This is what set Uber apart for Balaram

What sets Uber apart for Mumbai-based Senior Engineering Manager Balaram Baral? Shared empathy. Autonomy. The latest tech. And a commitment to building with heart. Below, we chat with Balaram about why he joined Uber and why you should too. 

“Shared empathy is the single biggest differentiating factor for Uber. We are geared to disrupt the way the world moves and there will be hustle involved. You will attempt the unthinkable and there may be failure. But failure here is a blameless exercise; no one who will pin you down. Instead, leaders view the effort with a degree of empathy and recognition. But we play to win.”

“I experience a high degree of psychological safety within the Uber ecosystem. The culture of autonomy ensures we have a team that is ready to fuel Uber’s growth. I’ve noticed few silos between teams, and criticism is constructive and well received. We couple audacity with empathy in everything we do.

On the quality of work, Uber works on the latest cutting-edge technology. We are very nimble and therefore able to adapt at pace and scale. We reward innovation and also encourage the world to learn by open sourcing some of our work.”

“When I joined Uber, the finance planning vertical was in a nascent stage. I was tasked with stabilizing the system. But I wasn’t left with just a problem statement. The project lead, the team, my manager, and everyone came together to create the blueprint. Once done, I was given autonomy to drive the project and allowed to be disruptive. Today, we’re geared to rewrite the system which will be scalable for the next decade.” 

“Build with heart because it aligns with my value system. As part of leading a core project, I realized there were priorities and expectations from multiple teams. There was constant feedback from business teams on how things can be better. My leader stepped in and demonstrated a high degree of empathy acknowledging and sharing back with the business teams that this journey would take time and the plan ahead. Even other teams whose contingency depends on our deliverables constructively unblocked us.” 

“Uber does not prescribe a particular technology to solve a business problem. You choose what is best and drive adoption. This ensures learning on the latest technologies. Uber does not just hand you a problem statement. Our ecosystem ensures you are coached and mentored with an SME to deliver on your big bold bets.”

“Anyone wanting to join Uber should be willing to work as a part of a team. We succeed as a team. We fail as a team. We are One Uber. There is no passing the buck. On the technical front, ensure you know the technology you are working on.”

“Uber allows us to work hybrid, with Tuesday and Thursday as anchor days when everyone comes into the office. The other days we are allowed to work from home (targeting half our time in the office). There is also a work from anywhere policy which allows us to work from anywhere for 4 weeks every year. Finally, employees also get a paid sabbatical for four weeks after completing five years at Uber.” 

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