Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started With WorkHound

How do workers use the mobile platform?
Workers use WorkHound through their phone! No smartphone or app required. We send a feedback text message (SMS) and workers simply click the link to reply with their feedback for the week.

Note: If workers do have their computers, tablets, or other devices connected to their phone SMS messages, they can also click the link through their messaging app on those devices.

Is the feedback from each worker anonymous?
Yes. WorkHound wants to ensure workers share as much authentic feedback as possible. In order to do this, all worker comments are anonymous (unless the worker chooses to reveal). 

What if some workers choose not to participate?
We let workers know that it is totally optional to use WorkHound! 

Traditional, legacy-style surveys have response rates hovering around 10%. WorkHound rates are typically much better, but you’ll always have workers that choose not to participate. This is ok. 

Don’t get bogged down trying to get responses from every single worker. Instead, focus on providing value to those workers who are responding. They are your leaders and most engaged employees. 

When workers sitting on the sidelines see action and communication based on feedback from their peers, they are much more likely to get involved. Showing that feedback can drive action is the single best way to engage your workers.

What do engaged workers mean for my business?
Engaged workers are the most important asset for any company. They are hard workers, they don’t job hop, and become your best recruiter to refer other workers to your company. All of these things impact your company’s bottom-line.

How long can workers use the link after it’s been sent out?
Workers can use the link indefinitely. We send new messages out weekly, however, they can continue to use the link they were sent in previous messages.

What’s the best email to use if we have any questions about WorkHound?
The best email to use is [e-mail]

How often is the data updated in the Dashboard?
Data is updated as worker data comes in. WorkHound’s technology and processes break out the data based on keyword and sentiment analysis. Some comments will come in delayed due to human review.

How do we access the dashboard?
When beginning to work with WorkHound, you will determine which stakeholders at your company will have access to WorkHound’s dashboard.

Stakeholders access the dashboard at companyname.workhoundapp.com once the workers start sharing feedback.

Your unique login will be your email address. For your password, we email you a password creation link, which is the account creation service WorkHound uses.

You can access the dashboard at any time.

Can we have one login for multiple dashboards?
Yes. Contact [e-mail] to set this up.

The metrics on the dashboard show for the past 7 days, is there a history?
The metrics at the top of the dashboard show the current 7-day snapshot and the graph shows the trend over time (or greater than 7 days). We are always considering and looking at different ways to show the data and prioritizing that on the product roadmap!

How does the company review the information?
Stakeholders at the company have access to the online WorkHound dashboard where they review all WorkHound activity.

The dashboard reveals several things:

At a glance metrics

• Average worker satisfaction score
• Number of active workers on the platform
• Correlation between worker comment frequency and average satisfaction score

Theme Analysis

• Worker comments are grouped based on their topic and ordered by submit date.
• Each comment is evaluated for Positive, Negative, or Neutral sentiment.

These ratings are averaged and rolled up to the theme itself to allow you to see how workers feel about various parts of your business.

What is a Custom Theme?
Custom Themes grant you the control to create and manage additional themes that are relevant to your company. Your stakeholders can now add any custom themes to your comments so your team can gain better insights to the themes you're interested in learning more about. 

Simply click the + at the end of the themes list to add your own.

Custom themes can be removed by selecting the theme and hitting delete.

Your Customer Success Manager will continue to support the standard WorkHound themes but it is up to you and your fellow dashboard users to input and decide on Custom Themes.

You can search by Custom Theme just as you would a standard theme in the search bar at the top of the dashboard.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager, or email us at [e-mail]. 

What is 2-Way Anonymous Chat?
WorkHound Chat is a 2-way messaging tool allowing your company to resolve issues anonymously and communicate in real-time. When a chat is started, workers will receive a new text message from a local 10-digit number.

The first message will always state that it is from WorkHound and that your organization wants to chat with them. Workers can reply as many times as needed until resolution is achieved and the message is closed.

Chat messages are ANONYMOUS. You can still request a reveal but reveal requests will be sent separately from WorkHound (48714).

Keep in mind that if you do initiate an Anonymous 2-Way Chat that the One-Time Message function will become inactive. This is to streamline communication and not confuse the worker with different messages.

Note: Not all companies use WorkHound Chat.

Can I print or export the comments/feedback/reveals/referrals?
Yes! You can export WorkHound comments/feedback/reveals by using the Comment Download button. Unfortunately, Referrals are still not available for export at this time, but you can copy and paste into a spreadsheet on your side.

