Kamil Harasinski has just stepped into his new role as Site Manager at Spyrosoft’s Warsaw office with clear objectives: to foster innovation, drive growth, and keep his team motivated. In this chat with Karolina Spryszynska, he shares the challenges he’s ready to tackle, how he plans to build a strong team identity, and his focus on balancing people and tech. Keep reading to see how Kamil’s vision could shape the future of the Warsaw office!

Karolina Spryszynska: Hi Kamil! First of all, congratulations on your promotion to Site Manager in Warsaw! Can you tell me what your career path at Spyrosoft has been like since day one?

Kamil Harasinski: Thank you! I’m grateful for the opportunity for growth that I have here at Spyrosoft! I know I still have a lot to learn, which is why I approach this promotion with great humility.

My journey with Spyrosoft began two years ago; I started as a Line Manager and I had the pleasure of managing a team of about 30 software engineers, give or take. These individuals carried out projects for clients from various industries around the world. I also worked closely with the recruitment department to hire new people based on project needs.

At the same time, I collaborated closely with the People Partner, who was handling the onboarding of new specialists and was tirelessly addressing various challenges we encountered daily in the context of engineers.

As part of my duties, I was responsible for one-on-one meetings, salaries, professional development and motivating the developers. My goal was to ensure that every engineer felt part of our site and had full support in their daily work. Since September, I have taken on the role of Site Manager in Warsaw, but it’s really a combined Warsaw-Łódź branch, consisting of about 100 people, including back-office employees, which comes with a great responsibility for the team.

What challenges do you face in your new role?

In a company where people are the heart of everything that’s going on, managing personnel naturally comes with many challenges. The main challenge lies in creating a site where everyone feels treated fairly, is motivated, and has the opportunity to pursue their passions, all while fostering a team of energetic people. I believe that this approach results in efficiency and engagement. I know that many companies emphasize how important people are to them, but oftentimes, it’s just words. However, I truly believe in this and strive to implement it in daily operations, even if it requires significant commitments.

Another challenge is building a team that not only feels good at work but also understands that achieving results is crucial for the dynamic growth of the site and the company’s profitability. I would like the well-being of engineers and the development of the company to go hand in hand.

Other important challenges I face include acquiring new projects for the site, maintaining efficiency in a remote work model, and competing for the best specialists in the Warsaw market.

Additionally, my role is to ensure that our people are assigned to projects that meet their expectations. Although we often manage to achieve this, there are situations where full alignment is not possible. In such cases, I strive to communicate openly and honestly with the team. I also do my best to prevent people from ending up on the so-called bench, as being without a billable project is always less beneficial than being involved in one.

Are you going to start a revolution?  Are there any changes you want to make?

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity for a fresh start; I want to be engaged and proactive. And yes, I plan to introduce some changes. For example, I want to focus heavily on the site’s identity by establishing key specializations and technologies so that we can fully use our potential.

There will be a revolution, but it will start with my role as Site Manager and the vision for the site. I already have some specific ideas. I have immense respect for my predecessor, who did a fantastic job building the site from zero to a team of 100 people. That’s a huge accomplishment. However, I would like to implement my version of site management, as I am a different person and would like to bring value in my own unique style. I will start the revolution with myself, showing my vision and spreading it to the team. Our Warsaw office is a buzzing hive, full of energy, community, and collaboration. I don’t want to force anyone into change; I prefer to inspire.

With remote work and my new role as Site Manager, I plan to reintegrate the team. After the Covid-19 pandemic, some people have become somewhat distanced from office collaboration, so I want to restore close cooperation and engagement from everyone. However, I won’t force anyone to come to the office; rather, I want to show why it’s important and beneficial to be present at least once in a while.

I am very eager to collaborate closely with Business Unit Directors and Project Managers so the site can grow dynamically and increase the number of software engineers, which will, naturally, contribute to the company’s overall profit and growth potential.

So yes, I plan a revolution, but in the spirit of collaboration, with greater involvement and proactivity on my part. I will do so by reshaping the role of Site Manager and the site’s vision. This will include strong cooperation with my closest colleagues, based on mutual trust, shared responsibility, and working together toward a single goal: growth.

Warsaw is not only the capital city, but also the centre of a huge number of companies and corporations in the IT industry. It is certainly not easy to break through among them. What is your idea for standing out from the competition?

Spyrosoft’s strength lies in its great diversification in terms of industries, technologies and geography. When there’s a slowdown in one industry, we can quickly allocate our specialists to projects in industries that are growing at the same time. Our strength is access to talent in technologies currently trending upward, such as AI/ML, HMI, Robotics, Cybersecurity, and business intelligence, something that is not always guaranteed at other Spyrosoft sites.

We want to work closely with the entire Spyrosoft Group, be proactive, and attract interesting projects to our site by leveraging our strengths in data, business intelligence, and cybersecurity services. Such cooperation will bring mutual benefits to both our experts and the entire Group.

Do you have a main specialisation in software development in Warsaw and what is your main stack?

When it comes to specialisations, I would like us to focus on three key areas. First of all, artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in areas such as generative AI, computer vision, machine learning, text analysis, recommendation engines, voicebots and chatbots, and MLOps.

