Latest news with #Workleap
Cision Canada
10-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Workleap Summer Release: Talent Management, Reimagined with Workleap AI Français
New AI-powered features to supercharge HR productivity and unlock the full potential of talent management MONTRÉAL, /CNW/ -- Workleap, a leading Canadian talent management platform trusted by over 20,000 companies in more than 100 countries, announces its summer product release, introducing Workleap AI and multiple upgrades to its HRIS integration capabilities. With this launch, Workleap is redefining what HR platforms can do by embedding purpose-built AI across its ecosystem, including new Officevibe and Performance capabilities. Among early adopters, the most widely used feature is an AI-powered engagement score analysis that provides an overview of engagement from Pulse surveys, including highlights, areas for improvements, and suggested actions, helping teams quickly identify what matters most. Already in beta with more than 100 organizations, Workleap AI has powered over 20,000 intelligent actions offering HR and managers contextual insights to retain top performers, coach with confidence, and bring clarity to growing teams without overhauling existing technology. HR leaders are under pressure, navigating hybrid work, tighter resources, and rising expectations, all while trying to support managers and retain top performers. Many see AI as a potential solution, but they are approaching it with caution: In a recent Workleap survey, 77.5% of HR professionals said they're excited about AI's potential, yet remain wary of privacy risks, security concerns, and losing the human element. "AI can handle the noise, so leaders can amplify what matters: their people," said Guillaume Roy, co-founder & Chief Product Officer of Workleap. "Workleap AI is the co-pilot HR leaders and managers have been waiting for: deeply practical, seamlessly integrated, designed with safety and security in mind, and built to help organizations focus on what truly matters — people, performance, and growth." Key benefits of Workleap AI (available July 8): Engagement Insights, Instantly: AI summarizes survey results and engagement metrics, and helps managers reply to feedback with clear takeaways and action plans. Performance Reviews, Made Easier: HR designs custom cycles, while AI guides managers and employees through peer input, self-reviews, and final submissions. Knowledge, On Demand: A built-in assistant pulls info and content from tools like SharePoint, Confluence, and Slack — so teams get answers fast without searching through documents. Introducing HRIS Sync Dynamic structure (available July 22): Alongside its AI launch, Workleap is rolling out HRIS Sync Dynamic Structure. This automated team management engine uses current HRIS data to build and maintain accurate teams, memberships, manager assignments, and reporting hierarchies within Workleap products. This upgrade will eliminate manual cleanup and ensure users of all Workleap products have the most up-to-date picture of the organization, saving time and effort. These new features reflect Workleap's commitment to being the talent management platform that powers up existing HRIS systems with simple, AI-powered tools HR teams and managers will want to use. Whether it's coaching, engagement, or performance reviews, Workleap helps managers lead more effectively and gives HR the clarity to drive impact. To learn more about Workleap AI and explore the new features coming to Workleap this summer, visit About Workleap Workleap is a Montreal-based tech company on a mission to make work simpler. Since 2006, Workleap has been building game-changing products that tackle HR and ITʼs biggest challenges. Workleap operates two distinct product lines: The Workleap Platform, an AI-powered HR solution designed to drive team performance and boost employee engagement. ShareGate, the leading Microsoft 365 migration and governance solution, trusted by IT professionals worldwide for its unmatched simplicity. Today, more than 20,000 companies rely on Workleap products to grow, lead, and operate with confidence. Workleap is a team of builders at heart, with a clear purpose: to craft the simplest products that deliver exceptional value for its customers. Period. Media Contact Jaclyn Pullen PANBlast for ShareGate by Workleap [email protected]
Globe and Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Workleap Acquires Leading Compensation Management Platform Barley to Build the Next Generation of Performance Management
Connect performance and compensation in one seamless flow MONTRÉAL , July 7, 2025 /CNW/ -- Workleap, a leading Canadian software company building the AI-powered talent management platform teams actually love to use, has acquired Barley, an end-to-end compensation management solution. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in unifying two critical components of talent strategy: performance and compensation. Traditionally managed in isolation through disconnected systems and workflows, these functions are now brought together in one unified platform, enabling HR teams to improve transparency, consistency, and alignment in how they recognize and reward employees. Compensation is one of the top three drivers of job satisfaction, retention and engagement. Yet, many organizations still rely on manual processes and spreadsheets, limiting their ability to scale or act with precision. By integrating performance and compensation in a single workflow, Workleap offers a more modern, connected approach, helping companies act decisively without compromising fairness or objectivity. "Performance and compensation are never too far away from each other," said Simon De Baene, CEO and co-founder of Workleap. "A lot of companies want to pay for performance, but most lack the tools to do it well. Workleap gives you the signal, and Barley gives you the confidence to act on it. While performance and compensation are distinct conversations, they will now