How does the company follow up with the workers?
WorkHound operates best when the company follows up with the workers at least once a week. WorkHound facilitates a weekly message from the office staff to the workers sharing the top findings from the worker comments that week, the planned actions based on that feedback and explanations about issues that prompted the workers to share concerns. This message is sent to the worker via email or text message on a weekly basis.

What if we (the company) see a concerning comment from a worker and want to address it directly?
WorkHound has a built-in process to address concerning comments. Copy the concerning comment and email [e-mail] immediately with the comment. 

WorkHound will engage the worker that shared the comment and ask if they are comfortable removing their anonymity for that specific comment to speak directly with the company.

If the worker is open to speaking directly with the company, we will inform the company of which worker to get in touch with through your standard channels.

How do the worker referrals work?
In addition to collecting worker feedback, WorkHound helps boost recruiting. When workers indicate they are having a great day (score of 8, 9 or 10), they are then encouraged to refer other workers to join your company. WorkHound prompts workers to share the recruit’s name, phone number and / or email address.

Once submitted, this referral is logged in the WorkHound dashboard where leads can be sent to the recruiting staff. If a new worker is hired, the referring worker should receive the recruiting bonus your company offers.

How can workers opt out from receiving messages?
Workers can opt out from receiving messages by responding “STOP” to any of the WorkHound text messages or by texting, emailing, or calling and requesting to be removed.

Why are workers choosing not to reveal? Is this normal?
Workers might choose not to reveal because their feedback can be solved without a conversation, or workers might feel mistrust in having a conversation without repercussion. This is where closing the feedback loop with a broadcast comes in.

Responding to worker feedback with the broadcast feature will help continue to build trust and eventually bridge the gap in anonymous communication.

And yes, this is normal. 

​​Who Should Be Involved in WorkHound?

How many people should be involved?
Your whole team has a stake in WorkHound. The Executive team will be involved in making larger changes based on the worker feedback you collect. Some Executive teams like to be involved more directly, reviewing the Weekly Summary email to keep up-to-date with the pulse of the fleet and approving the Weekly Broadcasts you send to workers.

Operations is a key part of a successful WorkHound program. They implement the changes you are making and promote WorkHound to the workers.

Recruitment helps you get the word out to new workers about your focus on giving workers a voice.

Who should be included on the Weekly Call?
This depends on your organization. Successful programs have been led by Operations Managers, Retention Specialists, Human Resource professionals and Recruitment Managers and more. WorkHound weekly calls include anywhere from one to fifteen people.

The most important attributes to look for in WorkHound quarterbacks are vested interest in retaining workers, strong communication skills, working knowledge of operations, and knowing who within the company to go to when questions arise that they can’t answer.

Who should help create the Broadcast?
This depends on your company’s structure and internal processes. WorkHound has seen success with a single person creating and reviewing the broadcast and with broadcasts created by committee.

The key is to have a designated person leading broadcast creation who can connect with the right each week. Depending on the topic those involved may be from Human Resources, Safety, Operations or Maintenance. The ultimate goal of the Weekly Broadcast is to get workers the best possible answers to their questions.

What Does WorkHound Text to Workers?

Prompt Texts
Once per week, workers receive a text message on their phone with a link to leave feedback. The actual message varies from week to week, but the sentiment is the same.

Example: "Hi NAME, How is your week going at COMPANY? Click the link to share your thoughts.
-WorkHound
LINK"

Broadcast Texts
Workers receive a second text message each week with a link to the broadcast you put together with your Customer Success Manager. Broadcast messages respond to worker feedback from the previous week and it is important for workers to receive them each week to complete the feedback loop.

Example: "Thank you for taking time for WorkHound. COMPANY has a few updates based on worker feedback. Tap the link to read more: LINK"

Monthly Opt-Out Texts
Once a month, WorkHound legally must send out a message reminding workers that they are subscribed to our service.

Those texts read: "Reminder: COMPANY is using WorkHound for anonymous feedback. Msg&Data rates may apply. 2 msgs/week. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel."

Are workers able to opt-out at any time?
Yes, workers are automatically opted out if they reply STOP to any WorkHound text. They can also text us directly at 48714.

If a worker responds with something other than STOP, but it is clear they no longer want to receive WorkHound texts, we make sure to opt them out.

If a worker changes their mind and wants to receive WorkHound texts once again, all they need to do is text START to 48714.

