My name is Kaviya and, being the only child for my parents, I was always taken care of and pampered. My parents worked hard every day to provide the best for me. Growing up, I always wanted to be someone who would take care of my parents and make them feel proud. 
 
Though my dream was to become a doctor, I finally decided to pursue an engineering career and wished to be skillful in it. I always try pushing myself to take on new challenges and activities. Following my graduation, I discovered a passion for booming technologies like big data and made a concerted effort to learn more. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it brought financial and mental struggles for my family and me. I decided to take up the responsibility of my family, and joining the Global Analytics and Technology Center of Excellence (GATE) team in October 2021 proved to be the best decision at the right time. Not only was I able to provide for my family but I could also grow professionally. I had zero experience in the healthcare domain, but still the team gave a warm welcome and helped me in getting settled down with right guidance and support. Within a few months, I was successful with my deliverables.

“People work for money, but they give their best effort for recognition.” Recognition is what drives me at work and fuels my career growth, and I found that at GATE is where employees are recognised and appreciated. I always believe that appreciation can improve workplace morale. Showing appreciation to an employee creates a ripple effect in the workplace and when we are valued, we are likely to show special bonding to our co-workers and other team members. Our GATE Excellence awards programme motivates us as employees and helps us achieve our goals. This culture of Roche makes it unique compared to other companies, which is also one of the reasons I chose to join the GATE team.

“Flexibility is not linear. It’s personal to everyone, and it continually evolves. We’re in this evolution now and the hybrid workplace is one component of it, but the trend is that it’s becoming employee-focused.” GATE operates outside the typical office culture. We often work together and there is an emphasis on brainstorming, feedback and innovation. Processes are more casual, but team projects are still results-oriented. At Roche, the culture prioritises work-life balance by offering remote work opportunities and flexible scheduling in such a way that allows me to tailor my role to fit my life outside the office.