2022 has been a big year for HqO.
After scaling globally into new markets, we worked with research firms to uncover important industry insights, and in June, we further expanded our reach by acquiring Leesman, the global leader in employee experience research. But the momentum didn’t stop there: later in the summer, we kept it going by deepening our relationship with JLL, and even made it to #75 on the Inc. 5000 list.
Those are all big accomplishments, and our team has a lot to be proud of. But as co-founder and CEO, I’ve always believed that we need to practice what we preach when it comes to workplace experience. That’s one of the reasons why I was so excited to see us roll out the HqO Workplace Experience Platform™ in September.
The HqO Workplace Experience Platform is technology that we created to enhance the workplace experience at HqO offices worldwide. This isn’t the first time we’ve used our technology at our own offices, but this latest development means that we’re now using it in a way that allows us better meet the needs of our growing workforce. The HqO Platform helps us give our team the best possible access to important features like service requests; professional development materials; workplace and company updates, and in-office programming—the same kinds of features that we offer to our customers each and every day. As the company continues to grow, our needs will continue to change. The HqO Platform sets us up for future success by providing continuous, flexible support for our growing workforce.
But that isn’t the only reason why our Workplace Experience Platform is an important development for our company. In addition to better serving the needs of our employees, this new technology also helps us tie our day-to-day work back to our core purpose, which is to strengthen the social infrastructure in cities all around the world. By engaging with the app, our employees are able to seamlessly navigate public transit, interact with local events, connect more closely with their local communities, and support local merchants. This allows our employees to better integrate themselves into the fabric of the cities where we operate. And that’s extremely important to us, because it means that we’re enacting our core purpose both internally and externally. It means that we live the same value that we deliver to our customers. In other words, it means that we’re truly drinking our own champagne.
Let me tell you more about how we did that and what it means to me.
The Process
Earlier this year, we asked Leesman to run an independent assessment of our workplace to better understand how well our workplace was serving our employees, and where we needed to improve. After that internal assessment, we decided to enhance the way that we use our technology at HqO offices worldwide. After making that decision, we embarked on a weeks-long discovery, design, and implementation process for the deliverable that eventually became our internal HqO Workplace Experience Platform. Because the discovery process included input from stakeholders at all HqO offices worldwide, we felt that we were able to create something that truly meets the needs of our entire workforce.
We used the Leesman assessment to identify workplace key objectives for workplace success. Based on Leesman’s input, we decided that we wanted to use the HqO Platform to:
- Create create a bridge between workers in different physical locations
- Improve HqO employees’ overall workplace experience
- Help us continue to attract and retain the best talent
Weeks after the launch of the app, we’ve been successful in meeting these objectives, which has improved the value of the HqO experience for everyone on the team. We’ll also be running additional Leesman surveys periodically to make sure we are delivering for our employees in meaningful ways.
At the highest level, these objectives and the broader success of the HqO Platform give us a unique level of insight into the experiences of our customers, which offers us an entirely new perspective on the value of our product. Our successful planning, design and implementation processes played a huge role in making all of this possible.
Supporting the Future of Work
After our thorough and inclusive planning process, we recently launched the App to HqO employees by creating corresponding events in all of our office locations (headquartered in Boston, we also have offices in New York, London, Paris and Amsterdam). Our Workplace Experience team did an incredible job at creating excitement around the launch, and were direct contributors to the fact that 87% of our employees downloaded the app within 24 hours. This means that HqO employees are now using the same product that our customers and end-users enjoy.
Our results reveal what we’ve already known about strengthening communities through technology: if you have the right people involved, and those people genuinely care about their end-users, your efforts will be rewarded. At HqO, we’ve seen that our end-users already understand the value of this technology—they use it in their homes, in their cars, and even on the go. They use our technology to improve their workplace experience regardless of where they happen to be working.
And that brings us back to the concept of social infrastructure: no matter where you work, you should be able to use our technology to stay connected with your peers and your company’s higher purpose. You should feel encouraged to innovate and collaborate with ease. You should feel empowered to do the best work that you can, and to uplift the local community in the process. Creating better social infrastructure is the driver behind the work that we do.
But no matter what the end goal for your company might be, it’s important to remember that it’s all about people—both the people you serve, and the people you work with. At HqO, we’ll always go above and beyond to satisfy the needs of our customers and our employees. The success of the HqO Workplace Experience Platform is proof of that ongoing commitment.
Want to learn more about our app? Schedule a demo today.
