There are now more than 10,000 certified B Corps worldwide, and Otonomee is one of only a handful in the outsourcing (BPO) industry. It’s a distinction we’re proud of, but more importantly, it reflects a philosophy that has shaped our business from the very beginning.
For those unfamiliar with the certification, B Corp status is administered by B Lab, a global non-profit organisation. The certification is awarded to for-profit companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
To achieve certification, companies must reach a score of 80 or higher in the B Impact Assessment, integrate B Corp commitments into their governing documents and pay an annual fee based on revenue. Importantly, certification is not permanent. Companies must undergo recertification every three years to maintain the designation. For Otonomee, that process will take place again in 2027.
Achieving B Corp status is not easy, and that is precisely why it matters.
From the outset, we wanted to build a company that was a genuinely good place to work. But rather than simply making that claim ourselves, we believed it was important to have an external framework to measure and validate those ambitions.
As Otonomee co-founder Aidan O’Shea explains:
“When we came across B Corp, it gave us a framework — an external validation that said, ‘Yes, these guys are trying to achieve balance.’ It’s not just about work; it’s about business as a force for good, which is what B Corp stands for. It aligned well with the culture we were trying to build, so that’s why we went for it.”
From the beginning, our goal was to broaden the definition of what success looked like. Financial performance matters, of course, but it shouldn’t be the only measure of a company’s value or impact.
We built Otonomee around three core values: people, partners and community. The B Corp framework allowed us to assess how well we were living up to those values and gave us a structured way to keep improving.
Our approach to remote work has also played a major role in how those values come to life.
Otonomee is a fully remote company, with team members living and working in communities across eight countries. That model was a deliberate choice from the beginning, even though it challenged many traditional assumptions about how companies should operate.
“If you think back to when we started, it was right in the middle of the pandemic,” says Aidan O’Shea. “We were in lockdown, and honestly, people thought we were a bit crazy to start a business then. A lot of people were also questioning the whole remote thing — saying, ‘You can’t build a business or a culture that way,’ or ‘People won’t feel connected.’ We didn’t believe that.”
In fact, the remote-first approach was central to the kind of company we wanted to build.
“The traditional setup really limited the pool of people you could hire from,” Aidan explains. “That was part of our thinking behind going fully remote — to give people autonomy and the choice to work from where they wanted. We felt that would open us up to a much wider talent pool, and it has. We can hire from pretty much anywhere now, within reason.”
Beyond talent access, the remote model also aligns naturally with the environmental and social principles embedded in the B Corp framework. Fewer hours spent commuting in heavy traffic reduces emissions and gives team members more time to engage with their families and communities.
Ultimately, that contributes to a more balanced and fulfilling life outside of work.
Otonomee co-founder Hilary O’Shea sees this broader perspective as essential to the company’s culture.
“We hear all voices. We take our stakeholders, investors, our clients, the planet, our team members, and we actually bring them to the table when we're discussing something. But we're a B Corp as well since 2023. And so that last value to me is community, that larger value. That really shapes our culture.”
That philosophy extends into how we design the employee experience. Because we built Otonomee as a remote-first organisation from the start, we had the opportunity to rethink every part of the traditional workplace model.
“At the very outset we purpose built our remote offering,” Hilary explains. “We sat down and deconstructed everything that we knew. We built our processes in people in the tech stack and from the ground up. We looked at a process like how we recruit. How our job descriptions are articulated, how we onboard our induction day. What does that look like in a remote environment as opposed to in an office?”
“We literally considered our team members like we consider a client. We mapped out that employee journey to be best in class. So our Otonomee experience starts with when you see the job description and we go from there.”
That focus on experience — both for employees and clients — is central to the company’s model.
“What Otonomee offers is premium customer management support,” says Hilary. “We're a sustainable company. We're a B Corp. We place huge importance on the employee experience, and that, in turn, equates to great customer service and great client experience.”
Recruitment and retention are also deeply connected to this culture.
“Retention is important, but it starts with recruitment,” Aidan notes. “We work hard to make sure people know what kind of business we are, what our culture is like, and what the experience will be when they join. I think we do a good job of finding the right fit. The remote model is also a big draw — it helps us attract a higher quality of team members. And I think our culture, our experience, and the opportunities that come with a growing business all help keep people with us.”
The results speak for themselves. In a recent company-wide survey, 92% of Otonomee’s 650-plus team members said they would recommend the company as a place to work to friends and family.
That is a number we are incredibly proud of.
For us, the B Corp certification acts as a benchmark for many of the things we already care deeply about. It challenges us to continuously improve and reinforces our commitment to doing business responsibly.
More than anything, it signals that we are serious about building a company that succeeds not only financially, but also socially and environmentally.
Our commitment to those values will not waver.
About Otonomee
Otonomee is a customer management provider that delivers scalable, tech-driven, people-focused CX operations. Leveraging our remote-first operating model, we optimize customer interactions, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. Our focus on remote work, automation, and data-driven insights makes us a next-generation outsourcing provider for modern digital brands.
Founded in 2020 to provide a different offering to the traditional “bricks and mortar” BPO model, Otonomee delivers a more tailored and bespoke service that is not constrained by contact centre capacity. We offer a fast, nimble, responsive global solution that can ramp up anywhere in response to market needs and flex to seasonal or product-driven demand.
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