At Rackspace, while many are called to interview, few are chosen to join the hallowed ranks of Rackers. It takes a special kind of person to make it through the interview process – someone with passion, someone with the right personality and a desire to make a difference. No matter what role you’re interviewing for – marketing, technical support, sales, developers, HR or finance, these are the characteristics that mark a true Racker.
I was fortunate enough to make it through the rigorous selection process over six years ago, when I was welcomed home to Rackspace. In those six years, I’ve seen Rackspace change and grow so much – here in the UK, six years ago there were around 100 Rackers, and we only had one data centre. Since then, we’ve moved offices a few times to accommodate growth, are now traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and have grown to over 700 Rackers in the UK, with two data centres and local offices in Amsterdam, Hong Kong and Sydney, Australia. In all that time and with all that growth, you’d think it would have changed – lost the spark that made it such a special place to work.
However, in spite of all the growth and change, it’s still an amazing place to work. Somewhere that I’m happy to get up and go to every day, where everyone goes to give their best each day. Yes, we work hard, but by George, we play hard too. Where else can you have a business meeting sitting in a Mini Cooper in the middle of an office? Or head up to the games room and blow off some steam over a game of foozball or table tennis? Where freshly ground, gourmet coffee flows freely and a selection of fresh fruit and healthy (and unhealthy, because sometimes you just need a sugar rush in the morning) breakfast cereals greet you every day?
I’m lucky enough to get to meet most new Rackers when they join each week, which is the highlight of my Mondays! Watching a crowd of new starters being led around the office like a brood of ducklings following mother duck, wide-eyed and full of wonder and delight for this new working environment is always a pleasure. Then talking to them over a drink at the end of their first day, it’s fascinating to find out their thoughts on their new home, especially when they compare it to their previous workplaces.
The famous author, Samuel Johnson, once remarked that “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” While this is indeed true, it can also be applied to Rackspace. In six years, I have yet to find myself tired of Rackspace – thanks to the great working atmosphere, the friends that I have made and get to work with every day, plus the opportunities to get involved in areas outside of my usual work remit, I don’t see that day coming any time soon.
Category: Rackers Tags: Fun at Rackspace, London, UK, Work Environment
hah hah sounds awesome!!!!!
What would it take for me to be a Racker if I am form a Sales Organisation?
There is some wonderful truth in this post, mainly the idea of work as a “home.” I am in the process of applying for jobs with Rackspace and I can completely identify with the idea of wanting your workplace to feel like a home. I worked for Starbucks for several years and they liked to harp on the idea of the coffee shop as the “third place,” or the place you feel at home when you aren’t at work or at home. As an applicant, I can honestly say that is something I long for and I feel that I can have with Rackspace. I truly hope I can see that into reality soon. Great post!
When I first read this article, I thought for sure that perhaps the author was a bit biased in his opinion. After all, I had never found a job that I could ever call “home.” Since then, I have followed Rackspace on Twitter, seen how they give back, and seen what kind of company Rackspace truly is. The company’s devotion to its clientele, its employees, and the communities whose land they share is rare in a company as successful as Rackspace.
While I understand there are potentially thousands of wannabe Rackers in the San Antonio area, and that only a few will be selected, seeing is believing, and I do believe I would enjoy being able to call myself a Racker.