come together in a unified and streamlined workflow. Together, Workleap and Barley help companies close the loop between how people perform and how they are rewarded." With the addition of Barley to the Workleap platform, HR and managers can now go from performance reviews and goal tracking to compensation planning and total rewards, all within the same system. This includes flexible review cycles, AI-powered summaries, 360° feedback, goal tracking, and comprehensive compensation planning that replaces spreadsheets with intuitive workflows and empowers managers to make data-driven compensation decisions aligned with organizational guidelines and budgets. The result is less time spent on manual processes, improved employee retention by proactively addressing compensation issues, and smarter management of what is often a company's largest operational expense. Alongside its flagship tools, Workleap Officevibe and Workleap Performance, Barley will add another strategic layer to the Workleap Platform, helping organizations retain their top talent, ignite every employee's potential and make their existing HR technology really work. "We started Barley to tackle the longstanding challenge for organizations to make proactive compensation decisions that are both data-driven and easy for employees to understand — building clarity, trust and equity into every step of the process, with an easy-to-use platform," said Jafar Owainati , CEO and co-founder of Barley. "The Barley solution naturally complements Workleap's existing suite of tools, and joining Workleap was the clear next step for our team. Compensation is just one piece of the broader HR puzzle, and we are now even better positioned to deliver on our mission of building trust between employers and employees." This marks Workleap's third acquisition, the second one following CDPQ's $125M CAD investment. This latest acquisition further advances the company's growth strategy, market share and product offerings, reinforcing its mission to make work simpler. Workleap's previous acquisitions include Didacte in February 2023 and Pingboard in December 2023 . For more information about how Workleap is empowering the employee experience, visit About Workleap Workleap is a Montreal -based tech company on a mission to make work simpler. Since 2006, Workleap has been building game-changing products that tackle HR and ITʼs biggest challenges. Workleap operates two distinct product lines: The Workleap Platform, an AI-powered HR solution designed to drive team performance and boost employee engagement. ShareGate, the leading Microsoft 365 migration and governance solution, trusted by IT professionals worldwide for its unmatched simplicity. Today, more than 20,000 companies rely on Workleap products to grow, lead, and operate with confidence. Workleap is a team of builders at heart, with a clear purpose: to craft the simplest products that deliver exceptional value for its customers. Period. About Barley Barley is a compensation management solution that helps companies make smart and proactive compensation decisions by bringing together pay band management, comp reviews, benchmarking, compensation analytics, and total rewards — all in one easy-to-use-platform. Forward-thinking businesses use Barley to simplify and optimize their approach to compensation, enabling them to attract top talent, reduce turnover, and meet their pay transparency and pay equity mandates.
Cision Canada
07-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Workleap Acquires Leading Compensation Management Platform Barley to Build the Next Generation of Performance Management Français
Connect performance and compensation in one seamless flow MONTRÉAL, July 7, 2025 /CNW/ -- Workleap, a leading Canadian software company building the AI-powered talent management platform teams actually love to use, has acquired Barley, an end-to-end compensation management solution. This acquisition marks a significant step forward in unifying two critical components of talent strategy: performance and compensation. Traditionally managed in isolation through disconnected systems and workflows, these functions are now brought together in one unified platform, enabling HR teams to improve transparency, consistency, and alignment in how they recognize and reward employees. Compensation is one of the top three drivers of job satisfaction, retention and engagement. Yet, many organizations still rely on manual processes and spreadsheets, limiting their ability to scale or act with precision. By integrating performance and compensation in a single workflow, Workleap offers a more modern, connected approach, helping companies act decisively without compromising fairness or objectivity. "Performance and compensation are never too far away from each other," said Simon De Baene, CEO and co-founder of Workleap. "A lot of companies want to pay for performance, but most lack the tools to do it well. Workleap gives you the signal, and Barley gives you the confidence to act on it. While performance and compensation are distinct conversations, they will now come together in a unified and streamlined workflow. Together, Workleap and Barley help companies close the loop between how people perform and how they are rewarded." With the addition of Barley to the Workleap platform, HR and managers can now go from performance reviews and goal tracking to compensation planning and total rewards, all within the same system. This includes flexible review cycles, AI-powered summaries, 360° feedback, goal tracking, and comprehensive compensation planning that replaces spreadsheets with intuitive workflows and empowers managers to make data-driven compensation decisions aligned with organizational guidelines and budgets. The result is less time spent on manual processes, improved employee retention by proactively addressing compensation issues, and smarter management of what is often a company's largest operational expense. Alongside its flagship tools, Workleap Officevibe and Workleap