OTAVA
Ann Arbor, MI
|
Editor’s Summary: OTAVA, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has evolved from a regional data center operator into a multi-cloud and managed services provider. The company emphasizes professional development through certifications in platforms like Azure, VMware, and Veeam, while career paths are clearly defined to support advancement. Employees are recognized with peer- and leadership-nominated awards, and flexibility is reinforced with a generous PTO policy and remote work options. Community service is encouraged through paid volunteer days and partnerships with local nonprofits, tying employee growth to social impact. Transparent communication comes through quarterly meetings, podcasts, and open forums with leadership. For professionals seeking a dynamic culture built on innovation, recognition, and service, OTAVA provides both opportunity and support. |
|
Intro: Our purpose is simple: we are people empowering people to enable growth. By supporting small businesses, we help create opportunities that impact families and future generations. We are empowered to make a difference, take action, and serve with purpose. Top candidates should know that OTAVA offers a dynamic, customer-centric tech culture, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation. |
|
Impact statements:
|
Advancement Opportunities:
At OTAVA, career advancement isn’t just encouraged — it’s expected. Before any role is posted externally, managers first review internal talent, identifying team members ready to grow into new opportunities. This proactive approach ensures employees are consistently considered for both upward and lateral moves that align with their career goals.
Career paths are clearly defined based on seniority, role complexity, and industry certifications, giving team members a structured roadmap for growth. We support skill development through platforms like Pluralsight and recognize monthly certification milestones in key technologies such as Zerto, Azure, Veeam, and VMware. These accomplishments are celebrated company-wide, reinforcing our culture of continuous learning.
We also give employees the time, space, and support they need to thrive. Regular roundtables create space for peer-to-peer learning, and cross-department shadowing offers a holistic view of the business, expanding advancement potential. For leadership development, our CEO hosts a monthly “Amplify” call with company leaders to explore the Maxwell Leadership Principles and share insights on applying them in real-world scenarios.
At OTAVA, we’re deeply committed to creating a culture of growth and collective support — where investment in development leads directly to new opportunities.
Community service/charitable causes:
All regular full-time employees are eligible for up to eight hours (one day) per calendar year of paid volunteer time with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Regular part-time employees are eligible for up to four hours per calendar year. Employees are paid at their normal pay rate for the volunteer hours taken.
Time off can be taken in the following increments:
- Minimum of 4 hours (half day) per opportunity
VTO is refreshed at the beginning of each calendar year and cannot be accrued or carried over into the following year.
OTAVA is committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work. One example of this is our recent initiative supporting Michigan Food Banks, where members of our Sales team participated in volunteer efforts to help fight food insecurity. During offsite meetings, we plan volunteer outings where employees can team up to make a positive impact. Some of the organizations we’ve supported: Feed My Starving Children, Midwest Food Bank, Food Gatherers Ann Arbor, Children’s Miracle Network’s Extra Life, Racing for Crohn’s.
We also use our LinkedIn platform to highlight and amplify these efforts, bringing visibility to the causes we support and encouraging broader participation across the company.
These activities are not only meaningful to the communities we serve, but they also foster deeper team connections and reinforce our shared values outside the workplace.
Measuring satisfaction:
OTAVA uses a comprehensive mix of tools to stay in tune with how our team members are feeling and performing:
- eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) – Conducted bi-annually, it provides a benchmark of employee engagement and loyalty. We compare our results with industry averages to keep a pulse on how we’re doing. OTAVA has an eNPS of +38%, a strong indicator of a positive and engaged workplace.
- Biannual Pulse Surveys – Questionnaires that go deeper into key areas such as: Work expectations and clarity, quality and frequency of communication with managers, satisfaction with training opportunities, feeling valued and respected at work, and understanding how one’s role contributes to the company’s overall success.
- Stay Interviews – One-on-one conversations that help us proactively retain talent by learning what motivates our team and what could be improved.
The insights gathered are analyzed and followed by clear action plans. By using both data and conversation, we ensure our people feel heard—and that we’re always evolving as an employer.
Work/Life:
At OTAVA, the Flexible PTO policy allows employees to take time off as needed without a set limit, promoting a healthy work/life balance. This flexibility encourages team members to prioritize their well-being, recharge, and manage personal responsibilities without the stress of accumulating or tracking days off. In fact, OTAVA encourages taking time off, even during busy times, as a break can help employees to reset and come back refreshed.
- Flexible Work Hours: Employees can adjust their schedules to accommodate personal needs, ensuring a balance between work and personal life.
- Remote Work Options: Team members can work from home, allowing for greater flexibility and reducing commute times.
