bet365, the world’s largest online gambling company, has today announced it will take on its fifth floor at its Spring Gardens operation to accommodate the rapidly expanding tech team. Buoyed by successful recruitment campaigns and high levels of retention, the company expects to add a further 100 employees to its already 200 strong team, which will now include infrastructure roles and University graduates.
“Manchester is a competitive marketplace. One where developers frequently move from company to company on what I call the Northern Carousel,” said Warren Hughes, Head of Systems Development, bet365 Manchester. “Growing our team to meet the demands of the business is key but doing so in a sustainable way that ensures longevity is crucial. Certainly, we’ve enjoyed rapid growth since we came to the City 2 years ago but what’s equally encouraging is our ability to retain the talent we recruit.”
Since arriving in Manchester in 2016, bet365 has employed nearly 200 software developers and testers to help support the delivery of projects at its main technology hub in Stoke-on-Trent. The majority of whom are still with the company 2 years later.
“When we looked at the Manchester market, it was clear that job hoping was the developers’ way of trying to achieve their career goals. Our fast growth and the amplification of the excellent working culture established in Stoke, has delivered organic progression and enabled us to buck this trend. Growth brings opportunity and we ensure our people are clear on their career path and that we are serious about promoting from within,” said Hughes.
The department will now grow even further as bet365 looks to bring in people to support on network infrastructure projects.
“The Manchester office was initially focused on expanding and supporting the software development function in Stoke. Due to its success, we’ve taken the decision to broaden our remit further and have now started to recruit for infrastructure positions,” said Hughes.
In addition to experienced professionals, bet365 will also look to tap into Manchester’s vibrant graduate market. The company is working with the University of Manchester to identify joint initiatives through which the two organisations can collaborate more closely.
“We entered Manchester with a view to starting small and strong by taking on experienced developers who could deliver quickly. As the department has matured, we feel we are ideally placed to bring junior developers and graduates into an environment where they will have strong mentorship through these earlier and important stages of their career,” said Hughes.
The Manchester technology capabilities will now grow even further as bet365 looks to bring in people to support network and infrastructure projects.
“This is no longer a small gathering of developers but a software development function that has matured and seen every team grow significantly with developers, testers, analysts and project managers now present. As we continue to expand and look to open our fifth floor in Spring Gardens, we aim to keep the bar high and bring in people that are passionate about technology and delivery,” said Hughes.
