Matt Spreigel, founder and CEO of Atiom
In the bustling world of hospitality, where every interaction shapes a guest’s experience, ensuring that staff are well-trained and deeply engaged is paramount.
Matt Spreigel, founder and CEO of Singapore-based Atiom, recognised a critical gap in traditional training methods and embarked on a journey to redefine how hospitality companies develop their teams.
Atiom, an AI-powered, gamified platform, isn’t just another training tool; it’s a novel approach to building high-performing, satisfied, and loyal workforces.
Spreigel’s journey began not in a boardroom but on the back of a motorcycle in Maua, Kenya, while he was interning at a micro-finance bank. Immersed in a vibrant culture, surrounded by children he’d never met, he had an epiphany: “Every day we change forever.”
This experience instilled in him the belief that each moment holds the power to transform, inspiring him to approach each day with a sense of limitless possibility. This mindset set the stage for his future entrepreneurial endeavours.
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A year later, a move to China to study Mandarin evolved into a decade-long immersion. Struggling with intensive study hours, Spreigel discovered the power of Anki flashcards.
This tool, which used frequent short study sessions and applied learning, allowed him to learn effectively. It was a key step in developing Atiom’s spaced repetition learning methodology.
When Spreigel encountered a challenging workplace training scenario during his time at a multinational company in Shanghai—eight days of PowerPoint slides in Chinese—he knew there had to be a better way. He supplemented his learning with his own Anki flashcards, and soon, he was learning more effectively on his own.
This experience crystallised the need for a more personalised, flexible, and engaging approach to training, and Atiom was born.
The shortcomings of traditional training
Traditional classroom training, designed for the Industrial Revolution, is simply not keeping up with the demands of the modern hospitality industry. Spreigel highlights the major limitations of such methods, noting the often long hours and low pay in the industry.
Simply getting staff to a classroom for training is a challenge, let alone keeping them motivated. The “one-size-fits-all” approach of traditional training fails to accommodate the individual needs of employees, often leaving them without effective tools for review and retention. As Spreigel notes, repetition is vital for mastery but must be personalised.
The front-line workforce is often underserved. These are the individuals who make our daily lives smoother – the people who maintain workplaces, get us to meetings on time and make our coffees. They are too often taken for granted. This is reflected in the fact that many companies invest more in middle management and above.
Spreigel argues that this creates a negative cycle of low morale and performance. Companies that invest in their front-line employees see big benefits, with more engaged staff who are more productive and loyal, which boosts customer experiences.
Gamification and AI: The Atiom difference
Atiom leverages gamification to keep employees engaged, using quizzes, challenges, and rewards, as well as providing bite-sized content. These features make training more effective and drive lasting shifts in performance.
Gamification also allows employees to track their progress with milestones and leaderboards, fostering healthy competition and teamwork.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is central to Atiom’s platform. It creates a dynamic learning path for each employee, focusing on areas where they need support. Ati, Atiom’s AI assistant, streamlines the creation of training modules, surveys, and local newsfeed posts while also customising content to meet each organisation’s unique needs.
Human psychology and data-driven behaviour change
Atiom understands that lasting behaviour change is built on strong foundations. The platform uses intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to increase participation and foster achievement. It incorporates bite-sized content and daily quests. In addition, insights from data can be used to create daily challenges that spark positive shifts in performance.
Atiom focuses on delivering measurable business outcomes, not just increased training hours. They report 100 per cent customer retention with each account growing by over 2x on average. In addition to revenue growth, they have received a lot of positive feedback from front-line teams.
The future of employee training
Spreigel foresees a shift towards a more blended and holistic approach to employee training, noting that whilst technology will continue to advance, face-to-face interaction should be optimised through role-playing, on-the-job training, and personalised learning.
He says the days of long classroom sessions and videos on obsolete learning management systems are over. Training must be concise, relevant, and interactive. Emotional intelligence, empathy, and critical thinking skills will be increasingly important. Employee mental health and well-being should be prioritised to reduce turnover rates and boost productivity.
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Atiom is aware of the need to balance technology with the personal touch. It also recognises the need to tailor solutions to diverse cultural needs. Spreigel emphasises the importance of open conversations with employees to provide them with the right tools and support.
Ultimately, Atiom envisions a workplace where training is a dynamic, data-driven journey tailored to each individual’s unique needs. By leveraging AI, gamification, and a holistic approach, Atiom is transforming how organisations cultivate talent, enhance performance, and foster a culture of continuous learning.
Atom is not just changing how employees are trained; it is changing how they experience work.
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