On the latest episode of The Disruptors, co-host Amber Kanwar sat down with Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify, to discuss her companyâs e-learning software platform and how itâs helping industries like retail and manufacturing better train employees.
âWe are what we call a next generation employee knowledge platform, and we are taking what has been traditionally a very long, boring, ineffective experience,â said Leaman.
âWhat we do is make the experience super fun for the employee by incorporating about 20 game mechanics.â
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 âthree-minute a dayâ 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.
âWhat we do is make the experience super fun for the employee by incorporating about 20 game mechanics,â said Leaman. âIt 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.â
Leaman said Axonifyâs platform is directed towards âdeskless workersâ 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.
âMost employees donât 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,â said Leaman. She added that since thereâs significant pressure for retailers to adopt digital practices, Axonifyâs platform allows employers to keep employees up to speed on new products and new practices.
âItâs 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,â said Leaman. She added that some employers incorporate initiatives like Axonify into their businesses because keeping employees informed on products and services becomes a âkey factor in retaining customer loyaltyâ 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.
âWe raised that money to be able to really go hard at the market and the market segments that we do very well in, so weâre good for the foreseeable future,â 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:
BetaKit is a production partner on The Disruptors. Tune in to BNN every Thursday night at 7 p.m. for full episodes!