How Improving Manager Effectiveness and Engagement with 15Five is Driving Down Turnover for ReUp Education

At ReUp Education, a commitment to people lies at the core of their mission. Supporting managers, fostering a culture of growth, and retaining top talent is critical to their success—and they’ve found the perfect partner in 15Five.  

Jennifer Sobocinski, Senior Director of People & Culture at ReUp, shares how 15Five transformed their approach to engagement and performance, enabling them to use data to inform their decisions – leading to a positive impact on both their people and business outcomes.  

From Overwhelming Data to Actionable Insights  

Jennifer’s experience highlights a common challenge for HR teams: how to turn raw data into meaningful action. “We don’t have a big HR team,” Jennifer explains, “so being able to specifically say, ‘this is what we need to focus on’ just makes our data far more actionable.”  

15Five’s heatmap has been a game-changer, breaking down employee engagement feedback to the individual question level.

This granular view empowers Jennifer and her team to pinpoint specific areas for improvement. “I can go to a manager and say, this is the one thing you can work on,” she adds.

The ability to slice and dice data without getting overwhelmed has also made it easier to diagnose issues, celebrate wins, and create the right plans of action. “The heatmap shows where the house is on fire. It makes it clear where we need to focus to create impact,” Jennifer notes.

Simplicity that Drives Adoption  

For Jennifer, simplicity is key. “I love the platform. The fact that everything is so simple to use for my team, employees, and my managers is what is important to me,” she says.  

From OKRs and pulse surveys to 1-on-1 meetings and performance reviews, ReUp uses 15Five to centralize their strategic HR processes. When it comes to things like implementing performance reviews or navigating engagement data, this integrated approach has saved her lean team time and reduced friction.

“What would have taken me an hour and a half took me 30 minutes,” Jennifer shares.

Outcomes that Matter  

ReUp’s partnership with 15Five is delivering measurable results:  

• Engagement and Performance: ReUp regularly measures these metrics with high participation, providing a clear diagnosis of their team’s health.  
• Manager Effectiveness: Their Manager Effectiveness Indicator (MEI) is in the 86th percentile, reflecting a culture of strong leadership.  
• Reduced Turnover: By identifying and addressing areas of concern, ReUp has seen turnover decrease over time.  
• Manager Actions: More and more managers are developing and practicing key skills and behaviors like conducting regular 1-on-1s with their teams, fostering deeper connections and alignment. 

Building a Culture of Growth  

Beyond the numbers, Jennifer emphasizes how 15Five aligns with ReUp’s values. “The strategic focus of 15Five aligns with our company’s focus on strengths and how to improve performance within those strengths,” she says.

This strengths-based approach supports a culture of continuous improvement. “It’s less about what went wrong and more about how we can move forward,” Jennifer explains. This mindset is essential for a high-growth organization like ReUp, where agility and adaptability are critical.  

Why 15Five Stands Out  

For Jennifer, 15Five is irreplaceable. “I have no desire to leave 15Five,” she says emphatically. “It’s distinct from our HRIS/payroll system and is essential to how we practice HR—the employee engagement and development side.

15Five keeps everything in one place and helps us build stronger relationships across the company.”  

With 15Five, ReUp Education has turned engagement and performance management into a strategic advantage. By focusing on diagnosing areas for improvements, creating plans based on insights, and fostering a culture of growth through their managers, they’re setting their teams—and their customers—up for success. 

Ready to see what 15Five can do for you? Book a demo to get started.