Spring is a perfect time to accomplish new goals and reach new heights. We have just been elected as one of the top 10 employee engagement solution providers from the American magazine HR Tech Outlook. This award means a lot for us, as we strive to provide a unique experience for all our clients and their employees. So take a moment and check out the original article from the magazine below.

While working as a strategy consultant for various leading global brands and retailers like Jack & Jones, Cartier, and IKEA, Jan Andersen, a retail industry expert, came to realize that all of these businesses faced a common challenge: how to get the scores of employees working across different locations to do the right thing, in the right way, and at the right time?

For quite some time now, low employee engagement, which often leads to poor business outcomes and productivity, has been the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. In fact, a recent report from Gallup, a U.S. analytics and advisory company, reveals that a staggering 87 percent of employees worldwide are disengaged at their workplace. The reasons for such disconnect boils down to factors that include lack of open communication and transparency, failure in employee recognition, and poor cross-functional relationships with colleagues and the management. In addition, there still is a plethora of outdated and disconnected technologies and systems used across numerous organizations. “Today’s millennials and gen. Z, who embrace technology in every area of their life, find it highly underwhelming to use these traditional systems and old school practices at their workplace,” says Andersen. The need of the hour is for an innovative,  collaborative solution that will not only bridge these shortcomings but also help business leaders and executives to better communicate with and motivate their employees.

This is where ATOBI comes into the picture, addressing these challenges with a completely different approach. The company uses gamification to motivate employees and drive engagement. The intent here is to provide a simple solution that will help business leaders achieve their goals through empowered and engaged employees.

Gamification is the Key

“I started ATOBI two years ago because I believed there was a better way to make execution simpler while engaging employees at the same time. And, gamification was that solution,” affirms Andersen. Deep knowledge and expertise in gamification and how it can be used to drive performance is a key pillar in ATOBI’s unique approach. The company leveraged this know-how to develop an employee engagement platform that actually works, known as the ATOBI app.

It offers full performance overview, organization-wide communication, people analytics, and gamified training to optimize employee engagement. ATOBI’s deeply gamified app platform enables retailers and Telcos to align and engage their employees around an organization’s most important objectives. “We are a customer-centric organization that puts people first with human-centered design, which continues to be our guiding star in helping customers succeed through aligned execution,” mentions Andersen.

“Our aim is to enable organizations to execute and drive daily operations in a synchronized manner, while also motivating employees” – Jan. D. Andersen

Furthermore, to ensure full and long-term engagement for all types of employees across the organization, the ATOBI app is gamified in collaboration with the world’s leading gamification company, The Octalysis Group, and uses Yu-Kai Chou’s gamification framework— the Octalysis model. “At ATOBI, we have one goal: to help every organization’s teams to deliver the results required to succeed. And, we do this through fun, learning, competitions, social influence and a number of other psychological core drives,” states Andersen.

Today, big brands such as Calvin Klein, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger use the ATOBI platform to engage their employees, increase sales, and create unforgettable customer experiences.

A Single Solution for the Bigger Picture

At its core, ATOBI’s platform is a full-suite app that has all the functionalities organizations need to onboard, communicate, train, engage, and retain employees. It has 14 different gamified modules that include checklists, social feed, news feed, virtual merchandising guide, KPI reports, leaderboards, achievements, and more. While each of these modules is extremely effective in its own field, the true benefit of the ATOBI app is seen when all of the modules are combined.

For example, the Leaderboard module encourages amicable contests between employees and is great to foster a competitive spirit among the workforce. Contrary to the traditional leaderboards where only the top 10 are shown, ATOBI’s module shows the position of the specific employee and the 2-3 people just above and below them. “This way, it is not about being on the top, but continuously improving to get to a better rank,” explains Andersen. On the other hand, the Messenger module allows employees and managers to easily communicate in a secure environment. In addition, using the ATOBI Messenger, users can automatically comply with their company’s confidentiality guidelines.

“We are a customer-centric organization that puts people first with human-centered design, which continues to be our guiding star in helping customers succeed through simple and aligned execution” – Jan. D. Andersen

What truly distinguishes the ATOBI app from the other employee engagement solutions is that it is modular and tailor-made to each client. Companies can seamlessly assemble and integrate the platform to their core systems, and accordingly customize the look and feel of their brand.

Elucidating a case in point, Andersen describes how ATOBI helped its retail customer, Tommy Hilfiger, anchor new sales and service habits with gamification. The client already had an e-learning app for their staff, but most of their employees did not use the app. ATOBI co-developed a new version of their platform, with six separate modules, each offering three missions of expertise, to suit Tommy Hilfiger’s requirements. “Based on their already existing training material, we created an engaging and intuitive learning experience that increased NPS 60 percent,” states Andersen. Within the first six months of use, Tommy Hilfiger saw amazing results in their employee engagement as well as the business.

Begetting Innovation along the Way

Successes like these are what propel ATOBI forward. Looking ahead, with a purpose to bolster its already robust platform, the company intends to add more modules. “Our aim is to enable organizations to execute and drive daily operations in a synchronized manner, while also motivating employees,” concludes Andersen. With a steep growth rate and a global presence, ATOBI is all set to change the face of employee engagement with its next-gen platform.

The article was originally published on HR Tech Outlook magazine (April issue)