Dive Brief:
- Can technology solve the challenge of handling difficult conversations at work? So far, the track record is weak but a new U.S.-based app, called Blind, is making some waves, according to Forbes Asia.
- Initially launched in South Korea, Blind began to take off when Korean Air employees used the app to anonymously dissect the case of an executive's daughter who berated a flight attendant for serving some mixed nuts in a bag (rather than on a plate).
- When the employee discussion using Blind ended up making it to the mainstream media (not the other way around), the app took off, Forbes Asia reports. The sign-up waitlist number soared by at least 10 times, making it clear workers were thrilled to have a safe harbor where they could let it rip without fear of reprimand or being fired.
Dive Insight:
Blind's reach has grown to over 1,500 companies in Korea, Forbes reports. It is officially a hit.
Forbes Asia reports that in a December 2015 article in The Korean Herald said Doosan Group Chairman Jeongwon Park aborted a decision to include junior employees in a company-wide voluntary retirement (layoff) strategy after executives monitored posts by younger employees on Blind about the upcoming layoffs.
No mention in Forbes Asia whether Blind is making the same splash in the U.S. or elsewhere (it is available for both iOS and Android users). The takeaway from the South Korean experience is HR leaders could offer anonymous platforms as a way for employees to air their grievances and positives too.
