FRONT ROW AT THE BACKEND

Great that you have arrived, these are the best seats in the house! Just tuning in? Listen to the first two episodes about the program here (Front Row at the Backend EP 4 and Front Row at the Backend EP 5)

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT AT ESSENT: A JOURNEY OF GROWTH

At Essent, learning and development are not just buzzwords; they are the foundation of professional and personal growth. Through initiatives like the Crafts Heroes talent program, Essent fosters an environment where employees can evolve, not just in their technical expertise but also in their ability to collaborate, communicate, and see the bigger picture.

Luca Claessens, a former participant, reflects on his journey through the program:
"I think I've become more communicative, a little bit more brazen in the sense that, yes, I see these other people are also dealing with this. I should probably keep myself and other people a little bit more responsible sometimes. Those are the areas I grew in through the context of the program because I've been seeing a lot of things happening outside of my own little day-to-day bubble."

A YEAR OF DISCOVERY AND GROWTH

The Crafts Heroes program is designed for mid-level developers aiming to grow into senior roles. However, as Luca discovered, the program offers much more than a direct path to promotion.
"There was this kind of expectation that the program would help us transition from mid-level to senior developers. But pretty soon, I realized that’s not really the most interesting part. Instead, I gained a better understanding of my position within the organization and how to navigate it."
The program starts with an immersive kickoff event, allowing participants to step outside their daily routines and envision their growth for the coming year. The goal is not just technical upskilling but fostering a helicopter view—understanding how different roles and departments interconnect and contribute to Essent’s larger mission.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES: THE SUMMER DIP

Every growth journey has its ups and downs. Many participants experience what’s known as the "summer dip," where initial enthusiasm fades, and the path forward becomes unclear.
"We had all these expectations about how we were going to change Essent. But at some point, we hit a wall. Then we took a step back, dropped all expectations, and simply started talking to each other about what we were struggling with. That’s when the real learning began."
By embracing the uncertainties and recalibrating their goals, the group found new ways to learn, collaborate, and make meaningful contributions.

LEARNING BEYOND THE DESK: CONFERENCES AND MASTERCLASSES

The program encourages learning beyond daily tasks. A pivotal moment was attending the GoTo conference in Copenhagen, where participants engaged in masterclasses on technical skills, lifelong learning, and workplace adaptability.
"We spent five days together, attending masterclasses, discussing what we learned, and simply connecting as people. It completely changed our dynamic as a team and made us more comfortable working together."
Experiences like these reinforce the idea that learning is not just about acquiring technical skills but also about personal and professional development.

PAYING IT FORWARD: BECOMING A MENTOR

One of the unique aspects of the program is that former participants can return as mentors, sharing their experiences and helping the next group navigate their journey. "We already see that the learnings from previous years are shaping the current group. Just two weeks into the new program, they were already planning which conferences to attend and how to bond as a team. That’s exactly what we hoped for."

KNOWLEDGE SHARING: A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING

The program also emphasizes knowledge sharing within the company. Whether it’s through internal training sessions, debate workshops, or discussions on work-life balance, participants are encouraged to spread what they’ve learned across teams.
"Every time we organized something, we thought: How do we bring this back to our teams? Whether it was negotiation training or tackling technical debt, we always looked for ways to share and contribute beyond our own learning."

THE MAIN TAKEAWAY: A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE

For Luca, the biggest lesson was not just technical growth but a shift in mindset:
"At the start, I had no expectations. I thought I’d just improve my front-end skills. But by the end, I had developed a much broader view of the organization, my role within it, and how to navigate challenges effectively."
Essent’s commitment to learning and development goes beyond traditional career progression. It’s about fostering a culture where employees are empowered to grow, explore, and contribute in meaningful ways. The Crafts Heroes program is just one example of how Essent invests in its people, ensuring that learning remains a continuous and enriching journey.

Listen to the entire story on the podcast.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The next episode of the Essent 'Front Row at the Backend' podcast will be a surprise, one thing we can share: it will be more "backend" from now on!