Wisq, the first platform designed for the social connection needs of employees, announced the launch of two new plans to help businesses foster personal connections and belonging in their organizations. With the new Free and Plus plans, Wisq enables more organizations to help their remote and in-office employees connect, discover and share interests, and create a greater sense of belonging.
As hybrid, remote and distributed work structures grow more popular, companies and teams of all sizes face the challenge of building personal connections. Wisq is creating a space in which employees can connect, discover common interests, create employee-led groups like employee resource groups (ERGs) and share experiences.
The tiered pricing model with two new plans, in addition to the current Wisq Enterprise plan for teams of more than 500, makes Wisq accessible to everyone:
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Wisq Free: Designed for core groups just getting started, this no-cost offering supports a single administrator and up to 50 team members with unlimited groups, posts and messages. This option is ideally suited for small companies or divisions of larger employers that would like to try Wisq before a broader deployment.
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Wisq Plus: For growing teams that want more functionality, this option supports up to five administrators and teams of up to 500 people while offering more robust administrative tools and reporting at a cost of $5 per individual each month.
These new plans are in addition to the core Wisq Enterprise version, which offers greater functionality tailored to companies' unique needs, including advanced admin and reporting capabilities, security assertion markup language (SAML)-based single sign-on for added security, priority inbox support, and dedicated customer success and account management teams.
"With this announcement, Wisq is responding to a clear market need for personal connection at work, Any team, big or small, can greatly benefit from the kind of connection that Wisq makes possible. Our customers' experiences have shown us that offering employees a distinct space for connection can deepen ties, enrich relationships and support a sense of belonging, community and happiness."
- Wisq co-founder and CEO Jim Barnett
The Importance of Belonging and Connection in the Workplace
As companies seek to retain and hire workers in a competitive job market, a sense of belonging to an organization is equally as important as pay and benefits. Happier employees are not only less likely to leave a company, but also are healthier, have lower rates of absenteeism, are highly motivated to succeed and have better relationships with their peers, according to MIT Sloan. Additionally, by increasing the feeling of belonging at work, companies have seen a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk and a 75% reduction in sick days, Harvard Business Review reported.
Companies that thrive socially and support a sense of belonging build resilience to disengagement. Trends like quiet-quitting, or choosing to not go above and beyond in a role, reflect a low sense of connection and belonging in an organization.
The day-to-day relationships that individuals establish with their co-workers play an important role in belonging, which is why Wisq has built its platform to support employee-driven communication. By carving out a specific space for belonging and connection in the workplace, Wisq is strengthening personal development and interpersonal relationships, which help individuals grow and thrive, and play a role in building a healthy, vibrant organization.
Hear what companies using Wisq have to say:
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While we have a great culture, Torch employees have voiced difficulties connecting with people outside of their immediate team. Wisq helps us bring the amazing and unique stories of all our employees together to build a stronger foundation for our culture, as well as our individual and collective success, said Amy Lavoie, vice president of People Success, Torch.
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FICO uses Wisq to strengthen relationships throughout our 3,500-person, globally distributed company. Our team was looking for a way to recreate in-person water cooler conversation and casual, fun moments of socialization. Through Wisq, we're meeting this need and getting to know colleagues across teams, departments and time zones like never before, Richard Deal, executive vice president, chief human resources officer, FICO
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By utilizing Wisq, our team can get to know each other without the pressure or stress of getting a task done or trying to solve a problem. Even the smallest moments of connection can move mountains for our relationships, helping our team get to know each other on a more personal level, Alex Jones, vice president for Institutional Advancement, Roberts Wesleyan University
About Wisq
Wisq is a space for life at work. The Wisq platform helps employees improve social well-being by enabling them to connect, share and build relationships at work. Organizations increase employee engagement, improve belonging and retention and build happy work cultures. Wisq enables smart profiles, intuitive sharing, community building and audio lounges for informal hangouts. Based in Redwood City, CA, the company was founded by three former Glint executives: Jim Barnett, chief executive officer; Goutham Kurra, chief product officer; and Chih-Po Wen, chief technology officer. Wisq has raised more than $40 million and is backed by True Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners and Shasta Ventures.