Challenging the Status Quo
This post was written by Percy Forrest, who was born and raised in New York City, and is currently an Operations Manager at Q’s Headquarters. He has been with Q for over a year now, and joined the team nearly nine months after Q was founded. Percy joined Q as a Cleaning Operator and climbed through the ranks to now work with Q’s headquarters team in Operations. As one of our earliest Operators in New York, he wanted to share his account of his time at Q, and how it’s changed as the company has grown.
Some of my most memorable experiences are from my first few jobs, many of which have shaped who I am today.
One of my jobs in high school was as a part-time package handler for UPS. This involved spending long nights playing tetris with boxes, inside either an extremely cold or sweltering hot trailer.
I remember one day during my shift, we had an executive come and speak during a team meeting about his career goals and his rise through the ranks to success at UPS. Learning about his career seeded in me a passion for constantly growing and learning, and is one of the many reasons I choose to work at Q.
More than a Cleaning Company
Late last year, I was stuck in a dead end job and was looking for a second to help pay the rent while I looked for a more permanent role. I saw an online posting for a Cleaning Operator at Q and decided it would be a good temporary job while I continued my permanent job search.
I must admit, I didn’t aspire to be in the cleaning business, and I certainly didn’t think scrubbing toilets was for me. But it turns out I was wrong.
I joined Q as a Cleaning Operator in March of 2015. Soon after joining the team, I was invited to my first Q Assembly. Assemblies are large get-togethers for every Operator in the city to meet each other, recognize one another for great work, and learn new skills.
While there, I met with some of my supervisors on the team and received quick and thoughtful help about my schedule and answers to some other questions I had.
I could tell immediately that this company was different than anywhere I had worked before. They really cared about their Operators and their futures within the company. I could tell from that first conversation that my supervisors cared about me and my success here.
Building a Career
Three months into my role as a Cleaning Operator, I was promoted to a Mentor to help train incoming Q Operators. Three months after that, I was given the opportunity to apply to join the office team.
I interviewed with several members of the New York City Operations team, including Laura Castaing, the city General Manager. After four tough rounds of interviews, I was offered the job as an Operations Associate in Q’s New York Headquarters. In my current role, I schedule sessions, address concerns, and help develop Operators.
I’m proud of my growth at Q, and getting there was no easy feat. I found a company that enabled me to move from a part-time job to a full-time job where I could learn and grow every day.
To go from working two part-time jobs to pay the bills to building a career in a company that I love has been an amazing experience.
Growing with Q
For me, Q is so much more than a cleaning company. They offer full benefits for full-time employees, and stock options so that when they grow, we grow.
They offer a safe environment that welcomes its Operators with open arms. For these reasons and many more, Q became more than just a job for me, but a career.
Today, I have no problem going out and scrubbing a toilet, floor or desk — regardless of where I sit. Here, everybody cleans. I know that at the end of the day, I have a position in a company that cares about me. What else matters? Q and I look out for each other, and I’m excited to continue building my career here. #itsaQthing
