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June Everton, HR manager at internet hosting company UKFast.Net, explains how the company's focus on team building and recognition has allowed it to maintain service levels while growing at a fast pace.
UKFast.Net is a business-to-business internet hosting company that is based in Manchester, England. Established in 1999 by Lawrence Jones and Gail Everton, the company provides technology solutions to leading household names such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Orange and SKY. It specializes in managing dedicated servers for clients who have business-critical internet requirements.
When Jones decided to get involved in the technology sector, he knew customer service was crucial. With every technology company he had ever dealt with, the worst aspect of the experience was always the customer care. To build a market leader, his aim was to instill a particular work ethic into his team that would translate into a fantastic experience for clients.
A life-changing experience
The company was established using just Jones' own collateral, and in the early days he and Everton ran the 24/7 business themselves. They used contractors on a supply basis for the first 12 months, but a fast pace of growth meant they were then in a position to take on their first full-time employees.
Around the same time, Jones was involved in a serious accident that was to have a deep impact on him personally, but also on his approach to his business. When snowboarding in France in 2001, he was caught in an avalanche that left him unconscious under 15 feet of snow. Lucky to get out alive, Jones decided that life was about living and that every day was a chance to take on the challenge and make the best of it - an ethic that has run through UKFast.Net ever since and underlies the company's commitment to building team spirit and morale.
Events and activities build team spirit
One of the biggest challenges for a technology company is gelling the two predominant departments - sales and technology. The success of one is based upon the commitment of the other, and vice versa, but they tend...