Human Resources is often the forgotten middle child of the business world. It’s not as flashy as marketing, or as technical as finance. But, more often than not, it’s one of the most important aspects of a business. After all, the workers are what make a business run, and if you don’t have workers, you don’t have a business. My name is Joel Nelson, I am a rising senior at the Olin Business School, and I’m dual majoring in Organization / Strategic Management and Marketing. This summer, I had the privilege to work with the forefront of St. Louis’s HR tech industry, Engagedly.

Engagedly is a unique digital HR management platform that is built on their proprietary E3 framework: Enablement, Engagement, and Execution. And using the techniques of performance management, mentoring, and even gamification, the company provides an entirely new experience for the employees of the companies they partner with. As a global organization with partners in every corner of the world, Engagedly uses its unique platform to build HR from the ground up. And along with building a platform for the workers to improve and grow, Engagedly is also dedicated to the recognition of HR Leaders and Innovators across the world.

This was one of the missions I was tasked with, a full virtual investigation to find the best of the best in the HR World. And there are many ways to find the best of the best, whether it’s those who have developed unique and intuitive solutions to widespread problems in HR, those who have discovered a unique way to build leadership and team skills, or even those who have made it their mission to make companies more diverse and equitable for everyone involved. It was a lot of work, but through that research I was able to gain some key insights on both the top players in the HR field, as well as who to look to for insights on new tactics and challenges. But, that’s not all I learned. As a remote company with employees across the globe, I was also exposed to many of the challenges associated with a widespread employee base. Oftentimes, scheduling would be a challenge when trying to coordinate with co-workers on the other side of the planet, highlighting that when you run a startup, it’s more than just a full-time job. Through different company meetings with different department heads, I gained new insights into running a company on multiple fronts, not just HR, but sales, marketing, finances, and more. Not to mention that my co-workers and supervisors were just fun to work with, which is one of the best things about a job you like. All in all, this summer was an insightful and educational foray into the startup world, and I will be using the lessons I’ve learned for many years to come.

Meet Engagedly yourself, here!