- Well-being Programs: The company provides wellness initiatives, including mental health support, fitness programs, and stress management resources.
- Family-Friendly Benefits: OTAVA supports employees with family responsibilities by offering parental leave and other family-related benefits.
- Encouraging Time Off: Managers actively encourage employees to disconnect and take time off when needed, fostering a healthy work-life balance.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): A comprehensive support program provides confidential counseling and resources for personal or work-related challenges.
Perks:
Office Lunches: For every Soundcheck or Headliner event, OTAVA provides a team office lunch to encourage employee presence and foster team bonding. This is done at least once per month for both US and international teams.
Wellness Programs: Access to fitness programs and mental health resources to support overall well-being.
Fun:
Fun is a big part of the OTAVA workplace culture, and employees can participate in several unique activities:
- Monthly Meeting Hosts: Employees can take turns hosting monthly meetings, adding a personal touch and bringing creativity to the gatherings.
- Joke Sharing: Team members enjoy sharing dad jokes or tech-related jokes, creating a light-hearted atmosphere and fostering internal humor.
- Virtual Christmas Party: The company organizes an engaging virtual holiday event featuring drawing games and online competitions, with exciting tech prizes up for grabs.
- Internal Competitions: Various fun online contests and games help build camaraderie and a sense of friendly competition.
Offsite meetings: OTAVA often arranges offsite events such as group dinners, top golf outings, volunteer opportunities, and more to take advantage of time together in person.
Communication and Collaboration Tools:
OTAVA uses a robust suite of tools to support seamless collaboration between remote and in-office teams. Microsoft Teams serves as our central hub for chat, meetings, and calls.. We use JIRA for project and task tracking, and Confluence for centralized documentation. UKG is leveraged for time tracking, employee records, and HR documentation. Pluralsight supports our training initiatives and certification tracking. Zendesk is our platform for ticket management and customer interaction; it supports shift handovers and provides customers with real-time visibility into their open sales and technical issues. Salesforce is used for customer data tracking and our internal billing platform, offering seamless integration of client and financial records.
Beyond technology tools, our leadership is committed to open, consistent, and transparent communication. John Reardon, CEO of our parent company Schurz hosts regular all-hands calls across all Schurz businesses to keep everyone aligned. Within OTAVA, our CEO TJ Houske hosts a podcast, The Notice, where leadership and culture are frequent topics. We also hold monthly and quarterly calls to share updates and stay connected.
At OTAVA, we make sure every employee—no matter where they work—has the tools they need to succeed. From day one, team members receive essential equipment, including laptops, secure VPN access, communication tools, and role-specific software. Our IT team provides structured onboarding, responsive remote support, and equipment replacements as needed.
Employees also have access to key platforms like UKG, Confluence, Salesforce, and JIRA to support performance, collaboration, and documentation. To ensure security and compliance, we follow a defined role-based access control process, giving employees the right level of access to do their jobs—while protecting sensitive data.
How corporate vision is communicated:
At OTAVA, our direction is clearly defined by our 5-Year Business Transformation Plan, which is built on four strategic pillars. These pillars are communicated regularly through quarterly Headliner meetings, monthly Soundcheck updates, and departmental check-ins. Updates include progress on strategic initiatives, sales metrics, product launches, customer wins, and feedback loops, ensuring transparency across the business.
Our goal is to keep every team member connected to the mission—and to how their role helps OTAVA grow in the right direction. Our corporate vision is shared through quarterly Headliner meetings, where we provide departmental updates, and monthly “Soundcheck” updates. These updates cover sales metrics, new customer wins, strategic partnerships, and key initiatives, ensuring that every team member sees how their work connects to our broader goals. In our quarterly “Headliner” meetings, we provide department-specific updates, review progress on our four strategic pillars (as shared by our CEO), and highlight company-wide achievements. These include updates on sales and product performance, churn rates, company scorecard, new customers, and employee milestones like new hires, birthdays, and anniversaries. Our average employee tenure of 4.7 years is a testament to our strong culture and transparent communication.
Empowering employees:
Employee recognition is built into OTAVA’s culture—we believe that celebrating both individual and team achievements fosters a deep sense of belonging and motivation.
We offer two types of quarterly awards:
- Rockstar Award – A leadership-nominated award given to individuals who go above and beyond in their roles, demonstrating outstanding performance and impact.
- People’s Choice Award – A peer-nominated award that allows employees to recognize each other for their daily contributions, collaboration, and alignment with OTAVA’s values. Winners are awarded $1,000.00.
