21 Jun Meet the founders behind the visualisation platform used by 16 NHS Trusts and IBM to resolve workplace conflict
Almost half a million (485,000) UK employees resign each year as a result of conflict in the workplace, according to ACAS. Amidst mass layoffs and sky-high operational costs for British businesses, the same report reveals that staff turnover was the single largest expense for employers, costing firms £2.6bn a year to replace employees. Rethinkly, the leading HR platform that introduces users to a virtual space facilitated by avatars that represent employees, was designed to enable transparent and objective communication in the face of workplace conflict.
Founded by Andrew Jackson and David Tinker with the aim to promote open and explorative conversation in the workplace through ‘symbolism’, Rethinkly’s offer is supported by a study from Oxford Economics and Unum which shows the average cost of turnover per employee sits at around £30,614.
Integrated into the NHS as a tool for patients to tackle mental health and wellbeing difficulties, and at IBM for employee development and coaching initiatives, Rethinkly leverages insight from practitioners, academia and case studies to create a virtual world that allows users to create avatars and use different symbols to express emotions and gestures. Founder, Andrew Jackson, explains that this ultimately limits the amount of “box-ticking” when it comes to HR practices and employee management in the workplace, with the use of imagery removing any form of inhibition when having awkward or difficult conversations.
This comes after 874,000 UK employees have been reported to take sick leave as a result of conflict, costing companies around £2.2bn a year, according to ACAS. The same research found that in total, formal procedures – including grievances, disciplinary cases and disciplinary dismissals – cost businesses £12.8bn annually. To this end, Rethinkly offers a scalable solution for businesses to roll out amongst teams and groups at a time when overhead costs are soaring.
Inflationary pressures coupled with rising living and energy bills have severely rocked UK businesses, making staff retention a critical means for survival, now more than ever. During a period when company culture and values have become crucial for maintaining low levels of turnover, the ability to facilitate open communication in the workplace has never been more important. For instance, 87% of HR leaders in the US have named employee retention as their number one priority for the next few years, according to software company, UKG.
Andrew Jackson, co-founder of Rethinkly, comments on the importance of using metaverse tech for wellbeing:
“If we think of the teams and groups we work in, why do some perform better than others? Well, it turns out that people being able to express themselves, say what they think, call out the bad stuff, and feel connected to their colleagues are the things that really make a difference. For most, employee voice means sending out an annual survey and then trying to work out what to do with the results. Ambitious organisations are using tools like Rethinkly to discover what their talent really thinks and feels. Only then do you have real power through more comprehensive data to make positive changes.”
“Most challenges at work stem from a lack of or just bad communication. Communication challenges are directly aligned with morale, productivity, and commitment which have real business impact. Effective communication and building a strong culture based on healthy engagement are often talked about but surprisingly difficult to achieve. But when organisations start to embed and grow critical communication skills and adopt them as a competitive advantage, they can start to see a significant shift in their trajectory.”
David Tinkler, co-founder of Rethinkly, comments on why organisations need to think about providing support to their entire organisation:
“There are two reasons why organisations need to think about providing support to their entire businesses – one ethical, one commercial. In many organisations, coaching is reserved for the very senior but actually those that need it the most are those starting out their careers who are just forming their approaches and skill sets.
“Only providing a critical skill to a senior few isn’t fair, and it isn’t a great strategy for the future of your business. Our vision is that this level of interaction and support should be available to everyone in an organisation. And organisations who do this find that it unlocks creativity and innovation on a wider scale. All this is better for the bottom line.”