Performance, Barley will add another strategic layer to the Workleap Platform, helping organizations retain their top talent, ignite every employee's potential and make their existing HR technology really work. "We started Barley to tackle the longstanding challenge for organizations to make proactive compensation decisions that are both data-driven and easy for employees to understand — building clarity, trust and equity into every step of the process, with an easy-to-use platform," said Jafar Owainati, CEO and co-founder of Barley. "The Barley solution naturally complements Workleap's existing suite of tools, and joining Workleap was the clear next step for our team. Compensation is just one piece of the broader HR puzzle, and we are now even better positioned to deliver on our mission of building trust between employers and employees." This marks Workleap's third acquisition, the second one following CDPQ's $125M CAD investment. This latest acquisition further advances the company's growth strategy, market share and product offerings, reinforcing its mission to make work simpler. Workleap's previous acquisitions include Didacte in February 2023 and Pingboard in December 2023. For more information about how Workleap is empowering the employee experience, visit About Workleap Workleap is a Montreal-based tech company on a mission to make work simpler. Since 2006, Workleap has been building game-changing products that tackle HR and ITʼs biggest challenges. Workleap operates two distinct product lines: The Workleap Platform, an AI-powered HR solution designed to drive team performance and boost employee engagement. ShareGate, the leading Microsoft 365 migration and governance solution, trusted by IT professionals worldwide for its unmatched simplicity. Today, more than 20,000 companies rely on Workleap products to grow, lead, and operate with confidence. Workleap is a team of builders at heart, with a clear purpose: to craft the simplest products that deliver exceptional value for its customers. Period. About Barley Barley is a compensation management solution that helps companies make smart and proactive compensation decisions by bringing together pay band management, comp reviews, benchmarking, compensation analytics, and total rewards — all in one easy-to-use-platform. Forward-thinking businesses use Barley to simplify and optimize their approach to compensation, enabling them to attract top talent, reduce turnover, and meet their pay transparency and pay equity mandates. Media Contact Jaclyn Pullen PANBlast for ShareGate by Workleap [email protected] SOURCE Workleap
Fast Company
05-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Can AI make performance reviews less terrible? These experts think so
Performance reviews are often arduous, but they don't have to be. AI tools can enhance the process for both managers and employees, offering new possibilities for efficiency and fairness. From streamlining data analysis to eliminating bias, here's how AI is transforming performance evaluations and employee development across various industries. AI Connects Dots for Comprehensive Reviews AI has significantly improved our performance review process by providing managers with a clearer, more comprehensive view of their teams. Previously, we had vast amounts of data buried across various productivity tools—including meeting notes, shared documents, messages, and task updates—but none of it was truly actionable. Let's face it: No manager with a team of 10 can realistically remember everything that happened over the last quarter for each person. Today, the way we work—how we communicate, collaborate, and deliver—leaves behind valuable signals. AI helps connect the dots across that information to highlight key trends, surface individual contributions, and flag potential blind spots. For employees, it means their impact is more accurately recognized, even if they're not the most vocal. For managers, it creates a more holistic, data-informed foundation for conversations around performance and development. We also believe this approach can save a tremendous amount of time during review season, when so much energy is typically wasted trying to gather feedback and recall details. Equally important, it helps managers make fairer, more balanced assessments by surfacing the full scope of each person's contribution. Simon De Baene, CEO and Cofounder, Workleap Streamline Reviews with AI-Generated Questions I used AI to take a client's company values, create performance questions around them, and then tier the reviews so they were applicable to entry-level employees, individual contributors, managers, leaders, and senior executives. It produced those products for me in minutes. HR professionals or managers who aren't using AI are wasting time and missing out on major enhancements to their leadership. Kerri Roberts, Founder and CEO, Salt & Light Advisors AI Tools Enhance Review Quality and Satisfaction We have found that managers dread the performance review process as much as employees do. Both struggle with effectively articulating KPIs [key performance indicators], achievements, and challenges in the required documents and during the review itself. This contributes to the second major shared complaint regarding the 'paperwork' and workload to complete the process. We encourage managers and employees alike to utilize AI tools to analyze KPI trends, provide tables and charts, and even draft the performance review to save time and reduce anxiety. Additionally, AI tools can suggest appropriate SMART [specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound] goals for the next period and/or recommend learning and development opportunities for the employee. As always, useful output from AI requires good input. Furthermore, the employee and manager must carefully review and edit all AI-generated information to accurately and clearly represent reality. However, we have found AI tools have greatly decreased the workload of the performance review process, while