Comstock's magazine 1019 - October 2019

n SEED ROUND: MEET THE FOUNDER ANNA STRAUS SPARCK by Russell Nichols professional ballroom dancer. If I could have any other job, I’d be a................................................................. the right people. A startup can’t be successful without................................................................. The Goonies. The movie that best represents my approach to business would be................................. missing the mark. My biggest fear about launching was........................................................................... exciting roller coaster ride! I believe life is an.................................................................................................... IS THE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY SEPARATE FROM THE PLATFORM? “This can be a stand- alone cost for a client or they can subscribe to the full Sparck platform and the survey result information will be integrated. When they implement Sparck, we personalize the onboarding questionnaire to the client to uncov- er recognition preferences for each employee to make it most meaningful.” WHY DO MANAGERS MISS THE MARK WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGEMENT? “With so much going on in the world, it’s hard to remember details. With Sparck … we ed- ucate and equip (managers) for follow-through to help behavior change.” For more on Sparck, read Russell Nichols’ Startup of the Month column at comstocksmag.com. 126 comstocksmag.com | October 2019 When it comes to employee retention and workplace productivity, perks just are not personal enough, according to Anna Straus. Her Sacramento-based startup, Sparck, is launching a web platform to teach managers how to make employees feel valued in a personal way. “Perks have become such a standard, there is no longer a differentiating point,” says Straus, who launched Sparck in May 2018. “It’s mind-blowing. So many large companies have ping pong tables and five different chefs and baristas on site, but they still can’t hold onto their employees.” Sparck compiles data from two sources: an in-house questionnaire and an engagement survey created by B. Lynn Ware, an organizational psy- chologist. The questionnaire helps employers customize how employees are recognized and rewarded. For instance, an employee who reaches a milestone might want to be acknowledged at a quarterly staff meeting rather than receive a $200 gift card. This information is collected and stored in Sparck’s web platform, where managers can keep track of performance and receive alerts. As an add-on service, the engagement survey analyzes five differ- ent areas of performance, including growth. The results can be broken down by department, manager and other demographic filters. The data equips employers with information on where to invest their time and money to get the greatest returns on retention and productivity, Straus says. Currently funded by venture capitalists and an angel investor, Straus is now looking to raise $500,000. The full platform is expected to be ready in early 2020.

Comstock's magazine 1019 - October 2019 | Page 126