‘Engagement is the heartbeat of performance’

Kemi Buluro, the founder of Every1has.com and an organisational development professional, in this interview with Osa Victor Obayagbona, speaks on aiming to increase staff engagement by helping people feel seen, valued, and aligned to shared goals within an organisation. Excerpt:

What is your product all about?

Every1 has an app that is intentionally designed to be simple to help teams understand their teammates’ behaviour by turning behavioural observations into actionable team member insights. A team selects a set of questions—some serious, some playful—that reflect real behaviours observed at work. The app aggregates those inputs to generate a report for each person, highlighting the unique value their behaviour brings, practical ways to support the team, and specific collaboration opportunities to help each other grow. Because the report is built from peer observations, it doubles as a credible work reference rooted in day-to-day interactions, not abstractions.

The design philosophy is intentional simplicity: no pre-reading, no dense theory, and no specialised training required. A typical assessment takes under 10 minutes, yet the output is richly practical—clear, positive, and immediately usable by any team regardless of role mix or educational background.

What is the product set out to achieve?

Every1 has aims to increase staff engagement by helping people feel seen, valued, and aligned to shared goals. It translates everyday behaviour into constructive feedback that teams can act on—reducing friction, spotlighting strengths, and channeling them into collaborative workflows. In short: more trust, better collaboration, and higher morale. The app targets the core problem that only a minority of employees report being engaged at work. When teammates read their report, they perceive it as a compliment anchored in real observations, supported by clear suggestions for supporting colleagues and improving collective outcomes.

Who are your target audiences, and why?

The first adopters we’re inviting are forward-thinking People & Culture (P&C), HR leaders, and managers who are passionate about engagement and open to trying new, human-centred tools. These are trailblazers who understand that engagement isn’t a quarterly KPI—it’s an everyday experience shaped by peer interactions, recognition, and shared norms. For them, Every1 has it free through the end of 2025, with early benefits that continue after launch—an opportunity to co-shape a product built for the realities of modern teams.

Beyond HR, the product is relevant to team leads across engineering, operations, sales, and service—anywhere collaborative outcomes depend on mutual understanding. Because inputs are peer-based and the UI is straightforward, it scales across diverse roles and levels, bridging cultural and educational differences while maintaining psychological safety.

“When teammates read their report, they perceive it as a compliment anchored in real observations, supported by clear suggestions for supporting colleagues and improving collective outcomes.”

Why do you think the product is necessary now?

Two forces make everyone have time. First, employee engagement levels remain stubbornly low—only about 31 percent of U.S. employees report being engaged, 17 percent in Nigeria and just 21 percent globally. That’s a staggering drag on productivity, work culture, and retention. Second, the rise of AI has dramatically shifted day-to-day work. We rely more heavily on digital tools, spend less time in organic human interactions, and increasingly execute tasks solo behind screens. That trend, while boosting efficiency, risks amplifying isolation, miscommunication, and low morale. We need tools that actively re-centre human connection—without slowing work down. Every1 has helped teams “catch up” on human relations skills: noticing behaviours, recognising value, and building engagement through collaborative action.

How do you hope to cope with competition?

We see two major competitive clusters:

Gamified training platforms that emphasise fun experiences or content-heavy modules. These can be great for morale or knowledge transfer, but they often rely on event-based engagement that fades. Everyone has integrated psychology into everyday team life—linking observations to durable behaviour change. For example, at a presentation at the Global Business Analysis 2023, organised by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), the founder applied the mere exposure effect principle in a team performance tool to sustain a team decision by keeping information visible and salient over time—techniques widely used in advertising but underutilised in team development.

Behavioural self-assessments (e.g., personality typologies) that depend on self-report and lengthy interpretation. Self-assessments can be insightful, but inputs are subjective and even aspirational. Every1 has flipped the script by using demonstrated, peer-observed inputs, then distills insights into direct, pragmatic guidance. No studying, no jargon—just clear steps teams can adopt immediately.

We cope with competition by focusing on the gap between “learning” and “doing”. Our product is designed to live inside daily collaboration, not as an off-site or a PDF to be skimmed then shelved.

How do you hope to enter space, because others have been there before you?

