Latest news with #AaronWard
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Huckleberry Launches The World's First Voice-Based 360 Feedback Platform
In a few years, it will feel weird how our feedback got locked away, out of sight in our employee file, says Aaron Ward, CEO of Huckleberry. We see massive opportunities in enabling feedback for all the worlds workers and helping them leverage that … You should hear what your teammates say about you… AUCKLAND, NZ __ The founder of AskNicely has unveiled an AI-powered feedback platform designed to help people do their best work. Huckleberry uses voice-based AI to dramatically reduce the time and effort required to give people feedback at work – with zero lift from HR or managers. The problem with feedback 'How do people describe what you're like to work with?' Recruiters love this question for identifying your soft-skill strengths or blindspots. Executive coaches start by gathering feedback from your teammates to identify where you need to grow. And HR leaders at AirBnb, Netflix and Google depend on '360 feedback' (the management jargon for this) to build high performance cultures. Yet most people miss out on feedback because the traditional 360 process is onerous and slow. Teammates spend hours completing long surveys for each person, while managers are left to decode the responses and deliver feedback 1-on-1. The whole process can take months which is enough to turn most companies off the idea entirely, leaving their people in the dark. Huckleberry reimagines this process using voice-based AI to dramatically reduce the time and effort required – with zero lift from HR or managers. 'The best performers know to ask, 'How can I have more impact?' but the sad reality is that most people get little or no feedback at work' says Aaron Ward, Co-founder and CEO of Huckleberry. 'Software is supposed to help but has actually made the problem worse. No one wants to waste hours scoring their colleagues against silly rating scales and managers hate getting a pile of raw data and being told to 'coach'. Huckleberry rescues us all from this colossal waste of time – making feedback radically easier, transparent, and actually helpful for every worker on the planet.' How Huckleberry works Teammates talk, rather than type. Huckleberry takes minutes to set up. Feedback is given through a guided, voice-based conversation with an AI coach in 4-5 minutes (rather than 20-30 minutes). AI summarizes and safeguards. Huckleberry analyzes feedback and identifies strengths and improvement opportunities – without needing manager or HR review. This is provided to users in an easy-to-understand visual showcase of both your strengths and next steps to improve No barriers, no wait. Individuals can use Huckleberry for free and invite teammates instantly, even before their employer decides to use it. No setup required. Portable feedback profile. Employees own their feedback forever. They can track their growth and share their Huckleberry Profile to build their professional reputation. Feedback is familiar territory for Ward who co-founded the award-winning customer experience platform, AskNicely. He has teamed up with co-founder and CTO, Diogo Böhm, to build Huckleberry from Portland, Oregon and Auckland, New Zealand, where they've built a strong supporting team of investors and advisors. 'In a few years, it will feel weird how our feedback got locked away, out of sight in our employee file', says Ward. 'We see massive opportunities in enabling feedback for all the world's workers and helping them leverage that collective experience to build great careers.' About Huckleberry Huckleberry is the world's first voice-based 360 feedback platform, designed to use AI to help people at work. It helps employees grow by making feedback radically easy, while giving HR leaders a scalable way to build high-performance cultures. Headquartered in Portland and Auckland, Huckleberry is on a mission to help a billion people love their work.
Techday NZ
3 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
AI voice platform Huckleberry transforms workplace feedback
An AI-powered voice-based platform has been launched to provide quicker and more accessible 360-degree feedback in the workplace. The feedback challenge The process of collecting employee feedback, widely known as '360 feedback', is often criticised for being slow, time-consuming, and heavily reliant on human resources teams or managers. Traditional systems usually require employees to fill out lengthy surveys for multiple colleagues, with managers responsible for interpreting results and delivering feedback individually. This model can deter organisations from pursuing regular feedback cycles, leaving many employees without vital insights for professional growth. Huckleberry, a new platform created by Aaron Ward, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, addresses these concerns by incorporating voice-based artificial intelligence to streamline the process. The system allows team members to provide feedback verbally in short sessions of around four minutes, rather than typing answers into long forms. Ward highlighted the core issue faced by employees: "The best performers know to ask, 'How can I have more impact?' but the sad reality is that most people get little or no feedback at work. Software is supposed to help but has actually made the problem worse. No one wants to waste hours scoring their colleagues against silly rating scales and managers hate getting a pile of raw data and being told to 'coach'. Huckleberry rescues us all from this colossal waste of time - making feedback radically easier, transparent, and actually helpful for every worker on the planet." How Huckleberry operates Unlike conventional feedback solutions, users of Huckleberry engage in a guided conversation with an AI coach, which typically takes four to five minutes per session. The AI then analyses the recorded feedback, summarising it to highlight an individual's professional strengths and areas for development. No input from managers or HR personnel is required for the review process. Results are presented visually, making them easy to interpret and act upon. Huckleberry offers several features designed to minimise barriers for users. Individuals can access the service at no cost and invite colleagues to participate straight away, without waiting for organisational approval or lengthy onboarding procedures. Each user receives a portable feedback profile, which remains with the individual throughout their career, independent of their current workplace. This profile can be shared to support career progression and personal development. Broader industry context The method of gathering feedback used by the platform aligns with questions frequently asked by recruiters and executive coaches keen to understand an individual's reputation within a team. Human resources leaders at global companies, including AirBnb, Netflix, and Google, often rely on 360-degree feedback mechanisms to shape high-performance workplace cultures. However, the traditional processes can take months to complete, discouraging participation and limiting the value for employees and organisations alike. Huckleberry seeks to address these delays by offering an instant, user-driven approach that bypasses lengthy review and delivery phases. The design aims to allow for more frequent and immediate feedback exchanges, supporting professional development at scale. "In a few years, it will feel weird how our feedback got locked away, out of sight in our employee file. We see massive opportunities in enabling feedback for all the world's workers and helping them leverage that collective experience to build great careers," says Ward. The company was co-founded by Aaron Ward and Chief Technology Officer Diogo Böhm, located across Portland, Oregon and Auckland, New Zealand, and supported by a team of investors and advisors. Ward previously co-founded AskNicely, a platform in the customer experience sector, where he focused on similar challenges related to collecting and acting on feedback to drive improvement. The introduction of Huckleberry responds to a workplace need for more efficient and meaningful feedback, promising to increase accessibility and ownership of individual professional insights for employees worldwide.
