OYO, the online travel & hospitality platform, is expanding its technology and product teams. Over the next six months, it will take on at least 300 techies for various senior and entry-level roles in the areas of software development, engineering and product management, designing, data science and so on. It is on the lookout for full-stack talent with expertise in machine learning (ML), data engineering and information security, and Android and iOS development. It hopes to roll out about 100 offers in the upcoming placement season, and is also considering bringing back former OYOpreneurs from its technology team.
Dinesh Ramamurthi, CHRO, OYO, revealed that the Company has been “doubling down on technology”, pioneering many industry-first innovations aimed at enhancing customer experiences and bringing in more revenues for hotel and home owners. He reiterated that OYO “is deeply committed to solving problems with technology” and therefore, “inducting top tech talent is a key priority for us.”
The product and engineering teams of the Indian multinational hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes and living spaces, will be responsible for building long-term capabilities for OYO from scratch. These teams will update the current tech stack of over 50 products and more than 500 microservices, including its apps for its consumers and partners, such as OYO, OYO OS and Co-OYO. OYO even uses a pricing app called Tariff Manager, one for performance management of OTAs or online travel agents, besides Discover OYO, Yo!Chatbot and so on.
The Company has already started hiring more than 50 mid-level tech talent and about 150 campus recruits from the top Indian universities. The selected candidates will interact at length with the OYO leadership and help the Company become a global full-stack tech provider for small and mid-sized hotels and homes. In fact, the enhanced apps have provided a two-fold increase in revenues for the new hotels and partners in its network.
Ankit Mathuria, chief technology officer, OYO, reveals how the Company believes in the philosophy of “keeping the ‘geek’ alive” in its techies, allowing them to think big and think differently . He says, “We don’t put our talent in a box.” Mathuria himself joined the Company in January 2021 and has experienced first hand how “everyone is driven by technology and everyone contributes, starting from the company’s founder to the frontline executives.”
Mathuria is confident that each new techie “will bring gripping ideas to the table, ultimately leading towards our goal to build a tech-first global platform that truly sets the tone for the future of travel.” That is why, OYO wishes to hire passionate talent keen to “make a real difference and fuel the next wave of growth for OYO”.
Given its belief in a total compensation and reward philosophy, OYO has rolled out comprehensive pay packages that combine fixed pay, bonuses and stock options, for all employees, including freshers. It provides upskilling opportunities for its workforce via several internal development programmes.
OYO’s Tech Council organises hackathons giving its engineers, product developers, data scientists, designers, and other tech professionals, an opportunity to solve complex problems, besides attempting stretch assignments, or even SWAT Slack groups. Employees are given the freedom to apply for opportunities in other teams at OYO to deepen their skills and knowledge.
