The Voys Way: Embracing Autonomy and Ownership
In the fast-paced world of telecommunications, Voys stands out—not just for its innovative services but for its radical approach to organizational structure. With a commitment to autonomy, ownership, and transparency, Voys has eliminated traditional hierarchies and embraced self-management, creating a workplace where employees thrive. From its Holacratic structure to its profit-sharing model, Voys is redefining what a modern, customer-centric telecom company looks like. Here’s how they do it.
This blog post is part of 50+ case studies of self-managing organizations we created for the 2024 inaugural ZeroDX awards. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:
Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace
Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution
Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.
Introducing Voys
Founded in 2006 in Groningen, Voys has grown into a major player in the telecommunications industry, serving over 30,000 businesses. The company provides businesses with flexible, customizable communication solutions, allowing them to tailor their setup to their unique needs. But what truly sets Voys apart is its progressive approach to business, prioritizing autonomy, transparency, and customer empowerment.
With over 100 employees and a culture built on self-management, Voys operates without traditional hierarchies, managers, or top-down decision-making. Instead, they embrace Holacracy, a system of distributed authority that enables employees to take full ownership of their work.
In 2024, Voys transitioned to steward ownership, reinforcing its commitment to mission-driven governance over profit maximization. This ensures that Voys’ long-term vision remains intact while keeping decision-making power within the organization itself.
Voys has been reinventing zero-distance practices in line with the RenDanHeYi philosophy for over 25 years. They consider themselves "customer experience freaks" and have gone to great lengths to remove barriers between team members and end users of their services. Autonomy is visible in the lack of top-down goals and the right of people to decide what to work on to satisfy the customers and deliver outstanding results. To ensure alignment and co-sharing, the company also has a profit-sharing program, where above a certain profit margin, the profit gets divided among the employees.
Organizational Structure: No Managers, No Hierarchies
At Voys, traditional management structures are obsolete. Instead, the company operates through self-organizing teams, where employees make decisions independently. This Holacratic model fosters agility, transparency, and ownership, making it easier to adapt to change and serve customers effectively.
The Voys model emphasizes working with "only bosses". This self-management system helps Voys' team work together as equals, maximizing individual potential within a framework of trust and distributed decision-making. Holacracy distributes authority, providing clarity of responsibilities and maximizing autonomy for each member of the organization.
Client Approach: Empowering Through Innovation
Voys isn’t just a leader in self-management—it’s also redefining telecommunications services. The company provides businesses with powerful cloud-based telephony solutions, allowing them to customize their communication systems without traditional telecom limitations.
What makes Voys’ client approach unique?
- Transparency – No hidden fees or contracts, just straightforward pricing and services.
- Empowerment – Customers have full control over their communication systems, adapting them to their needs.
- Collaboration – Voys views clients as partners, constantly refining services based on customer feedback.
By continuously improving its digital systems and maintaining an extensive internal knowledge base ("The Oracle"), Voys stays ahead of industry trends, automating repetitive tasks and focusing on human-driven innovation.
Internal Culture: Autonomy and Ownership
At Voys, employees don’t just work—they co-create. The company fosters a culture of trust, autonomy, and shared responsibility, ensuring that every team member has a voice.
- No managers—only facilitators – Instead of traditional bosses, Voys has coordinators who guide rather than dictate.
- Beyond Budgeting – A decentralized financial management approach that empowers teams to allocate resources effectively.
- The Rockefeller Habits – A framework for strategic planning and continuous improvement.
With self-set salaries and profit-sharing, Voys ensures that financial transparency and fairness are built into its DNA. Employees directly shape the company’s future, driving innovation and strategic direction.
Conclusion
Voys is not just a telecom provider—it’s a pioneer in progressive work practices. By embracing self-management, profit-sharing, and steward ownership, Voys is proving that businesses can thrive without hierarchy. Their approach aligns with the RenDanHeYi philosophy, where autonomy, ownership, and customer-centric innovation drive success.
