Why Talent Comes First at WorkBetterNow  - WorkBetterNow

The evening that Andrew Cohen and I decided to start WorkBetterNow, we made a commitment to “put our talent first.” This decision was largely influenced by my past experience hiring talent from Latin America through a company that didn’t treat its people well. 

In the back of my mind, I recalled a conversation that I had with legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer many years ago. Danny shared a principle that stuck with me: “Put employees first.” Keep in mind that “conventional” business wisdom, especially back then, comes down to two rules. Rule 1: The customer is always right, and Rule 2: See Rule #1. Danny’s concept challenged all that. He explained that by treating employees well, they, in turn, would treat their customers well. 

Please understand, Andrew and I (and the entire WBN team) love our clients. We do everything that we can to create WOW experiences for them as often as we can. But here’s the key: those WOW experiences start with the talent we provide. The idea is that if we treat our talent really well (including creating WOW experiences for them), they will take great care of our clients. 

So what does it mean to put our talent first? It really means that we make every attempt to treat them exceptionally well. Just a few examples: 

• While our recruiting process is quite extensive, we treat candidates with the same respect and care as we would prospective clients. We’ve designed our thorough process to be as seamless as possible, keeping candidates informed every step of the way. 

• When making decisions regarding talent, we prioritize the perspective of our remote professionals (RPs) above all else. 

• We prioritize regular feedback and recognition for our Remote Professionals. Through monthly check-ins and performance reviews, we ensure that our RPs receive constructive feedback and acknowledgment for their hard work. This not only helps them grow professionally but also reinforces their value within our team. 

• Recently, we launched the WBN Academy, a comprehensive learning platform designed to empower our Remote Professionals with opportunities to acquire new skills.  By continually expanding their capabilities, our RPs are better equipped to expand the capabilities of our clients, further strengthening our reputation. 

Because of the above, we have a strong employer brand in over a dozen countries in Latin America. We are recognized as an employer of choice, which enables us to attract top-tier talent. This, in turn, allows our remote professionals to deliver exceptional work, earning us a world-class Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 77 from our clients. 

None of this means that anyone is always right… not us, not our clients, and not our talent. But what it does mean is that we will not automatically side with a client when there is a disagreement. For instance, we once noticed a trend with one of our clients where multiple RPs were resigning within their first few months at his company. After conducting exit interviews and speaking with the client, it became clear that the client’s company culture was poor and not an environment we wanted our RPs to be in. Consequently, we decided not to replace the RPs who left. 

It also doesn’t mean that the RPs are always right. If an RP isn’t performing, they will be replaced. Similarly, if a client feels that their RP isn’t the right fit for their company culture, we will find a more suitable match, even if it means the RP isn’t happy. By prioritizing our Remote Professionals, they know that we have their back. This commitment creates a virtuous cycle: happy and skilled RPs lead to satisfied clients, which in turn enhances our reputation and attracts even more top-tier talent. At WorkBetterNow, we believe that when our talent thrives, our clients succeed, and our business grows.