Joseph Ifiegbu is a co-founder of eqtble, an HR analytics platform that aims to help create more engaged and inclusive workplaces. Additional co-founders: Gabe Horwitz and Ethan Veres.
In this interview, Joseph Ifiegbu discusses eqtble, technology development, data analytics, contemporary business challenges, leadership and perspectives on the future of work. Leverage these expert insights to grow your role and your business. Discover what Ifiegbu has to say.
Tell us about how you came to develop eqtble:
During our tenure at WeWork as people analytics leaders, we built a process that took data from multiple systems into a unified database, which we standardized and visualized in a dashboard. We saw how these insights helped our leaders make better decisions compared to when they didn’t have the data. So we decided to build a company that helps organizations make better decisions about their employee base using data.
What kind of data does eqtble provide to businesses?
eqtble provides HR insights to organizations; including workforce, talent (recruiting), engagement (attrition), and compensation insights. Additionally, we look at these metrics through a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) lens.
Tell us about the technology behind eqtble:
eqtble connects to over a 100 different HR data sources and brings this data into our data layer (data model) where it is standardized. After the standardization, we deliver insights through a front-end application (dashboard).
Tell us about the philosophy at the center of eqtble:
We have 3 values that drive how we approach our product and people.
- Learning atmosphere – We don’t care about degrees or flashy prior experience, we care about your hunger to learn and grow.
- Diversity focused – We understand different backgrounds and experiences lead to different thought processes, which in turn lead to innovation. Therefore, we believe in bringing together people of different gender, race, sexual orientation, cognition, etc. to encourage thought diversity.
- Be kind. Be human – We want to build a company around human beings who are looking to grow personally and professionally. Above all, we care about fostering empathy.
How do you think about the design of your organization? Do you tend to be intentional with it, or prefer for it to develop organically?
I think culture is the daily decisions you make. Every action or reaction forms the building blocks of culture. Hence, we try to make decisions based on that understanding.
What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make so far as a leader (or leaders) and how did you arrive at the right answer?
We make hard decisions daily. We are at a stage where we are experimenting in different ways to build products that people love. I think one of the major things we’ve learned is not to be married to an idea. Being able to change our minds constantly when new and innovative information is provided to us is a superpower.
What insights do you have for other business leaders?
You cannot change what you don’t measure.
Resources that you might recommend to other leaders?
Something that spoke to me recently is the book Founding Sales by Pete Kazanjy. I think this is a useful resource for any founder who needs to understand the sales process at the early stages of their company.
Anything else that you wish to share with the Cyber Talk audience?
Yes. I am sure everyone is hearing about the ‘future of work.’ With the trend of remote work and more competition for talent, companies that use data to understand their employee base and make decisions would stand out significantly from companies that don’t.
How can organizations connect with you?
You can reach out to me via email: [email protected].