We’re entering with humility and evidence-backed simplicity. Rather than claiming to replace existing tools, everyone has complemented them. HR leaders can continue using their preferred assessments or culture screens; our app helps translate those big-picture frameworks into peer-to-peer behaviour insights and practical steps to close the gap between “fit” and “growth”. Where a tool like Steven Bartlett’s CultureTest screens for cultural alignment, everyone helps teams grow into the culture by building engagement—even for those who don’t perfectly fit on day one. We believe this “bridge” approach respects the investments companies have already made while addressing the last-mile problem: turning abstract fit into everyday collaboration.

Our go-to-market emphasises early partnerships with P&C leaders, free access through 2025, and a structured feedback loop to co-develop features that matter most: ease of adoption, psychological safety, and measurable team outcomes. This phased, collaborative entry builds credibility and ensures we add value alongside incumbents.

What is your vision and mission to extend the product beyond your immediate environment?

Vision: A world of teams where everyday behaviour is noticed, valued, and channelled into collaborative strength—so that performance reinforces one another, not competes.

Mission: Make behaviour-based engagement practical and universal by translating observed interactions into clear, positive, and immediately actionable guidance—at scale.

Beyond our initial environment, we aim to extend Every1 across industries and geographies, localising question sets and nudges to cultural contexts while preserving the core: peer observation → insight → action. We envision integrations with common collaboration platforms and HRIS systems, allowing teams to surface recognition moments, collaboration prompts, and growth suggestions in the flow of work. Over time, anonymised, ethically managed analytics can help organisations see patterns: which behaviours unlock cross-functional success, where collaboration stalls, and how recognition impacts retention. All of this supports a broader mission, reducing loneliness and low engagement by improving human relations skills in an AI-heavy economy.

Where do you hope to be in the next five years with the product?

Five years from now, we aim to be the default layer of team-level behavioural insight: embedded into daily tools, used by small squads and global enterprises alike, and recognised for turning micro-behaviours into macro-outcomes. We expect:

Widespread adoption among HR and team leaders who want practical engagement gains without heavyweight programmes.

Proven impact on morale and engagement, demonstrated through case studies that link peer-based recognition and guidance to retention, performance, and cross-team collaboration.

A robust ecosystem of integrations, templates, and community-led question banks that reflect sector-specific realities—from frontline service teams to distributed engineering groups.

Ethical data practices that set the standard for psychological safety in behaviour analytics—prioritising consent, minimising bias, and keeping feedback constructive.

Our north star remains unchanged: help people feel valued and empowered to support one another, so engagement becomes a lived experience—not a quarterly metric.

What messages do you have for your clientele and competitors?

To clientele—HR leaders, managers, and teams:

You already know engagement is the heartbeat of performance. You also know it can’t be mandated; it must be experienced. Every1 has given you a simple, respectful way to turn everyday observations into recognition and action. Try it with us for free through the end of 2025, help shape its evolution, and let’s build teams where people feel seen and supported. When teammates read their reports as compliments, morale rises and collaboration follows.

To competitors—training platforms and assessment providers:

We respect the ground you’ve broken. Our bet is that the future lies in the daily layer—in tools that translate insight into peer practice, seamlessly and repeatedly. We’re excited to coexist, integrate, and learn from what you’ve built. Where your strengths shine, rich content, rigorous models, we’ll meet them with implementation: the small, sustained behaviours that make culture tangible. If you’re similarly committed to practical engagement, let’s talk about partnerships. A focused value proposition for a hands-on world.

In the end, clarity wins. Every1 has existed to help teams understand each other better—so they relate better, feel valued, and engage more fully. It’s a hands-on product for a hands-on reality, where strategy must meet practice and where AI-powered work still depends on human connection. Engagement isn’t an abstraction; it’s built on observed behaviour, on recognition moments, and on one helpful action at a time. We’re here to make that process simple, credible, and repeatable—so strong ideas don’t get lost and strong teams don’t get left behind.

What about early access?

Everyone is open to first adopters now—P&C, HR leaders, and managers are ready to trailblaze engagement with a new approach. Apply for our First Adopters Programme and enjoy free access through 2025 plus ongoing benefits after launch. Let’s make engagement visible, actionable, and human—together.