Interview with Emma Englishby, Senior Frontend Engineer at rebuy
I remember meeting Emma for the first round of interviews when she popped up on my computer screen and how I immediately knew she was perfect for rebuy! Since then, I am pleased to say that I was right about my inkling. After checking in with Emma around her 6-month mark with rebuy, it’s been great to see she feels the same way. Emma wasn’t searching for a new opportunity when we met, but she felt motivated to hear us out because her values and needs to contribute towards a more sustainable life could be met not only in her personal life but also in her professional one!
Here’s how it all went down.
Can you provide an overview of your role and responsibilities within the tech team?
Sure! As a Senior Frontend Engineer, my main responsibility is handling the Customer-to-Business (C2B) side of our web app. This includes developing and improving user interfaces, implementing new features, and ensuring optimal performance for our users.
“Friday is Try-day” has become very popular with our candidates, can you share a bit about what you’ve been working on during your Try-days?
Of course! When I first joined rebuy, I was new to Angular, so most of my Try-days have been spent learning Angular and rxjs. However, I’ve also utilized this time to improve our documentation, work on a new design system initiative, and address minor fixes and enhancements in our codebase.
What do you enjoy most about Try-day?
The best part about Try-days is having the opportunity to work on projects that often don’t get prioritized during our regular schedule. It’s also quite rewarding to see the Pull Requests (PRs) that come from the team after a productive Try-day.
Do you have any plans on future projects you would like to try out during the next Try-day’s? Or trying out new tech during this time?
Yes, I have a couple of areas in mind that I’d like to refactor. This will not only help me delve deeper into Angular topics but also contribute to reducing technical debt.
What attracted you to join the company and the tech team? What sets it apart from other organizations?
One of the key factors that convinced me to apply to rebuy was its strong commitment to sustainability. During the interview process, I also noticed the thriving engineering culture that has been cultivated here. We have fantastic engineers on the team, some of whom have been with Rebuy for over 8 years. Everyone is encouraged to ask questions and learn from each other, and the Try-days further enable us to build a great product.
Do you ever work from the office? If so, what do you enjoy most about the office environment?
Yes, I do go to the office about once a week. The atmosphere in the office is wonderful, and it’s great to have in-person interactions with colleagues. I particularly enjoy having lunch together and making use of our rooftop terrace.
How would you describe the team dynamics and collaboration within the tech team? How do you ensure effective communication and teamwork?
The team dynamics are friendly and highly motivated. One aspect I love is our effective communication. We manage grooming, sprint planning, and retrospectives in just 90 minutes per two-week sprint. This allows us to have clear priorities and resolves any questions quickly through Slack. It’s remarkable how well we can move forward and be productive without getting bogged down by endless meetings.
Have you taken advantage of our learning and development benefits with Udemy or Lepaya? If yes, what course did you decide to take and why?
Yes, I have taken advantage of those benefits. I’ve been taking courses in Angular and rxjs since our frontend is built on Angular, and it’s been immensely helpful for my professional growth.
What do you enjoy most about working with your colleagues and being part of this tech team? How does the team contribute to your personal and professional growth?
The best part about working with my colleagues is their openness to learning and trying new things without the fear of failure. There’s no blame culture here; if you make a mistake, you fix it, and your colleagues are always there to support you. This environment contributes significantly to my personal and professional growth.
How do you contribute to sustainability?
I try to be environmentally conscious in my choices. Whenever possible, I opt for train travel over flying, and I often make second-hand purchases. For instance, my “new” phone was bought from rebuy, contributing to sustainability by giving products a second life.
Having colleagues that share our rebuy values have proven time and time again to being a recipe of success! I believe Emma will continue to live up to the standards she has set in her personal and professional life, her drive towards living more sustainably is an inspiration to so many of us, and although we know the steps towards this lifestyle might prove challenging at times, Emma shows us just how easy it can be!
