Phase 2 has been honored with a 2017 When Work Works Award for exemplary workplace practices. We are 1 of 298 in the U.S. and 1 of 3 in the state of Oklahoma, and we are proud of our team for creating an environment that receives national accolades.

The prestigious When Work Works Award is part of the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM’s) When Work Works project, a national initiative that helps employers become more successful by transforming the way they view and adopt effective and flexible workplaces. The award goes beyond work-life programs and includes initiatives that address the additional evidence-based aspects of effective workplaces, such as opportunities for learning, a culture of respect and trust, and job autonomy.

In light of this award and the success we have seen due to our company culture, we thought we’d share some of the special things we do that make Phase 2 a great place to work. We hope others can benefit from hearing what has worked for our company and find ways to adapt these ideas to work in your own company.

Flex Scheduling

During the regular work week we encourage our team to take advantage of whatever time frame they work the best in and are the most creative. We do not force the night owls to be at the office at 8 a.m. and the early birds are encouraged to get to work early and leave at 3 p.m. if they wish. This is achieved by our belief that quality work comes first and foremost. Our lunchtime lengths vary depending on the person. We have a group that goes out for skate lunch where they can de-stress at the skatepark and come back to work with a clear head and ready hand. We do not count hours clocking in and out for lunch, but we also expect the highest quality of work from our team and we get exactly that because we all are extremely motivated and won’t settle for an end software product that isn’t fantastic.

Thirsty Thursday

A fan favorite around the office, Thirsty Thursday is a tradition where we take turns running to the liquor store to pick out a new beer for everyone to try. This is a cool way to try out a variety of beers without committing to an entire 6 pack every time you want to change it up. As much as we love the beer, Thirsty Thursday is about kicking back with the team. Like it or not, coworkers are a huge part of your life. You spend at least 40 hours a week with these people. We believe it's important and more fulfilling to get to know and enjoy the people we work with everyday. Crafting custom software can sometimes be intense and stressful work, but working with a great group of people can make all the difference.

Productivity Friday

This practice was featured as an emerging trend in a national press release from the Society of Human Resource Management. At Phase 2, we build custom software and work with technology everyday, which gives us the ability to work from anywhere as long as there is electricity and wifi. We take advantage of this by having Productivity Fridays, where everyone at the company works from the place where they are most productive and effective. For some, it is at the office, others in a coffee shop, and the vast majority enjoy the luxury of working from home. The ability to rely on our team members to work together and hit deadlines as necessary makes Productivity Friday a perk that works.

High Expectations

We expect everyone, whether you are a developer, a project manager, or an executive, to step up to the plate when called upon. We do not foster a groupthink mentality because that leads to mediocre software and does not help our clients build a better business. We speak up when we have a differing opinion or experience and it contributes to our success as a team where we all play an important leadership role in assuring the custom software we craft for our clients is going to positively impact the lives of the people using it. Each member of our team adds new opportunity for insight and input, and we value unique and constructive ideas.

Empowering Our Team

We empower all of our employees to take initiative and action when we see an opportunity to add value to the team. We try to keep things as lean as possible at Phase 2, and have as little "management" as possible. In other words, no one is looking over anyone's shoulders. In order to conduct business this way, it means each of us must be highly independent and must consistently take the initiative to find ways to add value. When we find individuals like this, we hold them tight and train them well.

Hack Time!

Not the type of hacking that probably comes to mind when you think of a software development company in Oklahoma City. No, we really do mean hacky sack. If you’re familiar with coding and software development work, taking breaks helps increase productivity and ability to stay focused. During the afternoon slump, we take a few minutes of the day to take a break and go outside to kick around the hacky sack. Sometimes it is a group of four and other days we may have ten people out there ready to play. Don’t forget to take a break every once in awhile; it's good for the mind.

Phase 2 Rules

Throughout our years of experience with various companies, we have learned many lessons on which we base our business practices. Our founder, Mark Towler, sat down one day and put together these Phase 2 Rules. They are a set of general guidelines to follow everyday as a business and in life. We find ourselves referring to the rules on a daily basis because they apply to so many aspects of our lives.

• 1. Everybody you meet is Brian Blake
• 2. Never forget the bottle of whisky
• 3. Remember the Dub Grissom Rule
• 4. Fix your leaky faucets
• 5. The Mystery Rule

The Phase 2 philosophies and practices we have built our culture and company on has helped us flourish into an organization that has lower absenteeism, improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue, more creativity, better end software products, and a higher employee retention rate for a very transient industry. These returns on our investments have brought Phase 2 to where it is today. We are winning business over nationally known companies based off of our compassion for our clients, extremely skilled and innovative approaches, and our ability to craft custom enterprise software that builds better business. It all boils down a fantastic company culture. Great people are drawn to work at great companies.