Voys

5 years of 48percent.org 🥳 We had something to celebrate: the 5th anniversary of our foundation, https://bit.ly/4gwqeFa. During a festive session, colleagues presented their amazing work and partners shared their experiences and insights from our collaboration. Together, they are doing incredible work around the world, from Project Isizwe in South Africa to the Digital Inclusion Package in the Westerkwartier municipality. Want to learn more about the wonderful work of https://bit.ly/4gwqeFa? Check out the website for a full overview of partners and projects: https://bit.ly/3D4ZNYv Here’s to the next 5 years! 🎉

Corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly difficult in the Netherlands. Non-business donations from companies will soon no longer be tax-deductible, and with that, the government is closing the door for entrepreneurs who want to contribute to society, says our colleague Mark Vletter. This news hits home for us, especially because we believe that businesses can make a huge impact. You can read Mark’s opinion piece here: https://bit.ly/3ZOAmTV

All the big tech giants are based in the U.S. And it’s time for that to change, says our colleague Mark Vletter 🤙. In his blog, he outlines two smart solutions that can help Europe regain a foothold in the tech world. Discover his vision and learn about the impact you, as an entrepreneur, can have:https://bit.ly/3OTS8Pw

Everyone has an opinion about everything. But we’re increasingly listening less to the people who really know what they’re talking about, says our colleague Mark Vletter. And yes, that’s another opinion. But one that’s well-founded. Because you don’t just hear all those opinions on TV and at birthday parties—people also want to make their voices heard in companies. And sometimes, those differing viewpoints can really get in the way. In his column, Mark explains the difference between consent and consensus and shares how you can make decisions in a smart and effective way: https://bit.ly/3Da5DrT

On-premise AI or hosted SaaS: this was the decision our developers faced when creating our new voicemail transcription feature based on AI. To make a well-informed choice, they listed all the pros and cons, considering factors like privacy, word recognition, costs, and implementation speed. At Voys, the privacy of our customers is always a top priority, but we also want to develop innovative features that ensure our customers are optimally reachable, both now and in the future. You can imagine that developing such features can sometimes be quite a puzzle. Curious about how our developers have designed the AI model for voicemail transcriptions in a privacy-friendly way? You can read all about it in this technical blog: https://bit.ly/3ByaoL6

Big decisions with a lot of impact: as an organization, you don’t take them lightly. But let’s be honest, staying stuck in endless meetings and overthinking doesn’t help anyone move forward. At Voys, when faced with a big decision, we use the vision conversation. It’s a clear process that brings clarity, allowing us to make decisions quickly and effectively. Our colleague Kaweh explains exactly how the vision conversation works in his latest blog, including a practical example and useful tips. You can read his blog here: https://bit.ly/3Dd4Xlk

Transforming an office into a marketplace? That’s just how we do things at Voys—and for a very good reason: PACE Week, a new format for our strategy. PACE Week is a time for the entire organization to reflect, evaluate, and plan ahead. It’s how we learn from the projects we’ve worked on and ensure we’re focusing our time and energy on the right things for the future. Curious about how this strategy process works? Our colleague Theresa wrote a blog explaining what PACE Week is all about and the value it brings to us. https://bit.ly/3OSmHVN

Internal communication often isn’t a priority for many companies. Why? Because the focus is always on customers, sales, marketing campaigns, or recruiting new colleagues. That’s understandable. But to truly maximize the results of those efforts, it’s crucial to collaborate effectively and systematically. When everyone has access to the same information and shares it in an organized way, everything runs more smoothly. Our colleague Ashley knows all about internal communication. In her blog, she shares 5 powerful tips you can start using today to improve communication within your team. Read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/4gtmaFw

Making our products accessible to everyone, including customers with disabilities—that’s what accessibility is all about. From keyboard navigation for those who can’t use a mouse to typography designed to support customers with dyslexia, these improvements ensure that everyone can use our products with ease. Our colleague Bregje works on this every day. In her blog, she provides a glimpse into the choices we make and shares more about Voys' vision on accessibility. Click here to read the blog 👉 https://bit.ly/49CQDyS

If you work in a self-managing organization, who actually determines your salary? That’s a great question! In a hierarchical company, salaries are often tied to your job title. At Voys, however, colleagues typically take on roles across various areas, and there’s no manager to evaluate the work or assign a price tag to it. Our colleague Rosien van Toor wrote an in-depth blog that answers this question. She explains everything about our transparent salary model and how colleagues take responsibility for their own professional growth, along with the salary increases that come with it. Curious? You can read Rosien’s blog here: https://bit.ly/3BrlGAO