7 Things You Didn’t Know About Working at Critical Software

Critical has been changing how the world experiences technology for over 20 years. Since 1998, we’ve proudly accepted the challenge of making the world’s critical systems better and safer, breaking down the barriers to our innovation in the process. And why’s that? The best people have always been by our side. 

One-third of your life will be spent at work: that's 90,000 hours in a lifetime. And for that very reason, we want to make those hours worthwhile. We believe that the workplace should be a place where people feel confident, fulfilled, connected and have the space to learn and work on their professional and personal development, while engaging with an array of thrilling projects on the way.  

Now let’s get to the fun part. What’s it like to work at Critical Software? Here are seven things you probably didn’t know about us:

1) Bands at Critical

Music is the language of the soul and it’s something that forms an integral part of our culture. Besides uniting our people, it gives sustenance and inspiration to our minds and souls. 

That’s why Critical bands are part of our lifeblood. We have two bands that often bring music to our ears: Estado Crítico, our band from Coimbra founded in 2016, and Critical Sound, an enthusiastic group from our Lisbon office that founded their band at the inauguration of our new office – great timing! 

We all know life without music would b flat (pun intended!), so we have been participating in the annual Brands Like Bands festival and offering our bands the opportunity to perform whenever there’s a chance. This year's festival had a slightly different flavour, but we managed to broadcast our performance via our Facebook page for those who couldn’t join us! 

2) Critical Fit 

We love to challenge our limits. And our Titans love a challenge, too. So, donating funds to worthwhile causes as we exercise sounded like an opportunity we couldn’t afford to miss! 

Critical Fit is a platform developed by Critical Software aiming to raise money for charitable institutions. The more our Titans exercise, the closer they get to reaching our monthly workout goal. So far, we’ve done more than 8000 hours of exercise – and we haven’t even broken a sweat! 

3) Companhia do Estudo

Back in March, we launched ‘Companhia do Estudo’. This social responsibility initiative comprises four different programmes dedicated to inspiring children from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed at school. The project gives the students involved a Critical mentor, providing support to children as they go through the most formative time of their lives.

So far, we’ve helped 32 children in five different districts in Portugal, thanks to 30 volunteers from the Critical family with a great desire to make a difference.

4) Extended parental leave

At Critical, your family matters too. That is why we offer our people the opportunity to take extended parental leave. At one of the most beautiful, but often challenging, times in our lives, togetherness is a strength. So we do what we can to improve people's comfort and wellbeing. 

Our extended paternal leave includes 2 extra months of paid maternity leave, and 1 extra month of paid paternity leave.

Oh, and there's always a small gift to welcome the new baby superhero!

5) Part-time work schedule 

Need time to live as well as work? Critical can make that possible. 

We offer a part-time work schedule so that you can allocate more of your time to living your life: whether that’s spending more time with family, immersing yourself in your education, or finally getting round to a project that you want to develop.

6) Empowerment Plan

Our people are at the heart of everything they do. That’s why we want to give them the space to grow and achieve their full potential. 

We developed a programme which focuses on investing in people's personal and professional development. The Empowerment Plan helps people achieve their ambitions with the help of their mentors, colleagues, managers and a bespoke development plan.

We believe there’s always room for improvement and developing new skills. And you can rest assured that we’ll always help you as you work your way through your career. 

7) Fikalab

Fikalab is our innovation lab, a place where you can let your imagination run free. 

Each one of our offices has a space dedicated to Fikalab, and it’s accessible to all. We believe Fikalab is more than just a lab – it’s a mindset allowing our people to develop innovative ideas in a relaxed and collaborative environment. It gives everyone the chance to experience and use the latest developments in technology to bring their pet projects to life: the best of both worlds. 

Have you got a Critical Titan in you? Check out our job openings and see if you’ve got the superpowers to make the world a better and safer place. 

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