Open Org Journal: Jan Update

January marks a time to let go of regrets and embrace the opportunity to make things right.” – Roy T. Bennett

Roy's quote above seemed apt, not just because we're entering a new year, but because it feels aligned to so many conversations I have with People Leaders whose companies have the opportunity to rebuild trust and engagement by embracing a more open work culture. Here's hoping that plenty of leaders will do what they can to make things right in 2024.

Meanwhile, I'm writing this in the middle of the night, in a dark kitchen stood beneath my extractor fan with a newborn strapped to my chest ??. It instantly reminds me of similar 3am sessions a few years ago when I stood there building an employee handbook for my last company... not much has changed apparently!

Let's dive in, because SO much has happened in Jan I barely know where to start...

TL;DR..

• I had a baby! ?? (My 3rd, and 3rd boy - Finn Ezra Jack Horne, born on the 21st Dec!)
• We kicked off our January Bootcamp with 15 incredible folks from all over the world. ?
• We launched www.peoplemetrics.fyi into beta! ??. Currently mid-beta with 350+ companies signed up, and a post-beta waitlist building. Check it out and sign up if you haven't yet!
• We've been busy filling up our Fractional Partner Programme, starting in March, which is super exciting ??
• We took part in a 24-hour charity podcast co-hosting with Jessica Z. , Luke O'Mahoney and over a dozen other incredible folks from the people world. We built a live employee handbook template. You can buy it via a donation on gumroad here: https://lnkd.in/ebuMqUFM - All proceeds go to the amazing team at Radical Recruit ?
• We launched our Interview Question Index - Spicy, Probing questions for the applicants out there to utilise in their job search to help get deeper signal on company culture. https://open-org.notion.site/Interview-Question-Index-30d4b4da0e8c4d63a1afcd92628869f5?pvs=4
• I joined a couple more podcasts, most recently on The Modern People Leader talking to Daniel Huerta and Stephen Huerta about workplace transparency. https://www.modernpeopleleader.com/151-becoming-a-more-transparent-organization-adam-horne-co-founder-open-org/
• We opened up applications to our 2x May Cohorts (US/Can and UK/EMEA). You can check that out and apply here: https://open-org.notion.site/The-Open-Leader-Cohort-72c90744c11442308ffec5103d19b62a?pvs=4
• We're also already filling spots for our July bootcamp for those interested in that too- https://open-org.notion.site/The-Open-Culture-Bootcamp-0baae54dabf84827a252fb76f5eb2e12?pvs=4
• We launched a pay transparency diagnostic survey to help companies heatmap where they are on their pay transparency journey; packed with guidance, resources and help. Check it out here if you're on that journey now: https://form.typeform.com/to/ajF2OKk6
• We had a few more companies embark on Open Org accreditation ?? So look forward to working with them over the coming weeks and months!

Wow, that was meant to be the TL;DR too...

A reminder....

? Follow and subscribe to this newsletter if you:

• Are passionate about building better workplaces
• Believe in transparency as the best way to build trust
• Are a 'People' professional who wants to improve employee-employer trust
• Are a Founder who wants to follow another Founders journey; the ups, downs, learnings...

? Dont subscribe to this if you:

• Have no interest in hearing the ramblings of a tired dad of 3 who is trying to change the world of work
• Don't believe that transparency can improve workplace culture
• Don't believe in Open Org's mission

?? What's happened at Open Org this month?

Jan was so positive. It feels like a completely different situation to this time last year and whilst things are still turbulent out there it feels like there's a lot more positivity.

I've been blown away by how many more conversations we had in Jan with companies who are exploring Open Org accreditation, which is an encouraging sign, and we kicked off our first ever bootcamp on the 16th too which has been really fun, mixed with a lot of learnings that we take forward into our next one in July!

The big focus though has to be peoplemetrics.fyi which I want to just talk about a little bit. Anyone reading this will know John and I love building & sharing things with the people community, and for a while now we've had a lot of signal that people want to do more with data, and have nowhere to go to benchmark their metrics against others. Enter, peoplemetrics.fyi.

What was meant to start as a benchmarking spreadsheet initially, turned into a full blown SaaS platform that we launched into beta in Jan.

I had a baby. John spun up a SaaS product over Xmas...

The response has been so amazing. ??.

?? 350+ companies currently in beta.

?? 50+ companies on the post-beta launch waitlist

The engagement, feedback and co-creation happening behind the scenes is genuinely great to see. We're building in public, and it feels great!

If you're reading this as a people leader who could find value in being able to track, compare and benchmark your people metrics then check it out!

?? The Wins

• Had a 3rd baby, haven't broken down yet.
• 24-Hour Charity Podcast was a success! And we've raised a heap for Radical Recruit . Download the employee handbook we built here: https://lnkd.in/ebuMqUFM
• Peoplemetrics.fyi beta is flying! post-beta waitlist is on the site if interested!
• Accreditation conversations are building which is encouraging, and a few more companies in Jan embarked on the journey with us!
• Bootcamp has been amazing! ??

?? The F*ck Ups

• Sent John an 8-min Loom video explaining something I had made... only to realise I'd just recorded my face and not the screen itself ??♂?

?? The Learns

• Lots of incredible feedback from our beta group on peoplemetrics.fyi We're fixing bugs, adding new features and tearing through it at lightspeed!
• Some really good feedback and learns from our current bootcamp, specifically around the value people get (when and where) and how we can lean into that. Already looking at how we can add to the next one!
• Learned how to type a newsletter whilst squatting up and down with a baby strapped to my chest...

?? The Thank You's

Big list this month as always!

Bernardo Luz Teixeira, Alistair Fraser, Charlie Hunt, Daniel Huerta, Stephen Huerta, Jessica Z. , Kaylie Boogaerts , Grace Carey , KristyAnne Thompson Boyd - JD, CCEP, PHR, CDE? , Maddi Dick , Rana Mobarak , Joty Bath , Michelle Berg , Christina Demetre, MBA , Emily Hatton , Pedro Reis Silva , Liam Longstaff-Pagoni , Aimee Reimao ???? Remote Work , Charlie O’Brien ?? , Diana Ford , J.R. Twomey Beeson, SHRM-CP , Ty Avery-Miller , Nat Falconer + All the folks to contributed to the 24-hour podcast and the 350+ folks who are on our peoplemetrics.fyi beta right now!