Second, I want to support our local cybersecurity initiative, in which I see great potential. We offer services that include security testing, consulting on building secure architectures for companies, system hardening, and support in product certification. Additionally, we are developing the area of secure software development (Secure SDLC).

Third, HMI (human machine interfaces), where we develop modern graphical interfaces across various hardware platforms in products for the Automotive, Medical, Industrial, and Consumer Electronics industries. Furthermore, in cooperation with our Robotics department, we would also like to attract interesting projects in this field, particularly in the area of software supporting autonomous robots and fleet management for robots.

Today, our main technology stack includes AI, .NET, HMI (C++, Qt/ML), ROS (Robot Operating System, C++), as well as frontend (Angular, React), and cybersecurity.

What are the most interesting projects you are currently working on in Warsaw?

I’d like to mention three projects that are extremely important for Warsaw, which I haven’t mentioned yet. The first project is being carried out for the company called SteelSeries. It is a major producer of computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, headphones, and mousepads, particularly valued by demanding gamers.

More than 20 of our people are involved in this project, especially Customer Support specialists, but not only. We are very proud of this team in Warsaw, of all the people working there regardless of their role in the project. It’s a dynamic and ambitious group that performs fantastically with the client, which translates into consistent orders for us.

The second key project, which has the most back-end and front-end people involved, is our collaboration with company called MHR. It’s a provider of software and outsourcing services in the areas of HR, personnel management, payroll and finance. The company is based in the United Kingdom. Currently, 10 people from our site are working there, and my goal is to increase this team as the project demands increase.

The third project, which is very new, involves a German company operating in the field of electric power. This project demonstrates that we can and are capable of being a bridge for other companies in the Group. Currently, together with fantastic colleagues from Unravel, we are searching for such specialists as Java developers, full-stack developers, DevOps engineers, Scrum Masters and many others.

What do you think is important for a Site Manager in managing people, especially in a hybrid or remote work environment, and what is your managing people philosophy?

My philosophy of managing people is based on creating a site that fosters autonomy, development and a sense of purpose in work. The beginnings can be challenging, as I ask many questions, seek solutions together, and want to understand every aspect of our operations. I am proactive and committed.

My goal is to organise everything in my own way without limiting creativity or undermining the team’s competencies. On the contrary, I work with experienced and talented people with whom I want to share responsibility. My intentions are absolutely positive! I care about everyone’s well-being, and I want to create a positive environment.

It is crucial for me to be directly involved in relationships with engineers and to ensure transparency and openness in communication. I want every specialist to feel appreciated and know that their work has a real impact on the success of the site and that they benefit from it. In other words, I want them to know that they can grow from various perspectives.

Finally, I want to emphasise that people are my passion. I use the word “passion” intentionally because, for me, every person is an opportunity, not a threat. I am determined to seek understanding in every situation. This might seem unusual, but I deeply believe in pro-human values and intend to follow them consistently. I am also all about receiving feedback about my own work!

At Spyrosoft, it is often said that the greatest asset of a company is its people. What exactly does this statement mean to you?

For me, this simply means that employees are at the heart of our company. Great things happen when people are engaged and motivated. Their engagement and sense of responsibility are the foundation of our success. They generate revenue for the company, and I want to clearly emphasise that I greatly respect their efforts. Many companies highlight how important people are, but oftentimes, these are just words, while I truly believe in this and strive to implement it in our daily work.

I believe that such an approach builds motivation and loyalty, which, in turn, translates into successful projects, our development as individuals, and the company’s profitability. Most of our clients work with us long-term, and a significant number of employees come from referrals from current staff, which indicates that we are a good place to work.

I am convinced that every person has the potential to positively impact their environment.

Is there anything you would like to say to your team on this occasion?

For starters, I want to sincerely thank my predecessor. He is the one who gave me the opportunity by hiring me and later supporting my development and promotion. I am in awe of how he built our site from 0 to nearly 100 people, and of the atmosphere he created, especially the sense of freedom in our actions and the trust that we all valued here.

Now, I would like to say this to the entire team. We are now opening a new chapter, a fresh breeze, something new that I hope will be a fantastic adventure for all of us. This is a moment where we can collectively shape the future of our site, creating something truly special that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Our Warsaw office is an integral part of the Spyrosoft universe, contributing to the community and culture that define us.

I will always focus on two things: people and the growth of the company. Both aspects are equally important to me, and I believe they can go hand in hand. We are not romantics. We know we need to generate revenue for the company. I commit to seeking solutions in difficult situations that consider both the well-being of the engineers and the interests of the company. I am always open to feedback and want to give it as well.

I want our site to be our shared space, an environment that we create together. Therefore, I invite you to actively participate and co-create it with me. I encourage taking responsibility. I will always be open to opinions and suggestions, though I reserve the right to make the final decision.

Finally, I would like us all to take joy in working here and to feel genuinely good in each other’s company. I encourage you to be open to the fact that things might happen differently than before, but I assure you that this change will bring us new and great opportunities!

See yourself as a part of Spyrosoft in Warsaw? See currently open positions and apply!