the high individual autonomy of associates and teams. 87% of SoftServe associates have middle or high level of personal autonomy, meaning they can work from home even without electricity.