Caretakers – because you’re worth it
Contrary to what you might think, the Rocket’s caretakers don’t mop stardust off the command bridge. Instead, they ensure proper conditions for work and well-being.
Our rocket accelerators, caretakers and ship administration make sure that everything runs smoothly and that the consultants get assigned tasks which connect the needs of the client with the developer’s interests and skills.
Okay, but what are caretakers, you ask? Does the Rocket have its own army of janitors who ensure the consultants’ workspaces are tidy and equipment well-maintained?
Not quite, but not too far off either: caretakers maintain a state of well-being by tending to people’s psychological needs. Since our developers usually chill at their respective satellites and visits to the mother ship can be rare, it’s important that there’s someone who holds it all together, shows genuine interest in you and arranges for help and support – for whatever reason.
A caretaker is someone whose moon suit sleeve a rocket scientist can tug whenever they need a shoulder to cry on, someone to chat with or a sparring partner in the world of ones and zeros.
“Caretaker is actually the word we use for a superior. We rarely meet face-to-face because the workforce is scattered and works with different clients or in different teams. That still doesn’t eliminate the need for a go-to person that you can turn to when you need help in challenging situations and who can help you bounce off some ideas,” Juha Huttunen, our beloved leader, says.
Caretaker is the glue between the consultant and the Rocket
The caretaker programme was launched a year and a half ago, when Juha realised he had a bit too much on his plate. In addition to his CEO responsibilities, he was effectively the boss of every employee in the company.
“Caretaker is actually the word we use for a superior,” the Rocket CEO Juha says. A caretaker is responsible for maintaining suitable conditions for work and well-being.
“It was not possible to stay in touch with people as much as I would have liked. In the end, we had to find a new approach to communication. We launched our caretaker activities by splitting the responsibility between me and one of our ex-rocketeers, Iida,” he says.
The caretaker’s job is to look at the big picture, in other words, help navigate various situations between the consultant, the company, the sales and the client to everyone’s advantage. The job description focuses on maintaining work ability, well-being and communication.
“The caretakers help us keep track of how the employee is doing, what they want, how they find working with us and whether we can help in some way. The caretaker doesn’t have to have answers to everything, though, and if they come across bigger problems or HR issues, they can always count on getting support,” Juha explains.
More and more people are interested in becoming a caretaker – and that’s fine with us
The beginning of 2023 saw a change in the caretaker programme, as 12 new Rocket consultants put on their caretaker hats. Before this big change, only two consultants, Ed and Joona were involved in the caretaker business.
Let’s ask Joona about his thoughts on being a caretaker.
According to Joona, meeting up regularly is especially important when most of the work is carried out remotely. “I feel that I can help people who are going through similar life situations that I have experienced.”
“Caretaking has added more variety to my daily work – especially through face-to-face meetings over lunch. For me, the greatest benefit has been that I have been able to get to know my colleagues better. If it weren’t for caretaking, I would only meet them a few times a year at company events. Hearing what it is like to work with different clients has also broadened my own perspective,” Joona says.
Ed’s and Joona’s experiences encouraged us to offer the caretaking gig to everyone who’s interested.
“Everything is based on the employee’s needs, so it’s only natural that everyone gets to also choose their own caretaker,” Juha says.
What does this mean for an invoicing consultant?
“It takes a few hours per person every month. We try to avoid having the company define a strict process that has to be followed every time. We aim to give everyone the opportunity to find their own way of doing things. The needs of the expert come first and we try to respond to them to the best of our ability,” Juha explains.
The holy trinity of the consultant, interesting work and the client lay the foundation for well-being
Although a caretaker has a lot of responsibility, Juha highlights the importance of Sales as an enabler of the consultants’ well-being.
“It all starts with the work that people actually want to do as rocket scientists and with how that work will be carried out. The consultant and the client need to be a good match,” Juha says.
That means that Sales carefully review how things are done on the client’s side. They pay particular attention to things like management, how the consultant will be integrated into the work community and the opportunity to hold 1-on-1 meetings.
The aim is to make sure that both the client and the consultant are happy.
When it comes to the daily life of the consultant, the caretaker makes sure that information between the developer and the mother ship moves at light speed. This allows the happy consultant to let out a sigh of relief and focus on the essentials.