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Meet Ana Elisa Franchini. She is a product designer (delivering interface and UX) from São Paulo in Brazil. 2 years ago she made the choice to join Visma Nmbrs and move to the Netherlands - not a decision you make on a daily basis! Let’s find out more about her story in our "It’s all about the journey" three-part blog series, where we will speak with the colleagues who decided that it was time for a new adventure. Let's discover why they moved abroad and how it was to start a new life in a new country alongside a new job and find inspiration for your next life adventure!
Starting at Visma Nmbrs can be quite a journey. A lot of our colleagues lived abroad before they joined us. We truly believe that the best ideas arise when you bring people with different perspectives together. That’s why we love to welcome people from all over the world to join our family and bring their culture into our DNA. Because when being alone we will not make the difference, the difference is being made when we come together. Ana Elisa Franchini (Product design, interface, and UX) tells us about her journey, from packing her bags in warm São Paulo, to a very unexpected samba partner collaboration online.
Moving from abroad to the Netherlands
"I remember the moment when I received the big news. I just finished my working day in Brazil and walked back home. My phone rang, it was my husband Guilherme: ‘I’ve got some good news, but also some bad news. The good news is that I got the job in the Netherlands!’
Wow, was this really going to happen? Are we going to move abroad? My head was dizzy from the just shared information. I was super excited when he shared the good news, but what could be that bad news? He continued: ‘I’ve also got a job offer for a job in Canada’.
It was one of the most exciting choices we’ve ever had to make. A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine that we even considered moving abroad, and now? We had to choose between countries. Directly after that one phone call, we spent two full days researching Canada and the Netherlands to be able to make a good decision. Looking back? We are 100% satisfied with our choice!"
Did you need to arrange a lot of stuff?
"We decided to get married before moving abroad. Sadly because of the pandemic, it was not possible to arrange the wedding we dreamed of. But we are going to host a proper wedding with all our friends and family at the end of 2021. Before we got married, my husband and I had already dated for 12 years. Our first picture together was when I was 2 years old. We even used to play together when we were kids, so we have known each other for quite a while. Despite our long-term relationship, we hadn’t lived together yet in Brazil until the pandemic hit. It was a nervous time to start to live together, but everything worked out perfectly."
Curious about what working at Visma Nmbrs looks like?
Check out our career page here to discover more!
How did you and Visma Nmbrs meet?
"I preferred to move to the Netherlands above Canada. Due to my work expertise, it was easier to get a job in the Netherlands. There is more innovation here from the design perspective, and also my ability to speak English was a big plus. I started looking for a job as soon as the plane touched down at the Airport of Schiphol Amsterdam. Searching for a new job can be considered a full-time job. It’s a very time-consuming activity, but after some effort, I came across the vacancy at Visma Nmbrs.
The job description displayed many things that I already was expecting for a design vacancy, but one of the nice-to-haves was speaking Portuguese. I was like: This is mine! When would speaking Portuguese be a plus in the Netherlands? Who is looking for that?"
How did it continue?
"When reading more about Visma Nmbrs it became clear that more points aligned: my previous job had been connected to HR, and with Nmbrs being an HR and Payroll tool it was a perfect match. Upfront, I took my time getting convinced in the application process, but once I stepped into the office and felt the vibe, it was a done deal. The only thing I could think of was: Oh, damn it, I wanna work here now!
It was a rainy Dutch day when I had my second talk with Luis, the CTO. The best part was that we could have it in Portuguese due to Luis coming from Portugal. A few days after the call came - the offer was mine!"
The first days at Visma Nmbrs
"Starting a new job is always challenging. In my mind, I was wondering how things would go with the designer colleagues in Portugal, Visma Nmbrs’s second office. The squad I joined contained only one Dutch colleague that lived in the Netherlands: Thijmen. However, one month after I started my journey Carolina joined my squad. A nice way to describe how we work would be what Thijmen once said: It looks like you’re dancing.
For example, when using the online tool Figma you can see the real-time collaboration on both separate ends: While designing or brainstorming you can see me, as an example, conducting the conversation while Carolina is changing the design. We know each other's movements, and what we’re going to do. The concept is in both of our heads. It was nice to cross the ocean to meet someone like her, do this great work, and dance together.
It's hard to remember the first time I met Carolina since it feels like we've known each other forever. At our first initial meeting, we just started to work together. As simple as that! There were no complications. It was just a great match, to begin with. I think the dynamics work very well because we are two very different people, which I remember was also noted in the hiring process with Luis. He saw our differences, but despite that, a gut feeling told him to give the both of us the offer. We complement each other personality-wise, just like we do with our work. It makes it easier to work off each other with different opinions. Another difference is that I'm Brazilian and Carolina is Portuguese. This could perhaps usually create some miscommunication, but it still doesn’t. It can be occasionally hard to understand some Portuguese colleagues in Portuguese for me, but luckily never with Carolina.
I think I might not work with someone like this in any other place. Our team is small. It’s just the two of us, so it’s easier to manage things. With a bigger design department, it would have been different. I would have probably worked more alone, which I don’t like. Sharing and giving feedback on our work while we’re doing it is what is enjoyable. The collaboration is lovely. It’s a unique experience."
Did you experience any cultural challenges?
"I actually had no bigger culture shocks when it came to the more relaxed, Dutch working culture on top of the exclusive no-manager culture. Since I'd already studied abroad, I knew the general, cultural pace and with my previous work experience of having no managers, I was fully prepared for open creativity and complete ownership. That alongside the other Visma Nmbrs values as authenticity, responsibility, and a growth mindset. You are simply the owner of an issue at Visma Nmbrs, you do things to solve that issue, and it is up to you to involve the correct people and not to keep on waiting for someone to do it for you. You grow with ownership, and it actually gives you a lot of creative freedom.
Carolina said once, and I completely agree with her, that because of the way we work we don’t see it as ‘this is my work’. This is not just between us but also with the entire squad. It’s really a team effort, and it is always us."
Interested in joining an international company with no managers?
