CEO Carol Leaman explains how Axonify helps “deskless workers” stay engaged at work

On the latest episode of The Disruptors, co-host Amber Kanwar sat down with Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify, to discuss her company’s e-learning software platform and how it’s helping industries like retail and manufacturing better train employees.

“We are what we call a next generation employee knowledge platform, and we are taking what has been traditionally a very long, boring, ineffective experience,” said Leaman.

“What we do is make the experience super fun for the employee by incorporating about 20 game mechanics.”

Axonify is a corporate learning platform that allows businesses to deliver training information to employees in a more personalized way. Leaman said Axonify turns the training process into a “three-minute a day” science-based and gamified experience that is meant to help employees retain information better and perform better at their jobs.

Specifically, Axonify uses three core cognitive concepts: spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and confidence-based assessment to create memory and guide employees to perform well on the job, concepts that Leaman believes create a more engaging experience.

“What we do is make the experience super fun for the employee by incorporating about 20 game mechanics,” said Leaman. “It drives voluntary participation and engagement with the platform. The more that they play, the more they learn, the more they change their behaviour in ways the employee needs to be a top performer in the workplace.”

Leaman said Axonify’s platform is directed towards “deskless workers” in industries such as retail, hospitality, travel, and tourism, where it is difficult for employers to interact and offer knowledge to their employees on a daily basis.

“Most employees don’t have an email address, so we give them access through a variety of means that makes it really simple in the workflow…to get access to knowledge they need to have,” said Leaman. She added that since there’s significant pressure for retailers to adopt digital practices, Axonify’s platform allows employers to keep employees up to speed on new products and new practices.

“It’s a method that they [employers] can consistently and constantly deliver knowledge and information to their employees to be more competitive because…retailers are under a tremendous amount of pressure these days to be competitive with online,” said Leaman. She added that some employers incorporate initiatives like Axonify into their businesses because keeping employees informed on products and services becomes a “key factor in retaining customer loyalty” and gaining a competitive advantage.

In the interview, Kanwar asked Leaman what type of growth Axonify expects to see over the next few years. Leaman said that after raising a US$27 million round in November 2016, the company is in a good place right now.

“We raised that money to be able to really go hard at the market and the market segments that we do very well in, so we’re good for the foreseeable future,” said Leaman. She added that while the company is on the verge of being profitable, over the next years, Leaman will closely watch where the customers take Axonify, to determine whether they need to acquire more capital.

Watch the full interview below:

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