Questions About Terminated Workers

What should I do when a worker leaves the company?
Inevitably, workers will leave. When this happens, you will need to update your worker list. Add a termination date to the Drive Contact Data spreadsheet and our system will take care of the rest.

When you share your updated worker list, that worker is deactivated in the system and no longer receives text messages from WorkHound.

Please note that once a worker's termination date has been shared with WorkHound, that worker can be left off of future worker lists.

How did I receive a comment from a worker no longer with the company?
If a deactivated user clicks on links from previous prompt texts, they are able to leave feedback. All links remain live to account for boomerang workers who may wish to rejoin the company. While it is rare, occasionally workers no longer with the company submit comments. We find that in these cases it generally only happens once.

WorkHound Terms to Know

Quarterback -  More hands on, looking through feedback, taking weekly calls/adding to and approving broadcasts, helping with reach outs

Executive Sponsor -  Involved with and aware of the workings but not as hands on

Broadcast - Weekly newsletter style message (approved by Company Quarterback) that addresses worker's comments based on that week's feedback/any company updates or announcements

Prompt - Weekly text that goes out to workers requested their feedback for the week

Dashboard - Backend customer interface that displays the worker's feedback

Feedback - Anonymous comments directly from workers and collected in the Dashboard

Reachouts - A text or call sent to workers in response to concerning/emergency feedback. This can be prompted via the Dashboard and company or flagged by our system

Reveal - When a worker chooses to reveal their identity and be contacted by their company for help

Worker Lists 101

What is a worker List?
Worker Lists are how we get your worker contact information (name, phone number, email, etc.) from you and into the WorkHound system. Without this info, we cannot get in touch with workers or send out weekly prompts or broadcasts.

Why Weekly?
Workers are constantly being added to your team, and through experience, we know that the key timeframe to reach workers is during their first two weeks on the job. It is a unique window to create connections with the worker and receive important feedback as they adjust. Many new worker frustrations can be solved with a quick educational phone call and result in saved jobs.

Additionally, we've found that when a worker is given access to WorkHound within their first two weeks, we see a significant difference in participation both initially and throughout their tenure with your company. WorkHound becomes a habit from the beginning and not something you and your team need to circle back and promote down the road.

What Information is Included?
We try to keep it simple! We need First Name, Last Name, Mobile Phone Number, Email, startDate, termDate, companyDisplay and the worker's tag (this is usually the worker's fleet, terminal, etc.).

Please note that the A,B,C,D,G,H columns are required where E,F (the startDate and termDate) columns are optional. It's important we have ALL information included in the A,B,C,D,G,H columns as a base. We will NOT be able to contact workers otherwise.

Example of worker List Below:

Extras
List should be sent in .xls or .csv format. Please send this information to your Account Manager directly or to [e-mail]

You can download the WorkHound Worker List Template below:

• WorkHound Worker Data Template.xlsx
  

Setting Up Dashboard Access

How do I log in?

To get started you will receive an email from [e-mail] instructing you to set your password. This is a vital step in setting up access to your company’s dashboard.

Please go to your inbox and look for the email titled, "Set your WorkHound Password". This email will ask you to reset your WorkHound password. Follow the link within that email stating "https://workhound.auth0.com". This will take you to a page that will ask you to enter a new password, as seen below:

Once you have successfully chosen a new password you will be taken to a screen with a green circle. If you see the image below after choosing your new login credentials you're all set!

After each step has been completed you can gain access to your company’s dashboard by following the dashboard link provided by your Customer Success Manager. Your dashboard link will have the form of “<yourcompanyprefix>.workhoundapp.com”. Please use your newly acquired login credentials there.

If you run into any issues along the way this is a great Troubleshooting Article from our FAQ. If you continue to have issues logging in please email your dedicated Customer Success Manager or [e-mail] with as much information as possible describing the issues you're seeing! Remember the more information the better!

Worker Reachout Best Practices

WorkHound sent me a worker reveal...what happens now?
Worker reachouts are an essential tool in worker retention. This is your chance to show worker's you're listening, want to address their issues and care about their voice. We recommend setting up a time to chat on the phone or a personalized email.

What does a Reveal Look Like?
WorkHound will send you an email with the worker's name, contact info and the comment that they left. 

When you've received this information it's best to reach out to the worker stating that you've received their information from WorkHound and wanted to discuss the feedback that they left. This shows that when they do share with WorkHound their anonymous feedback is being read and that it does matter to you. 

