The case is all about a company called TaskUs and how its founders have created a whole new setup for BPO organizations that is changing the rules of the game. With their innovative approaches, the founders Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir created a value centric work culture that includes striving for excellence, believing that teamwork makes dreams work, inspiring others by believing in yourself, working hard, and being ridiculous. With its beautiful, culture-driven ambience and amazing office aesthetics, the founders have redefined the BPO for the needs of 21st-century youth. The case highlights the journey of Bryce and Jaspar, elaborating on how these high school pals built an award-winning global organization with more than 20,000 employees across the world. It also underlines the role of work culture and people's focus in organization's success. The case can be used with undergraduate, graduate, and startup founders and HR managers to make them understand the concept of organizational culture, and how innovative thinking can change the entire phenomenon of outsourcing work.
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“Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company.” – Brian Kristofek, President and CEO, Upshot
“Be Ridiculous” and “Sexiest outsourcing”, what could be the fanciest word that can define the most happening and employee centric culture of any company that is breaking all the traditional rules and redefining the work life of the youths of 21st Century. “Welcome to TaskUs, Together. You and Us, Delivering Ridiculously Good next-generation digital outsourcing to the most innovative brands in the world”, with this tag line, started in 2008 by 2 high school pals, from Santa Monica, CA, TaskUs is now running its successful outsourcing business in six countries namely United States, Philippines, Taiwan, Europe, Mexico and India. With more than 24 offices and 20,000+ employees across the globe, it is not failing to show its ridiculously high spirit at any corner of the world. TaskUs is supporting world’s most disrupting companies like Uber, Tinder and Whisper and serving lots of industries that include Media & Entertainment, Gaming, HiTech, FinTech, Insurance, HealthTech, Retail, Consumer Products, E-Commerce, Social Media, On-Demand Travel & Transportation, Professional Services Industry and Edtech.
Figure 1. Source: TaskUs.com TaskUs has partnered with world’s most innovative brands and with the support of its highly qualified human capitals, solving their business problems through deploying technology and data. The company provides support in the domain of Digital CX, Data operations, AI Operations, Content Security and Consulting and thriving continuously in an ever changing world.
TaskUs is not like an old traditional kind of BPO, it is a new breed of outsourcing that is changing the complete customer and employees’ experience. The most prominent and thrilling characteristic of the company is its ‘People first” policy, which is changing the definitions of office working culture and resulted into 4.7 Glassdoor rating and 75 eNPS score. From the most vibrating premises to most happening work culture, the success of TaskUs is hidden in keeping its People Side Up and that’s ridiculous.
Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir started their business journey when they were 17. From selling designer belts in school yards to setting up real Night Club experience for high school students, their entrepreneurial spirit never let them look down. Later they moved around the Europe, dropped their high-class jobs and started their startup “TaskUs”.
The journey was not a cake walk for them. After leaving the jobs, they were in shear confusion and thought that they might have to live to their parent’s house for long time but universe moved them in different direction.
TaskUs is not like traditional outsourcing and virtual assistant firm, it has broken all the traditional prototypes and came up with a novel kind of customer and employees’ experience to provide the backend support to the most unruly startups. The idea itself is very new and unique. When Bryce and Jaspar were 22, they wanted to start business about virtual assistance and have their own VAs but due to lack of money, they couldn’t hire VAs for themselves. The business model is designed in such a way that clients can feed the task into the TaskUs and that task would be assigned to the most skilled person. The clients will not be dependent on one person’s skills but task can be performed by anyone who is an expert.
Initially they were not sure about the idea, in first year they could make only $100,000 and after paying to the freelancers, they left with $1000 only. Even after 3 years, they were living with their parents and were thinking about giving up (Atson, (Date:NA)). Bryce asked the Jasper to give it another thought but Jasper was determined and did not want to go alone. He assured Bryce that they will make it a success.