Additionally, we’ve introduced Mic Drop Moments, which are spontaneous, real-time shout-outs that anyone can submit to recognize any team member who embodies our OTAVA Guiding Principles. These moments can highlight anything from a small win to a significant cross-functional success.
Recognition is shared widely:
- Internally, through our company-wide communications such as the quarterly Headliner Meetings, monthly Soundchecks, and department meetings. Additionally, OTAVA’s CEO TJ Houske is known for giving out his “Kickin it with TJ” award, where he recognizes employees’ efforts, hard work and accomplishments. A Nike enthusiast, TJ gives these individuals a $150 gift card good for a new pair of Nike shoes. These are promoted on OTAVA’s social media channels.
- Externally, via LinkedIn and other social platforms, where we spotlight Rockstar and People’s Choice winners, helping reinforce our culture and showcase our appreciation publicly.
At OTAVA, creating a culture where team members are empowered to drive change isn’t just encouraged—it’s embedded in how we operate. We believe everyone has a voice and the ability to shape how we grow.
Here’s how we bring that to life:
- Internal Mobility & Career Progression: Before posting roles externally, we evaluate internal talent, assessing team skills and identifying opportunities for career advancement. We also design career progression paths based on seniority, skills, and certifications.
- Onboarding & Learning: We provide engaging onboarding sessions, group training, and lunches to support cross-functional learning and development. Employees are encouraged to participate in shadowing sessions within other departments to gain broader perspective and inspire innovation.
- Cross-Department Collaboration: Each quarter, departments present their key focus areas, milestones, and where they need support from others. This sparks meaningful collaboration and surfaces fresh ideas from across the business.
- Culture of Feedback: Our Soundcheck and Headliner sessions always include time to address open questions directly from team members. Employees are given open access to leadership and are encouraged to submit suggestions and comments to any and all leaders of the company. This creates transparency and encourages two-way dialogue with leadership.
OTAVA team members are empowered in their roles to make decisions through:
- Role Autonomy: Employees have the freedom to lead projects and solve problems within their roles.
- Clear Guidelines: Access to resources and training enables informed decision-making.
- Encouraging Innovation: Team members are encouraged to propose new ideas and take initiative set up within their individual and departmental goals.
- Collaboration: Decisions are often made collaboratively, considering diverse perspectives.
- Transparent Communication: Regular updates help align decisions with company goals.
- Supportive Leadership: Managers provide guidance while trusting employees to make decisions, giving them the freedom to solve problems and develop leadership skills.
- Recognition and Accountability: Positive outcomes are recognized, fostering growth.
- Flexible Processes: Agile processes allow quick decision-making and adaptability.
OTAVA’s culture of respect and empowerment is seen every day in the positive way team members serve each other. This in turn, is what contributes to our success serving customers and partners.
Ensuring well-being:
OTAVA’s Flexible PTO policy allows employees to take time off as needed without a set limit, promoting a healthy work/life balance. This flexibility encourages team members to prioritize their well-being, recharge, and manage personal responsibilities without the stress of accumulating or tracking days off.
OTAVA is committed to the well-being of team members. We care for employees in many ways:
Employee Well-Being & Mental Health Initiatives:
- Enhanced Mental Health Offerings: OTAVA has expanded the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to include more resources for mental health support, available for both employees and their dependents.
- Workshops and Trainings: UKG-led training sessions and workshops focus on overall employee well-being, with specific emphasis on mental health.
Workforce Efficiency & Strategic HR Support:
- Senior leaders are supported in identifying ways to optimize workforce efficiency, which includes balancing workloads and improving overall employee satisfaction.
Healthcare Cost Management & Optimization:
OTAVA continuously monitors healthcare costs and evaluates strategies to reduce expenses, including expanding programs like 340B and exploring reimportation opportunities to improve healthcare affordability for employees.
|
Closing company statements: OTAVA’s culture of service can be compared to a rock band, where every team plays a vital role in delivering a great experience for our clients. Sales takes the spotlight, with Product and Marketing setting the stage. Deployments, Support, and Solutions Architects ensure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. Together, we orchestrate success with passion. The Stagehands (Solutions Architects, Deployments, and Tier 3 Support) rely on the roadies (Marketing, Engineers, Product, and Engineering), all backed by our essential support teams in Legal, P&C, IT, Finance, Procurement, Billing, DC Ops, and Security. We serve the client or someone who does—WINNING TOGETHER! Our priorities include:
Technologies We Use:
Joining OTAVA means being part of a forward-thinking team where technology, innovation, and customer satisfaction are top priorities. |
Back to the entire list of TMCnet 2024 Tech Culture Award winners.
Paragraph