Our New Workforce DNA

I’m nervous about sharing this, but since many of us are feeling the pain of doing more with less, I thought it's time to open up about what we have been up to at Reejig.

Last year was tough for us, just like it was for many others, prompting us to reevaluate everything from how we organize our team to how we plan our business. We've made a significant shift in our operating model by integrating AI as a core part of our workforce DNA. This change is fundamental to our future, and the early signs are promising. I'm eager to share these developments openly with my network, hoping it might offer insights that can be helpful to some of you.?

Remarkably, we are saving $1.6 million a month and we’re just a few months away from reaching breakeven—a rare achievement in the tech industry at our stage.

So let me set the scene a little...

Last year was a wake-up call. As CEO of Reejig, I watched as the market we had built for simply wasn't materializing. At the same time, I realized I had built the wrong workforce strategy (how embarrassing considering this is my actual expertise). Despite doubling our headcount, ironically, everything got slower, communication suffered immensely, and quality plummeted—it was insane. At one point, 80% of my team was on probation simultaneously. If you've ever seen a kids' soccer game where everyone runs to the ball... that was us. Being remote-first only magnified our alignment challenges.

We had added layers of management that only served to delay decisions on products and strategies that should have been straightforward. Meanwhile, repetitive tasks were being performed manually, and, to make matters worse, teams—especially in R&D and GTM—were duplicating efforts, essentially doing the same tasks over and over.

Amidst this turmoil, we had begun to dabble with AI across our business, not just in our product. The potential was enormous, and it quickly became an obsession. This obsession reached its peak during a trip to Paris with a customer. There, haunted by sleepless nights, a vivid image struck me: somewhere out there, someone was? building an AI-first version of Reejig. It was fast, innovative, highly profitable, and capable of disrupting the entire HR tech category and the pricing model, making it difficult for us to win.

This realization was both terrifying and exciting. As founders, we made the tough call: instead of being scared of the 'AI-first competitor,' we decided to actually become them. This meant going all in on reinventing the business and how we think about our workforce strategy. We were at a stage where such a dramatic change was still feasible, and looking at our peers, we knew they were far from making such a leap—giving us a clear shot to gain the ultimate edge.

I know many of you are in similar positions, making tough cuts and seeing up to 20% reductions across global companies. We empathize deeply with the challenges you're facing. There have been so many lessons from this experience, and many that translate into corporate:

• Embrace Day Zero Thinking - What would you do if you were starting all over again? Moving forward, I plan to apply this mindset quarterly. It’s a powerful way to ensure we’re always aligning with our core mission and not getting bogged down by legacy ways of thinking..
• Understand Work at the Task Level - Coming from a skills vendor background, I’ve learned the hard way that tasks are automated, not skills. Knowing exactly what tasks are being done, rather than just the skills involved, is crucial for effective automation and AI enhancement.
• Bring the Team Together Sooner and Say Thank You - Being remote-first presents unique challenges, particularly in how quickly everyone can adapt to major changes. There was a sense that the handbrake was on for my team, slowing down our momentum. In the future, I’d focus on uniting the team more effectively from the start and thank them for believing in the vision, even when the path was unclear.?
• Ignore the Peanut Gallery - I spent too much time worrying about others' opinions. There were voices saying I was killing the company. Moving forward, I’ll focus more on our path and less on the noise, especially considering my mission is to create Zero Wasted Potential in people, business and society.?
• Challenge the Bigger Team Myth - Society’s obsession with the idea that a bigger team equals more success is complete nonsense. This mindset shift is something I had to learn through experience, and it’s reshaped how I view business success.
• Share Lessons Sooner - Sharing my journey and the insights gained has deepened my relationships with other leaders, who are often facing similar challenges. This openness has not only helped them think differently but has also prepared them for more strategic discussions with their CEOs.

As always, when you build in public, there is a responsibility to share the journey. I am committed to keeping you all updated as we continue on our path to achieving Zero Wasted Potential.

If you want to have a chat about this or if I can share how we have done this, please DM me and I will help where I can.

Siobhan ??