at the same time increasing the quality and satisfaction with the results for everyone involved. Joe Palmer, Managing Partner, Prosperity Partners Consulting Balance AI Objectivity with Human Touch One specific example from our organization involved the marketing team, where managers had long struggled with bias and inconsistency in performance reviews. To improve the process, we introduced an AI tool that aggregated peer feedback, performance metrics, and goal progress into clear, objective drafts. It flagged subjective language and suggested more neutral alternatives, reducing bias and saving managers valuable time. However, a new challenge emerged: Employees described the AI-generated feedback as sterile—accurate but impersonal. This concern became especially clear during a departmental feedback session. To address it, we encouraged managers in marketing to use the AI drafts as a foundation, then add personal insights, context, and specific examples to restore a sense of authenticity. This balance between AI-driven objectivity and a human touch made a noticeable difference. Employees received clearer, fairer, and more meaningful feedback, while managers gained a tool that streamlined the process without losing the connection that makes reviews truly valuable. AI Creates Personalized Development Plans Post-Review As part of my current doctoral research in learning and organizational change, I've been studying how HR leaders are actively using AI to enhance human-centric leadership practices—and performance reviews have definitely come up. One high-level HR executive I interviewed shared how they used AI to create a personalized learning and development plan immediately after a performance review. The AI helped analyze feedback and skill gaps, then recommended tailored next steps—what the employee could do now, next, and later to grow in a specific area. The employee later thanked their manager for recommendations that were on that plan, suggesting they felt supported. Another HR executive at a global automotive company used AI-enabled project management tools to analyze team metrics that correlated with performance. She felt this helped her make more objective, data-informed decisions rather than relying solely on instinct. In both cases, AI didn't replace the human side of leadership—it amplified it by making conversations more personalized, fair, and focused on growth. Bailey Parnell, Founder and CEO, SkillsCamp Voice Notes Capture Nuanced Performance Feedback One thing that has surprised us was how well an AI-powered voice note tool worked during performance reviews not as a replacement for feedback, but as a way to capture tone, nuance, and real-time reflection. In our own staffing agency, where many of our clients rely on private staff-like housekeepers, chefs, and estate managers, soft skills matter just as much as task completion. Managers started using short voice notes to highlight specific interactions, such as how a nanny handled an unexpected visitor at the door or how a housekeeper went above routine to solve a problem without being asked. These moments used to get lost between checklists. On top of everything else, rather than treating reviews like a checklist, the voice notes created a space where real appreciation could be felt. A personal chef once told us that hearing the emotion behind the words made all the difference—it felt honest, not formal. These notes turned routine evaluations into conversations that captured what often goes unseen. In our world, where intuition and quiet consistency define excellence, giving those qualities a voice brought something far more meaningful than numbers or written summaries ever could. Brooke Barousse, CEO, Lexington Executive and Household Staffing AI Builds Objective Benchmarks for Fair Reviews We're starting to use AI to build objective performance benchmarks to make our reviews more fair and impartial. Essentially, the AI analyzes key metrics and skill feedback from our own internal, anonymized data across similar roles, comparing performance among our project managers, engineers, or CNC [computer numerical control] machinists, for example. It helps our managers get a better grasp on ratings and performance discussions, as they can use the data to more easily identify if someone is truly excelling in their specific job or spot an area where the entire group could benefit from improvement. Our employees gain a much clearer understanding of the expectations for their role and can see how they're performing compared to others in similar positions, which can be motivating or help pinpoint areas for development. The AI might highlight that one of our project managers consistently achieves client satisfaction scores that are 10 points higher on average than other PMs performing similar jobs, for instance. It provides solid evidence supporting positive feedback about their client skills, allowing us to go beyond mere gut feelings. Since implementing this data-driven approach, we've noticed that our manager calibration meetings for reviews run more smoothly and efficiently, reducing subjective debate time by 30%, because everyone is working from the same baseline comparisons to initiate the conversation. AI Analysis Improves Review Conversations We implemented an AI feedback tool that analyzes communication patterns during performance reviews. Managers upload meeting recordings, and the AI provides insights on speaking time balance, interruption frequency, and sentiment analysis. This improved our reviews in several ways: Managers now receive data showing they dominated 70% of conversations (previously unaware), and they adjusted to achieve better balance. Employees report 40% higher satisfaction with review fairness. The AI also flags emotional responses, revealing when discussions trigger defensiveness. Most importantly, the AI tool summarizes action items and creates trackable goals, increasing follow-through by 65%. What surprised us was how the AI revealed that our female