During her early years at AutmationDirect.com, the products distributor based in Cumming, Giselle Nix appreciated the opportunity to operate most days from home. Spared of a long commute, she was afforded more time for her family.
Now that she reports daily to the office, Nix also applies the word “family” to co-workers. They are accountable, same as in a family. Further, she has observed colleagues offering assistance to employees still on the premises after their shifts end so they can head home more quickly.
The company’s chief selling point? “We are encouraged to try new things,” she said. “It’s OK to make a mistake.”
Even at the annual Halloween costume party, where get-ups run the gamut from clever and creative to dumb and dumber. She was part of a “Star Trek” parody group that once earned first prize.
Unusual terminology to describe personnel and departments, grading co-workers, multiple physical fitness options and financial statements posted daily add up to a different, if not unique, workplace. Nix, a purchasing agent, has bought in.
Q. How did you wind up at AutomationDirect? Did you have experience in this type of work?
A. I applied at ADC because of its location. My husband said one day he wanted to buy property and build a house in Forsyth County. Well, 11 years and three moves later, we still haven’t made it to Forsyth County.
Q. When you started, did you think the unusual job descriptions, such as “team member” and “team captain,” and lack of traditional titles for management were weird?
A. Yes, I thought it was odd at first. I quickly learned that ADCers don’t follow the typical business rhetoric just to say we do. We take the best principles and adapt them to fit us, not the other way around. We also have unusual team names that say what the team does: Product Availability (purchasing), Focused Image (marketing), Logistics (warehouse).
Q. To illustrate how the teams work, can you describe yours?
A. There are six people on the purchasing team. Our professional backgrounds cover a wide range: accounting, purchasing, sales and IT. We have a monthly team meeting. Four members telecommute. Our work schedule and telecommute days are all different. We are all scheduled to work in the office on Tuesdays. This allows us to attend the [weekly] company meeting.
Q. Do you find it empowering that the teams have a say in who gets hired?
A. Knowledge of the job is important. Just as important is team cohesion. Everyone on the team gets to participate in the interviewing process. Our opinion really matters. It is good for all parties. The potential new hires get to meet and talk with everyone they will work closely with. And we have the same opportunity with them.
Q. Is it difficult to “grade” fellow workers objectively?
A. No, it is not difficult. We, as a team, selected the questions that were most important to us. We all know what is expected of each other. There are no surprises. It has never been used as a “gotcha” weapon. Only your team captain, company captain and HR can view your scores. It makes you aware of how you are being perceived by your fellow teamers. The system also allows you to grade people on other teams. I use this feature to say thank you and let their team captains know that I appreciate something a person on their teams has done.
Q. What do you think of people working out of offices instead of cubicles?
A. It is wonderful. You can close your door if you need to work on a difficult project, talk on the telephone or have a small meeting. The question is, why do other companies utilize cubicles for some employees but provide offices for selected ones? Don’t the reasons for giving a person an office apply to everyone? Having your own office makes you feel valued and respected.
Q. Were you surprised the company shares financial information with employees?
A. Yes, I was very surprised. But it makes sense. We all know the goal, what we have achieved and what we want to achieve. It is black and white. We know what we have done so we know what we are capable of achieving.
Q. Was it a difficult adjustment from mainly telecommuting to working in your company office on most days?
A. There are positives and negatives for each schedule. Working in the office gives me more exposure to other teams and members, projects and opportunities. Working from home allowed me more time with my family. It eliminated my 45-minute commute each way. The different work schedules have given me the ability to focus on what I needed to do during that time period.
Q. What extracurricular activities at work do you participate in?
A. I am a member of the hiking club, Jazzercise, ADC striders (running club) and book club. I also use the personal trainer services. I am considering giving the biking club a try. If you participate in a physical activity, you are given more time for lunch. This allows you to work out, shower and still eat. Taking a break from your work in the middle of the day to go exercise is wonderful. It clears my head. I am more productive.
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