Roq's Values, but My Values Too!

By Joe Horrocks, Marketing Executive – Roq 

I’ve now worked at Roq for just over three years and one of the main things that first attracted me to the company were the core values and how I could relate to each of them. These aren’t just the company values, but my values too. As we are about to embark on a mini campaign, highlighting each of the values, I thought I would write a piece around them and why they’re so important to me, the Roq culture, and the work we do. 

At Roq, we’re driven by our four core values; Excellence, Commitment, Straight Talking, and Passionate. From recruitment, straight through to client delivery, these four pillars are at the forefront of our minds, helping us succeed in delivering a fantastic service for our clients, and making software work. 

From the moment I stepped in to Roq’s Chorley-based Test Lab, it was clear to see that the values are built in to the walls at Roq and are used in everything we do, from making key decisions, to the way we work, recruit and give feedback. 

A key part of the Roq feedback structure is our ‘Cheers for Peers’ system, which we encourage colleagues to use to give feedback to their peers based around one (or more) of the core values. The ‘Cheers’ we receive then determine the outcome of our employee recognition schemes, ‘Roq Stars’ and ‘Values Superheroes’. The Values Superheroes then act as champions for the values for the next year, driving our culture forward and helping to make key values-based decisions. I myself have been lucky enough to win three Roq Stars awards over the last couple of years, but I’m still waiting on that highly-coveted Values Superhero cape! 

Our values are part of our DNA. They guide the way we work with our clients, how we relate to our communities, and how we communicate with each other. But why is it so important to have these guiding factors? Because they define us. They’re what make us Roq and as you learn more about each of the values, you’ll learn more about Roq as a business. 

Straight Talking 

This value is key in what I do. Being heavily involved in both marketing and communication, it’s vital that I convey a clear message. Straight Talking is about saying it how it is, using open, honest and direct communication. It’s part of our mantra, to tell clients the truth quickly, whether it be good or bad; and this level of honesty, drives a higher level of software quality and really develops a trusting relationship with our clients, who know that we always have their best interests at heart. 

Passionate 

One of the first things I remember about my Roq journey is reading ‘We say it all the time, “you can’t teach people to care” and that’s why we hire people who do’ and that really struck a chord with me and I haven’t let it go since. Our Passionate value is all about us caring about what we do, which drives the energy and enthusiasm we bring to our work. Roq is filled with people that are passionate about software quality, helping us constantly strive for the best for our clients. 

Commitment 

Personally, I think it’s fantastic to be surrounded by people who are committed to not only the work that they are doing day-to-day but also committed to each other. Nothing is ever too much trouble for my colleagues and this is a large part of why Roq is a great place to work, we are all one team. Our Commitment means we see it through, and we deliver on our promises whilst surpassing expectations. It’s human nature to make promises, it’s how we follow through on them that sets Roq apart! We commit to our values, to each other, to the work we do and the fantastic service that we deliver. 

Excellence 

My most recent Roq Stars award is for Excellence, and one I’m very proud of. Nothing feels better that having produced an excellent piece of work. Having these values at the forefront of our minds, particularly Excellence, means that we constantly strive to be the best, getting satisfaction from the recognition we receive. We always demand the best of each other, never settling for second best and this has become key in delivering a top-class service for our clients. 

Our Excellence value goes hand-in-hand with each of the other values. In a constant push for excellence; passion, commitment and a straight-talking approach are all key. 

In fact, that interlocking nature sums our values up nicely, you can’t achieve one without some level of the other three; and this is personified within our colleagues at Roq, who have a fantastic interlocking relationship, consistently challenging each other, providing feedback and driving the values-based culture Roq depends on. 

I’m not just one of these values, nor am I an equal split of all four. I like to think they’re a fluid part of me, being able to interchange which value is most prominent, depending on the situation at hand. I think these values are fantastic principles to live by and I’d like to thank Roq for cementing them within me as I continue to display them, not only in Roq-life but out of work too.