On Adapts: The Rise of V_ROC

Our team around the world may be isolated, but in many ways we've never been more together. Some believe that in times of difficulty, true character is revealed. And at On, we're incredibly proud of the character our team has shown in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Communal workouts and gatherings are nothing new at On. But with our entire company working from home (and spread across five different continents), there was a fresh logistical challenge to take on.

So we did.

It all started when our team was asked to work from home on March 6 2020. Straight away, a dedicated channel was set up on our instant messaging platform so people could communicate openly.

Initially, the idea was to exchange tips and tricks on the most efficient ways of working at home. The more extroverted among us also shared photos of their home office set up.

But within hours of the channel launching, the first call to action was issued. A weekly yoga class, usually held in Zurich, would go ahead. Digitally. And everybody across the Oniverse was invited to join.

Broadcasting over the internet opened the class up to a much wider audience. The response was overwhelmingly positive and things quickly started to pick up speed.

Another dedicated channel was started, V_ROC — or Virtual Run on Clouds — and other team members, even On Athlete/Team USA star Chari Hawkins, stepped up and offered to lead different classes based on their training and interests.

Other special guests are joining in too, one of whom you might just recognize... Wearing our Wimbledon whites, we were joined in a high-intensity workout by the GOAT himself, Roger Federer. Now a member of Team On, Roger shared some of the unique training insights he’s gained during decades at the very top of his game.

Soon an entire calendar of activities happening throughout the week was launched; meditation and breathing classes, strength building and HIIT workouts, daily challenges and even a weekend (almost) half-marathon dare.

Here's a look at an example of our weekly schedule during the first lockdown.

With so many people willing to lead and take part in classes, our management team decided to launch the 'Moving For A Cause' initiative, promising that, for every hour of activity anybody working for On, they will donate 1CHF to the fight against Corona. From the 25th of March to the 15th of May 2020 we have logged in over 6500 hours!

Read more about other initiatives we've rolled out to keep our team motivated and morale high during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you want to join our team, then we want to hear from you. So make sure you check out our open positions on the Careers and Culture page. We look forward to hearing from you.

To learn more about On and the COVID-19 pandemic, read our official response here.