A software company with a passion to connect 

Octopus8 is a software company with a focus on career and case management solutions. Founded in 2018, their goal is to use technology to make a positive impact in the world. Using their expertise, they create online communities by forging relationships of trust between institutions, organisations and people. 

Headquartered in Singapore, they also have teams in Russia and India. The Singapore team primarily focuses on design and delivery including business development, customer support and account management. On the other hand the teams in Russia and Chennai focus on the development of the platform. 

Octopus8 team in their office at Blk 71 

Software company with a heart for service 

Octopus8’s vision is to make a positive impact using beautiful software solutions. This is realised in 3 ways: connecting institutions, employers and applicants (CareersConnect); connecting businesses with customer experiences (CXMConnect) and connecting social service agencies with digital solutions (SocialServicesConnect). By bridging the gap between different groups, Octopus8 creates immense value for all parties involved. 

SocialServicesconnect was built to help the social service sector. Inspired by the work that charities are undertaking, they realised they had much to offer these organisations as a software company. By using advanced technology for case management, they have helped 15 different charities with their clients and processes.

NCSS Sector Design Challenge 2019 

To align with the company’s values, Octopus8 seeks individuals who have the desire to better the lives of others. Previous volunteer experience is an aspect that is crucial to the company.

Enriching the lives of youths 
It comes as no surprise that a company passionate about the community it works with passes these sentiments on to their employees. Through the Global Ready Talent Programme (GRT), they have hired interns from all walks of life. Seeing the value in every individual, they have hired interns with disabilities and from diverse educational backgrounds.

Pitching session at the National Youth Council 

Interns at Octopus8 are empowered to make a tangible impact on the organisation. They are treated like full-time employees to remove the ‘intern mentality’. This makes the work environment one where every team member feels accountable and responsible for the company’s success.

These practices can be accredited to Lawrence, the founder and CEO, and his passion for helping the youths. He volunteers with Polytechnics to conduct career sharing sessions, and continues to engage with interns that used to work with the company. To encourage and validate initiative, he makes it a point to reply to every job candidate even if they are not successful in their application.

Inspiring purpose in the team 

Employees are positioned to achieve success from the get-go. The management will share with them the mission and what they hope to achieve through their onboarding workshop. Believing in the importance of visibility and direct interactions, they also make an effort to carve out at least half a day to engage with the interns. They believe that success starts with the employees, before flowing to their shareholders and customers. Undertaking these interactions frames the work experience at Octopus8 – one where the employees feel a sense of belonging and purpose in the company. 

"I was fortunate to have been given the chance to meet extremely experienced and wise people from diverse backgrounds." 

Former intern Angeline (NTU) describes her internship experience as “purposeful and valuable”. She was involved in developing proposals and products. With each task, she was able to better appreciate the impact that the company’s solutions had on their clients, and had the opportunity to work with people that inspired and motivated her. 

Independent, proactive teams 

At Octopus8, employees are independent, eager to learn and take ownership of their work. Octopus8 firmly believes in building initiative and mutual trust within the company. This culture is evident in their working style. To set the direction for the day, there is a 30-minute catch up session. Beyond that, they actively avoid micromanaging the teams. Employees are given project-based work and expected to be mission-driven. Guidance is readily available if the employee needs it, and the learning opportunities are abundant. 

Regular team lunches between the interns and the CEO (abiding the safety distancing measures) 

This flexible and independent work style has proven to be beneficial, as the team has easily transitioned into the new COVID-19 work practices. As restrictions were lifted, the team has also conducted team lunches and weekly catch ups to facilitate greater engagement. 

By partnering with SGTech’s GRT team, Octopus8 hopes to continue achieving success with empowered interns. They hope to continue inspiring and developing careers, be it within their company, or externally, through their products.