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Oct 6, 2022
“The Great Resignation,” “The Turnover Tsunami,” “The Big Quit.”
Many companies around the world, including right here in Ottawa, are being struck with turnover at an all-time high. But not all. Some companies have dug deep and found ways to move the needle in the areas people need it most.
Many Invest Ottawa ScaleUp companies are looking at this era in the workforce as “The Great Retention.” Deliberately and purposefully finding ways to ensure a positive culture in the workplace as well as providing resources and tools to their employees to keep burnout at bay.
Three of these ScaleUp companies stood out with an exceptional employee Net Promote Score (eNPS).
Invest Ottawa (IO) is thrilled to announce the results of its Spring 2022 eNPS service – a core element of the ScaleUp program, offered semi-annually to companies who participate in the program. Each round, IO identifies the top three employers in IO’s ScaleUp program with 20+ employees and $2+ million in revenue or capital, based on the experience of employees.
The eNPS is an adaptation of the Net Promote Score (NPS), a widely adopted customer experience metric used to gauge satisfaction with your company’s service or product by measuring customer loyalty. The eNPS measures employee’s loyalty, satisfaction, and enthusiasm through quantitative feedback. The service allows participating companies to compare their scores against the averages of other companies, helping to identify opportunities for improvement.
Building operating systems 1VALET, e-commerce error monitoring platform Noibu, and meeting management software designers Fellow are the big winners for Spring 2022. These companies garnered top-notch scores that make them some of the most exciting places to work in the Nation’s Capital.
Certain larger IO Accelerator companies that met the employee threshold were also invited to participate in the past three rounds. Welbi, the fastest-growing resident experience platform for senior living communities is the top scorer from the IO Accelerator program.
“Our culture starts with the people we onboard — their morals, values, and focus when it comes to the company’s mission of improving the lives of older adults. Our eNPS score reflects the commitment that we have made from a leadership perspective to genuinely care about our team members,” explains Gabriel Rubio, Director of Operations, Welbi.
“We have honest conversations with each one of our teammates to understand where they want to go on both a professional and personal level, so we can help them grow and succeed. We also create opportunities for the team to build rapport with each other through initiatives like our bi-annual retreats and monthly socials. It is even more important for our culture in a remote setting to foster an environment where people can build those relationships.”
“Understanding the eNPS as well as gathering key insights from employees on what is going well and what needs improvement is what keeps these companies coming back time and time again to our eNPS service. The dedication to their employees is incredible!”
– Lynn Stevens, Invest Ottawa’s ScaleUp HR Advisor
An eNPS ranges from -100 to 100. To get a score, all participating employees complete a survey that asks them to select a number from 0 – 10. Each respondent is then categorized based on the number they chose.
A total score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of “detractors” from the percentage of “promoters.” According to HR Technologist, a good eNPS can range from 10 – 30. But the average score of all surveys conducted by Invest Ottawa for 2021 knocked that number right out of the park, coming in at a whopping 65 – an impressive number by any standard! To top it off, this round scored an average of 76.6.
“Back in 2003 Harvard Business Review called it the ‘One Number You Need to Grow’, referring to the Net Promotor Score, and that stood the test of time. Inside our workplaces this is now known as the eNPS or employee Net Promoter Score and is a great measure of employee loyalty and engagement,” explains Lynn Stevens, Invest Ottawa’s ScaleUp HR Advisor.
Lynn has been an integral part of implementing the eNPS service since the beginning of its offering and has seen companies with the highest scores take the time to listen and work with employees to develop the programs and practices to make them an even stronger employer.
“Invest Ottawa’s ScaleUp and Accelerator clients know that referrals are a critical part of the employment puzzle. Understanding the eNPS as well as gathering key insights from employees on what is going well and what needs improvement is what keeps these companies coming back time and time again to our eNPS service. The dedication to their employees is incredible!”
More and more companies are working towards ensuring employees feel satisfied with their professional and personal development. Putting people first in corporate culture leads to a happy, motivated and fulfilled team. 1VALET is doing just that.
“What stands out the most about working at 1VALET is the emphasis that the company puts on helping each team member become the best version of themselves,” says Shae Beiersdorfer, HR Manager at 1VALET. “The effort and commitment this company puts into ensuring each employee has a voice and feels valued is unmatched. Everyone at 1VALET is given the opportunity to truly make an impact, and to see people, as well as the company, thriving, as a result, is extremely motivating and rewarding.”
“The #1 thing I focus on in my role at Noibu is listening,” explains Connor Giddens, People & Culture Specialist at Noibu. “We have a host of what we call ‘Noibot Action Groups’ – employee-led teams who are empowered to make real change around the organization. It started with our Culture Committee, and has since expanded into Women in Tech, Employer Branding, and Wellness committees. While these groups are great to allow employees to work on things, they are passionate about outside of their day-to-day.”
Noibu has consistently scored exceptional scores in the eNPS service and has been a top scorer of the program since it began. When asked how they maintain a positive response to the survey, Connor explained that it’s all about how employees are treated.
“Don’t assume HR knows everything. Listen to your employees, and you’ll be amazed at the culture that follows from there.”
At Fellow, the team has been dedicated to ensuring all employees feel a sense of ownership and leadership for the company’s direction. Fellow has held an exceptional eNPS for several rounds and is determined to keep employee satisfaction and positive culture at the forefront of what they do.
“We’ve assembled a world-class team that wants more than anything else to solve the meeting problem for the entire world,” says Aydin Mirzaee, CEO and co-founder at Fellow. “If you ever wondered, what makes Fellow different? It’s the culture of acting like principals and the culture of pacing quickly. We are all owners of the company and influence the direction of what we build, how we sell, and how we service our customers. We’re relentlessly focused on changing the way the world works.”
“These three firms, along with this entire cohort of eNPS participants, have posted the highest overall eNPS average since we began running this program several years ago. It’s a testament to the leadership of these firms and an indication they have built a powerful cultural foundation to build their business upon, ” says Nick Quain, Vice President of Venture at Invest Ottawa.
“There is little doubt we’ll see many of these firms leverage their culture advantage to scale their businesses well beyond where they are today.”
To learn more about Invest Ottawa’s ScaleUp Program, click here.
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