Taps into strong European tech scene, creating national & regional employment opportunities, to boost engineering success and platform innovations for HiBob customers & partners

Lisbon & Tel Aviv – 13 September 2022: HiBob, the modern HR platform that is delivering remarkable work experiences for dynamic, mid-sized and sub-enterprise businesses and their employees, announces it has established a Lisbon-based, engineering-led operation from where it will run its ‘Center of R&D Excellence’.  The venture will create 70 new jobs for tech professionals in the region over time, with a recruitment drive already well underway. 

Hot on the heels of placing as a Leader in G2’s Summer 2022 Mid-Market Europe Regional Grid® Report for Core HR which was deemed by customers extremely user friendly but also highly innovative, HiBob’s expansion in this part of  Western Europe also follows the recent opening of a Berlin office to service the DACH region.

Accomplished entrepreneur and economist João Ferro Rodrigues joins as Managing Director to head up operations, and lead a team of tech specialists. A Lisbon native, holding  an MBA from Harvard Business School, he will focus on attracting the very best techies and developers Europe has to offer, to build a solid R&D hub and global (CX) support division for HiBob.

The decision represents  an important commitment to staying ahead of the curve with leading edge HR technology built for the way companies work today: globally, remotely, and with an emphasis on employee experience. 

HiBob employees are trusted and empowered to bring their true selves to work. They are integral to delivering next generation HR technology for HR professionals, managers and employees. Since 2015 ‘Bobbers’ have come to a supportive,  nurturing environment where they are encouraged and inspired to be the best they can be.

Ronni Zehavi said: “If you want to build a business seriously and continuously innovate through learning loops, then you have to have skilled developers, IT experts, and a strong leader on the ground who is connected to the market.  In this instance establishing a presence in Portugal constitutes a high potential opportunity for HiBob, its employees and customers. Through this significant investment in the European tech scene, we aim to become not only a true magnet for tech talent but a trailblazer for HR tech innovation globally.”

He continued: “In João we have found a kindred spirit.  A serial entrepreneur who shares the same values we do at HiBob, one of which is ‘Building the Exceptional’.  From Lisbon himself, he is well known in the region for his leadership and business acumen. I am so pleased to welcome him to the HiBob village and look forward to creating remarkable experiences for our customers.”

Portugal is quickly growing to become one of the most important hubs for tech in Europe, with a fast-developing startup scene that has seen a lot of talent heading to the country recently.  Industry experts believe that Europe could soon surpass the US in terms of tech talent as a result. Over the years, a lot of big businesses have moved to Portugal from other countries in Europe and across the world.  Many big platform and tech companies have also set their sights on Portugal, drawn in by the availability of talent.

“Tech hubs not only host people from different areas of the IT landscape, they encourage them to gather and stay in that city,” says João Ferro Rodrigues .  “From web designers and digital marketers to developers, a growing company needs to have access to the best talent in all aspects of the sector.  As a result, a space is created where ideas germinate and companies prosper.  My goal will be to provide strong mentoring and leadership from Lisbon which has proved itself an important gateway to the European tech scene.”

About HiBob

HiBob is on a mission to transform how organizations operate in the modern world of work with its HR platform ‘Bob’.  Leading the way for the future workplace, Bob offers resilient, agile technology that wraps all the complexities of HR processes into a game changing, user-friendly tool that touches every employee across the business.

Since 2015, trusted and empowered ‘Bobbers’ from around the world have brought their authentic selves to work, inspired to build the exceptional HR systems that will revolutionize the work experience for HR professionals, managers, and employees. Agile and adaptable, HiBob innovates through continuous learning loops to produce seismic cultural shifts for companies with dynamic, distributed workforces.

HiBob is used by more than 2,500 multinational companies – including Cazoo, Hopin, Monzo, Happy Socks, Fiverr, and VaynerMedia. Organizations using Bob are able to accelerate hiring, retain the best talent, up skill and elevate employee engagement. For more information about HiBob, visit www.hibob.com.