A Snapshot of Life at Devolutions 2022

Family members, friends, and especially new team members often ask me “what is a usual day at Devolutions like?”

Well, that is a hard question to answer! Things are always changing around here, which is great because it keeps things interesting and exciting. There are always new goals to achieve, new challenges to overcome, and of course: new Star Trek and Star Wars TV series to praise or condemn… or sometimes both!

However, I’m going to do my best to provide a snapshot of life here at Devolutions.

7:00am: So It Begins…

Yes, I know what many of you must be thinking: THEY START WORK AT 7:00AM AT DEVOLUTIONS? Actually, we do — and we don’t! Employees have a lot of flexibility here, and some of them — including me — choose to start earlier. Of course, others prefer to start at 8:00am or 9:00am because they have a longer commute, they need to get their kids off to school, or they just want more sleep! Plus, many of us are working hybrid (part of the week at home, part of the week at the office).

8:00am: The Place Is Buzzing

As you might expect, things are pretty quiet around 7:00am — which I personally love, because it helps with focus and concentration, and I get A LOT of stuff done. However, by about 8:00am, the place is buzzing with activity and people are everywhere. Some are working at their desks, some are chatting, some are working out in our on-site gym, and some are in our on-site cafeteria enjoying breakfast — or maybe just having the first of many ultra-strong coffees. It’s really interesting to see each day come alive here. I’ll admit that during the pandemic working from home had many benefits and conveniences (we were one of the first companies to move to an almost 100% remote model), but I really did miss this aspect. The work environment here is very positive, and the people are friendly!

10:00am: Break Time!

We don’t have an official, standard break time in the morning. However, around 10:00am is when people start to say to themselves “hey, you know what? I could really use a break right now!”.

Some people prefer to stay at their workstation, and others head to the cafeteria for (yet another) ultra-strong coffee. A few people also head to our arcade to play some pinball, or go to the games room and enjoy some foosball. We have 6 foosball tables, and up to 4 people can play at each table (and yes, it gets loud in there sometimes!).

But wait, there’s more!

During break, people can also play some ping pong (2 or 4 players), or during the summer they can head to our outdoor volleyball court. And since we have a bunch of gamers here — hey, what else would you expect from geeks? — it’s not unusual to find people playing video games during break. Oh, and we also have Netflix for those who want to get their Stranger Things fix in.

We have also a new golf simulator, so that the aspiring pro golfers around here can practice their driving and putting, or enjoy a round of 9 holes during their break.

10:15-10:30am: Back to Work!

By about 10:30am, everyone is recharged and ready to get back to work. A lot of smaller team meetings take place in the latter half of the morning.

12:00pm: WE EAT!

There are a lot of foodies here at Devolutions. And so as you’d expect, lunch is a special occasion. Most of us head to the cafeteria, while a few commandeer a spot on one of our cozy couches. Usually during the summer, people like to eat their lunch on our gorgeous outdoor terrace, or under our gazebos (which are great for sheltering from the sun).

1:00pm: Work Beckons

At 1:00pm — or sooner for those of us who have a lot of work or need to meet a deadline — we head back to work. The overall vibe is very different in the afternoon. In the morning, there are a lot of conversations and meetings. However, in the afternoon most people go “heads down” and focus on various tasks. As a result, it’s usually quieter in the afternoon, and the atmosphere is great for productivity.

3:00pm: Time to Go (for Some of Us!)

For those of us who started work at 7:00am, the work day comes to an end at 3:00pm. Those who started later in the morning (8:00am and 9:00am) usually take an afternoon break around this time. They will then continue working until 4:00pm or 5:00pm. Some people will stay later than that, depending on their tasks and situation.

Special Events

We also have special events throughout the week. For example, on Thursday afternoons we have a delightful beer and wine party, and for the last couple of years we have our Wednesday quizzes, where we test our knowledge on different topics like food, Star Wars and more!

Some Things Change… but Others Stay the Same

The agenda that I’ve shared here is not always what happens, because as I mentioned earlier, each day is different. For example, maybe the lunch break happens at 1:00pm or 1:30pm — or maybe it doesn’t happen at all (don’t worry, we still eat, but maybe in a meeting so that we can discuss an important issue!).

However, there are some things that do NOT change from day to day. These are our core values, which are to:

• Always deliver a “Wow Factor” for our community of users.
• Support positive life experiences for our employees and users.
• Be transparent in all of our actions across the organization.

I hope that you have enjoyed this snapshot of life at Devolutions. We’d love to know more about your workplace and its various routines. So tell us: what is your day like?