We had the good fortune of connecting with Laneisha Roberts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laneisha, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
With over 13 years of experience in people management, I’ve learned that there are 2 types of people in the workforce. Those who hate performance reviews, and those who like them because of their influence and relationships at the company or their ability to write immaculate novels.

Traditionally, employees and managers have tracked performance notes in spreadsheets, Word documents, cell phones, notebooks, or they haven’t tracked them at all. For years, I’ve tracked achievements in a spreadsheet to prepare for performance reviews. At one employer, each December, my boss would take what I wrote and turn it into my final review. This ritual shifted towards the end of my tenure, my boss decided to write my review on their own; however, due to lack of documentation and only going off the most recent events, they missed key accomplishments. In that moment, I used my notes to advocate for a better rating, which ultimately meant a higher compensation increase. Over the years I’ve witnessed this happen time after time impacting many other employees, contributing to disengagement, costing US companies a collective $1.6 trillion a year (Gallup). Our passion to see equity flourish beyond the workplace was the driving force for creating ReviewTailor.

ReviewTailor is an HR performance management software that helps to make performance reviews simple, automated, and collaborative. We give managers the tools to track team progress, provide feedback, and make data-informed decisions. Employees have a forum to showcase their work, set goals, and have a clear picture of their career trajectory. HR admins can fully wrap their arms around where the company is in the cycle, manage reporting, and identify trends to drive workforce development strategies. We exist to empower employees, managers, and HR to help build equitable workplaces.

What should our readers know about your business?
ReviewTailor distinguishes itself by our user-friendly interface and user engagement features to drive easy adoption. In addition to the use of advanced technologies like AI, we have embedded features that prompt inclusive behaviors and performance management best practices. Our focus on transparency, fairness, and engagement sets us apart, providing a holistic solution to your performance management needs. As a founding team, we’re unique in a male-dominated industry. We are black queer women, on a disruptive mission to leverage technology to break down barriers and increase access to information and opportunities.

We’re aware that there are many employees at companies today who are not customers of ReviewTailor. We’ve heard from many of them and what they’re demanding is a better solution. Our single-user solution (the first of its kind) has been specifically crafted with them in mind, allowing individual employees to sign up, keep track of their performance real-time, and generate their own performance reviews that can then be shared as they see fit or transferred into their company’s performance review module. Our goal is to empower employees, allowing them to take charge of their performance narrative and career development, fostering the creation of fair and inclusive workplaces.

Since launching our MVP in June 2023, we’ve completed a pilot study, secured paying customers of our Business Solution and Single-User offering, approaching 100 users, accepted into the Atlanta Tech Village Pre-accelerator followed by acceptance into the Techstars Equitech Accelerator, and are in the process of onboarding several new customers. We didn’t reach this point overnight, and it wasn’t handed to us. We’ve been on a journey filled with more “No’s” than “Yes”; however, as we brush off the immediate impact of the rejection, we quickly get back to what’s important and being our biggest cheerleaders as we push forward and get closer to our next Yes. For us, it’s not just about the destination, we’re in love with the journey. One key learning we’ve embraced is the power of consistency. Building our startup “muscle” has been a reoccurring theme shared by our Managing Director of the Techstars Equitech Accelerator, Adam H. Phillips. Just as athletes train relentlessly in the off-season, we, too, must dedicate ourselves to the small, consistent efforts—even when the immediate rewards seem distant. The same is true in all aspects of life i.e. relationships, health, etc.

We want the world to know that we’re here to empower employees, managers, and HR to achieve equity beyond the workplace and we’re not stopping until we do just that!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta has so much to offer, it would truly take a lifetime to experience it all because just when you think you’ve seen it all or done it all, there’s something new being added. Some favorite spots include – Toast on Lenox, Ponce City Market, Atlantic Station, Montaluce Winery, and Atlanta Tech Village.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without God’s favor. Who I am supposed to be (per society) versus who I am today (divinity) is a direct outcome of my obedience to God and his will for my life from an early age. I won’t pretend that it has been an easy journey, but it has been one that continues to evolve and strengthen day by day. I come from a family of very strong women who’ve made countless sacrifices to see that I am where I am today. I am truly grateful for my mother, grandmother, and many others who’ve inspired me to be inquisitive, to be different, to be innovative. I like to believe that my grandmother was the true pioneer of a “smart watch” with her patent of a changeable memorandum wristband (freepatentsonline.com/6186552.html). I see my entrepreneurial journey as a passing of the torch moment and feel truly honored to build upon her legacy. I’ve been fortunate to have a strong work village prior to making the full-time leap into entrepreneurship that allowed me the opportunity to fine-tune the business strategies while still being nurtured as an employee. The support I’ve received from this village has been invaluable. My connection with my co-founder in 2020, was destined to happen. Ne-Yo said it best, we’re a movement by ourselves, but we’re a force when we’re together. With a collective 25 years of experience in people leadership and HR, we’re able to approach innovation in HR Tech through a multi-dimensional lens, prioritizing the needs of all key stakeholders. I am genuinely thankful for all who have supported me and ReviewTailor over the years.

Website: www.reviewtailor.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reviewtailor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TryReviewTailor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TryReviewTailor

Image Credits
Photo of the (outdoor) Techstars Equitech Accelerator 2024 cohort (COURTESY UPSURGE BALTIMORE/IAN HARPOOL)

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