Bottle Rocket Founder and CEO Calvin Carter has announced a permanent “Work from Wherever” future for the Dallas-based company. This new way of working offers a more relevant, contextual, productive and personalized way to work for its employees, demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to its clients, and further illustrates its progressive and innovative culture and philosophy.
Nearly a decade ago, the company pioneered the concept of working cross-functionally in pods which later became the norm for many companies around the globe. But in the current environment, the company recently shifted to a work from home mandate to protect employees and their families during COVID-19. And now the company is expanding this concept for the future to mean wherever an employee wishes to work – at home, in the office, across the country, or even abroad.
For the past two months, through the use of technology, advanced tools and revamped processes, the company has been able to continue “business as usual” among its employee base while still delivering value to the customers they serve. Every process or practice was essentially “rethought,” including how to collaborate, socialize, share, forecast workloads, conduct reviews, and even request time off.
“Due to our unique style of cross-functional collaborative working, we had to quickly and proactively take measures to ensure our employees felt supported and that our clients continued to receive the value that we are known for. I am very happy to say that while working remote, the quality of our work and productivity has not suffered, yet our employees’ quality of living has increased. COVID has accelerated existing trends in both consumer and employee behavior, thrusting us into our own future,” states Carter.
He continued, “Because of the successes we’ve seen and the ‘new normal’ we are all adjusting to, Bottle Rocket is now on the forefront of the next shift in collaborative working by ensuring our employees can work from wherever they want. This will enable a better work/life balance, help us recruit the best and brightest talent from anywhere in the world, and help us continue leading the market in creating innovative and customer-centric digital experiences for our clients. This is not an iteration of our previous working style – it’s an all new way, an all-new attitude, an all-new way to think and act. We’ve tossed out all previous notions and are moving forward a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to our people and our craft.”
The company is committed to upholding its dedication to quality and excellence which will require different approaches for different situations. Calvin also added, “We acknowledge some meetings will require in-person collaboration, so teams will still need to come together from time to time. But we will also accommodate other arrangements that allow our people to be as productive as possible. We are considering the need for additional tools, technologies, and cultural rituals to help our Rocketeers be their most productive selves and will also be making adjustments to our in-office environment to best serve our company’s future.”
With consumer behavior making digital touchpoints mandatory for brands, rethinking "work" is at a turning point. “Brands cannot ignore this and expect to survive much longer,” states Carter. “This is our new normal and brands must embrace digital as their future success depends on it.”
Note: SSON's survey of the global SSO/GBS industry highlights "Future of Work" as a key factor in recallibrating the shared services model to be more resilient going fortward. Read the report here: UPDATE: COVID-19 Impact on Global Service Delivery Models – "Reality Bites"