team members were interrupted twice as often as male counterparts—an insight that led to meaningful cultural change. The technology doesn't replace human judgment, but it makes our performance conversations more balanced, actionable, and fair. Kirti Poonia, Founder, Caimera Creative Performance Profile Tracks Progress We've always found it challenging to review the performance of roles that aren't tied directly to strategic goals, like our graphic designer. They don't set quarterly targets or lead major initiatives. Their work is reactive, based on tasks assigned to them, which makes it hard to define clear goals or track measurable progress. Feedback often felt generic, and improvement was tough to gauge other than informal 'good jobs.' To change that, we set up an AI-enhanced performance tracker using tools we already had access to. We connected Asana to Google Sheets through Zapier, which allowed us to automatically track things like task volume, turnaround time, and revision frequency. We also pulled in feedback from Slack, where a lot of real-time collaboration was happening. Using OpenAI, we ran sentiment analysis on both task comments and relevant Slack messages, which described how work was being received and the tone of the day-to-day communication. Together, this gave us a monthly snapshot we called the Creative Performance Profile. It helped spot progress over time and gave our designer real insights they could reflect on during their review, without needing a complex dashboard. In one case, we saw our designer's average turnaround time improve by 22% over the quarter, while revision rates dropped by 35%. That led to a great discussion around how they were proactively clarifying briefs earlier in the process, something we wouldn't have uncovered from the numbers alone. What's been most valuable is how this gave us a new way to talk about progress in roles where goal-setting has always felt forced. It's not about ranking team members against each other, but helping them see how their efforts translate into measurable growth. For the first time, our designer walked into their review with stats that reflected their day-to-day work and was able to explain where they could show improvement over the coming year. Not only did this help them grow their individual performance, but oddly, they expressed that it made them feel more part of the team in our planning and goal-setting discussions. It was just an overall win. Kyle Senger, Founder and Lead Strategist, Unalike Marketing AI Triggers Timely Check-ins Between Reviews AI is a powerful tool not only for performance reviews themselves, but also for pre-review and post-review check-ins. Instead of just standard calendar pings, we've experimented with systems that trigger automated reminders based on actual work data. For example, a manager could get a nudge to schedule a check-in if an employee's key goal from the review isn't progressing on track or if feedback indicates a challenge or bottleneck arising. This way, managers can intervene early and potentially prevent problems rather than waiting months for the formal review. From the employees' perspective, it means they receive more regular support and feedback throughout the year. When the formal review time does arrive, it feels less like a big reveal because progress and any issues have already been discussed along the way. Traditionally, employees' biggest complaint about reviews is that they feel like a pointless, arbitrary exercise. However, with AI reminders, it's easier to take real action and create an ongoing conversation rather than forgetting about reviews a few weeks later until the following year. This approach is more supportive and more productive. Fineas Tatar, Co-CEO, Viva Automated Tools Spot Patterns and Reduce Bias AI has really changed performance reviews for the better. It's made a huge difference in how managers view the work of their teams. Two tools that I absolutely love are Lattice Analytics and Betterworks. Lattice is useful because it tracks all the performance data automatically and spots patterns that might be overlooked. It has cut down prep time and helps craft feedback without bias. Betterworks, on the other hand, is useful for picking up wins that people usually forget to mention themselves by analyzing project work and communication. These tools can be game changers for efficiency when implemented, since they focus on actual data instead of just opinions. I know there are a lot of tools out there, but I think it's best to find one or two that align with your organizational goals and leverage them for maximum benefits. Jacqueline Twillie, Leadership Officer, AI Promotes Equitable and Actionable Feedback As a former senior HR leader at a global tech company, I have observed how performance reviews can either foster growth or reinforce inequity. The thoughtful use of AI tools has begun to shift that balance when used intentionally. One impactful example: For a recent client in Big Tech, we introduced AI to support managers in writing more objective, bias-aware feedback. Performance reviews often contain vague or personality-driven comments, especially for women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ professionals. Research from Stanford and McKinsey confirms this disparity. We asked managers to run their draft feedback through an AI tool trained to flag vague, nonactionable phrases and suggest more equitable alternatives. For example, 'Indira is a pleasure to work with' might prompt: 'Consider elaborating on Indira's specific contributions or business impact.' This helped leaders offer fairer, more actionable reviews and also created powerful learning moments around unconscious bias. Crucially, we do not see AI as a replacement for human leadership, but as a collaborator. Tools like ChatGPT or Gemini cannot grasp context or individual nuance, and they reflect the bias in their training data. However, they can help standardize fairness, sharpen awareness, and prompt better conversations.