WorkHound is not only a tool to help communication but to create a safe and trusting environment where workers feel they can share

Who Reaches out to the worker?
This all depends on the nature of the comment and your company’s preferences but typically the chain of command looks like this:

- Quarterback 

- Designated team for that particular terminal/department

- Whoever is in charge of that department 

Logging Into the Dashboard

Why is my login not working anymore?
We're sorry to hear you're having trouble logging into your company's Dashboard! Here are a few steps to follow to remedy this:

Correct URL
What URL are you trying to use? Please make sure you're accessing the dashboard via the special link emailed to you. This should include your company name followed by workhoundapp.com. Please see below example:

<yourcompanyprefix>.workhoundapp.com

If you're unsure of this information please email your Customer Success Manager or [e-mail] 

Browser
If you’re getting a blank page it is probably due to the browser you're using. Please be sure to work out of the most updated versions of Chrome or Firefox. We find that these browsers work best overall with the WorkHound platform and shouldn't give you any issues while logging in.

Clearing Cache
Clear your cache/cookies. When you visit a website, your browser stores information from that site and can often hold onto old data/files that can cause display and access issues. Clearing your browser will clear this issue right up! 

If you continue to have issues logging in please email your dedicated Customer Success Manager or [e-mail].

Dashboard Metrics Explained

Usage Page Metrics

Workers Retained 30 Days After Reveal
This measures the number of workers who have remained with the company at least 30 days after choosing to reveal their identity in response to a reachout request. We use the updated worker lists provided by the company to inform this metric. This is one reason why we must encourage clients to reliably provide updated lists. Otherwise, we can not accurately measure the success of WorkHound as a retention tool. 

Reachouts Per Starred Comment
As comments are marked as “starred” by a CSM during coding, this metric shows what percentage of those comments have been reached out to by the client. 

Average Worker List Upload Frequency
This metric is an average over time, reached by dividing the total number of days the client has been on the platform by the total number of worker list uploads. Only one upload per day is counted towards the frequency, so uploading hires and terms separately will not skew this metric as long as it is done on the same day.

Worker Reveal Percentage
This shows what percentage of workers have revealed compared to the number of reachouts initiated by the client in real time. Unlike the 30 day post reveal metric, these reveals are not counted as a retention opportunity yet.  

Metrics Page

Satisfaction Score
A client’s satisfaction score is calculated as a rolling 30-day average of the self-reported 1-10 score gathered when collecting feedback. So, a company’s satisfaction score on any given day is an average of score values received from the previous 30 days. Any feedback that is collected outside of the prompt link form is not counted towards this, as workers do not provide a 1-10 satisfaction score in these instances.

Total Workers
This is the total number of unique individuals who have left feedback throughout the program or selected time segment. This is not to be confused with the total number of workers receiving WorkHound communications. 

Total Comments
This is the total number of comments submitted to your company through WorkHound.

Weekly Summary Email

The metrics in the weekly summary email are representative of the entire company, not segmented by tag. This is important to note for any client stakeholders receiving this email who may only have dashboard access to certain tags.

Also provided in this email are all pieces of feedback that are marked “starred” or deemed worthy of attention from the company.

General Metrics

How frequently are these metrics updated?
Metrics are calculated the first time any user accesses the dashboard for a given time frame (30 days/90 days/All Time) each day, and cached for all users the remainder of the day.

How does caching work?
On the Metrics and Usage pages of our dashboards, we do backend caching of the data that is displayed. As datasets grow, the calculations needed to populate these pages take longer and longer. A calculation might take several seconds on a customer with a good amount of data.

Since we don't want our customers to have to wait that long for the screen to update, we only do the calculations on the first time these pages are visited in a given day. The result of the calculation then lives in our cache for the rest of the day so the pages can load quickly.

The default timeframe for the Metrics and Usage pages is "All Time". So the data for the "All Time" timeframe is what is cached on initial page load. When "30 Day" or "90 Day" filters are selected, a new calculation is run for those timeframes and that result is placed in our cache.

Since the "30 Day" and "90 Day" filters are not selected as frequently as the default "All Time" timeframe, it's possible that values are cached early in the day for the default time range and then later in the day for the other time ranges. This is rarely ever noticeable except in the case of a new customer, particularly on the day of the initial prompt. If a lot of comments come in after the initial 'All Time' caching of the day, the other time ranges can look pretty different, but new values will be calculated on first visit the next day.

How were the goal lines determined?
We used a combination of analysis and our insight and judgement on what would create the best program results to set them.