Job Rotations

We like to keep things fresh. So once a year, all On team members take part in a Job Rotation. The clue’s in the name, and this means that for one day we all do a job that isn’t our own; accountants running the On stand at a triathlon, designers organizing shipping orders, HR specialists answering calls with Happiness Deliverers.

We all take on new tasks in a different position for a limited period of time before “rotating” back to our original positions. It might sound a little strange, but it’s actually a lot of fun for both the person doing the Job Rotation and the team helping them out. The purpose is to learn what colleagues get up to on a daily basis and to provide feedback from an outsider’s perspective - hopefully leading to new ideas, innovation and success. And, of course, to encourage collaboration and bring the On team closer together.

Here’s what a few team members thought about their job rotation.

We all take on new tasks in a different position for a limited period of time before “rotating” back to our original positions. It might sound a little strange, but it’s actually a lot of fun for both the person doing the Job Rotation and the team helping them out. The purpose is to learn what colleagues get up to on a daily basis and to provide feedback from an outsider’s perspective - hopefully leading to new ideas, innovation and success. And, of course, to encourage collaboration and bring the On team closer together.

Here’s what a few team members thought about their job rotation.



Nicolas: Architectural Manager → Photoshoot Model

“We travelled to some truly epic locations in the Dolomites for my job rotation as an "athlete" in a photoshoot for On products. We went with a crew that included actual athletes, most notably a former British Olympian - and yes, it was hard to keep up at times!

“As Architectural Manager, I lead all projects at On relating to physical space around the world, retail and office. So this was a big change. I learned about the relationship between professional athletes and our product developers, and about how visual storytelling aspects of our product campaigns are developed. And, of course, about the complex coordination behind photoshoots.

“The whole experience was honestly awesome but two moments stand out: waking up at 5am to catch the sunrise at Seceda mountain and using a helicopter to ascend to 3,000m between brief clearings in the moody and rainy weather.”



Nicolas: Architectural Manager → Photoshoot Model

“We travelled to some truly epic locations in the Dolomites for my job rotation as an "athlete" in a photoshoot for On products. We went with a crew that included actual athletes, most notably a former British Olympian - and yes, it was hard to keep up at times!

“As Architectural Manager, I lead all projects at On relating to physical space around the world, retail and office. So this was a big change. I learned about the relationship between professional athletes and our product developers, and about how visual storytelling aspects of our product campaigns are developed. And, of course, about the complex coordination behind photoshoots.

“The whole experience was honestly awesome but two moments stand out: waking up at 5am to catch the sunrise at Seceda mountain and using a helicopter to ascend to 3,000m between brief clearings in the moody and rainy weather.”

Susie: Controlling → Shadowing a Sales Rep in Tessin

“On a daily basis, I control all the global sales and marketing figures. For my job rotation, I shadowed a Sales Rep in Tessin - which is in the Italian part of Switzerland. Unusually, I was in a customer-facing position. We spoke to various shop owners, did some relationship building, and visited a potential new account to discuss having our products in his shop.

“It was a real eye-opener and, for me, it was also very relevant. I look at the figures in different regions and accounts every day, so to get first-hand experience of what it means for a Sales Rep to actually visit the shops and people that we work with was interesting. I enjoyed getting to see the work behind the numbers that we’re controlling as well as what’s involved in selling product.”

Susie: Controlling → Shadowing a Sales Rep in Tessin

“On a daily basis, I control all the global sales and marketing figures. For my job rotation, I shadowed a Sales Rep in Tessin - which is in the Italian part of Switzerland. Unusually, I was in a customer-facing position. We spoke to various shop owners, did some relationship building, and visited a potential new account to discuss having our products in his shop.

“It was a real eye-opener and, for me, it was also very relevant. I look at the figures in different regions and accounts every day, so to get first-hand experience of what it means for a Sales Rep to actually visit the shops and people that we work with was interesting. I enjoyed getting to see the work behind the numbers that we’re controlling as well as what’s involved in selling product.”






Melissa: Talent Acquisition Specialist → Events Team for Ultra Trail Monte Rosa

“For my Job Rotation, I was at the Ultra Trail Monte Rosa Marathon supporting ultra marathon runners at the stop we were based at. We had lots of contact with people from all over the world. My usual 'customers' are applicants and candidates who want a job at On, so this was definitely a very different experience.

“The location was so beautiful and made the entire event even more impressive. The fact that people have to run in such an arduous environment and at such high altitudes really made us give them the best welcome. We put in a lot of effort to set up a warm and beautiful chalet, and we took turns staying up to greet them through the night.

“It was gratifying to see how participants appreciated On's presence. Plus, the long trips there and back let us to get to know our colleagues better. My team really made it a memorable and enjoyable experience for the runners - and me. I got great insight into what it takes to organize events - I’ll always give a hand to our events team from now on!”






Melissa: Talent Acquisition Specialist → Events Team for Ultra Trail Monte Rosa

“For my Job Rotation, I was at the Ultra Trail Monte Rosa Marathon supporting ultra marathon runners at the stop we were based at. We had lots of contact with people from all over the world. My usual 'customers' are applicants and candidates who want a job at On, so this was definitely a very different experience.

“The location was so beautiful and made the entire event even more impressive. The fact that people have to run in such an arduous environment and at such high altitudes really made us give them the best welcome. We put in a lot of effort to set up a warm and beautiful chalet, and we took turns staying up to greet them through the night.

“It was gratifying to see how participants appreciated On's presence. Plus, the long trips there and back let us to get to know our colleagues better. My team really made it a memorable and enjoyable experience for the runners - and me. I got great insight into what it takes to organize events - I’ll always give a hand to our events team from now on!”