Multiple choice: What does Xylo mean?
A) It´s a scientific and technical prefix from the Greek language for the term wood.
B) The name of a work-life solutions provider based in Bellevue, Washington
C) A tall cylindrical farm structure in which grains are stored
D) The name of the kitten in a movie narrated by Dudley Moore about the curious feline and her pug-friend, Otis.
If you guessed answers A and B, you´re right!
(Answer C would happen to be silo, and Answer D would be Milo.)
Xylo, Inc., formerly EmployeeSavings.com changed their name in the Fall of 2000. And although the quasi-word Xylo doesn´t really mean anything, this strange sounding and looking name is definitely unique and memorable, quite like the company.
Xylo provides companies with an innovative work-life solution to help make their employees´ lives more convenient and easier. The HR idea is that companies need to offer more than attractive salaries and benefits options to attract, motivate, and retain their best employees. Xylo´s work-life solution shouldn´t be viewed as another trendy and creative way to use the Internet to provide HR functions. Instead, the extension of an overarching corporate community is intended to increase internal communications, information sharing, and develop stronger internal relations.
The idea is simple, the process more complex. Xylo has partnered with some of the top product and service providers in the U.S. to give employees access to a wide range of products and services over Xylo´s customized corporate website. To be more specific, one reason why this work-life solution is appealing to companies and employees is that since Xylo has connected with so many marketing partners and offers their products to so many companies and employees, they are able negotiate cost-effective rates for their users. From travel to entertainment to gift ideas and more, Xylo can connect employees to reputable and specially priced products. Some of their partners include:
IBM
AT&T Wireless
Carnival Cruise Line
Disneyland
Liberty Mutual
Click here for an entire listing of Xylo''s partners.
Xylo emphasizes that their website solution isn´t a cookie cutter solution that can be applied to any and all companies. A client representative is assigned to your company to develop an understanding of your corporate culture and then apply it to the development of your corporate website and the unique features your employees will have access to.
Your corporate website will consist of a My Company module. This module is perhaps the most customized section of the website as it includes specific company information, tools, and resources. Features that companies can choose to implement include: publishing company documents, posting of company events, online classifieds, company news, etc.
On to the fun part! Shopping!
Employees can gain access to specially priced products and services either over their corporate website or order them by phone using Xylo´s catalog. Product categories are alphabetically listed on the left hand side of the interface. Employees can simply select the categories to drill down to find individual products.
Other modules include: Professional Services, Quick Tips, Restaurants, Travel, Entertainment, and Local Deals. Some of the time saving tools under these categories include: free online reservation capabilities with participating restaurants, regularly updated short and actionable articles, quick and easy travel planning and arrangements from booking plane tickets to renting cars, purchasing movie, park, zoo, theatre, and musical tickets. The module interfaces include short articles, weekly features, and tips related to the specific modules such as information about insurance, childcare, banking, gift ideas, wardrobe advice, etc.
One of the reasons for Xylo´s success is that they have developed some interesting peripheral ideas that support and augment their primary offerings. For example, they have developed their own Xylo card that employees can use at participating vendors nationwide. They also provide slickly presented product catalogs enabling employees to make purchases over the phone, in person, or using the Internet. There are other competitors that provide this same type of work-life balance solution that offers employees access to specially priced products and services. However, they haven´t developed their peripheral product offerings as extensively as Xylo. One company that comes to mind is www.BeyondWork.com.
There entire set up is somewhat different but they also offer rewards and membership access to discounted products and services over the Internet. Another company more similar to Xylo´s setup is www.Worklinks.com.
WorkLinks.com´s business application is based on "channels". They are in the process of rolling out Living, Learning, and Working Channels, each channel targeting the needs and time-saving solutions in various aspects of employees´ development and lives.
The drawback to these types of corporate website systems is that they are expensive and only accessible by the Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. When a company provides a listing of their clients and it just so happens to include some of the top U.S. and international companies such as Eddie Bauer, Microsoft, 3M and Hewlett-Packard, it can be an indication that the product is both excellent and/or expensive. Clearly, due to the expense and overall functionality, the majority of companies cannot use or afford this product. Currently, Xylo has just over 45 blue chip clients.
There are also concerns about the overall viability of these companies. Xylo may be an exception as they continue to develop product expertise and increase their client roster.
Do these work-life solutions really work? The industry is too new to say whether product offerings, like Xylo really do make a difference when examined on the individual employee level. Some of the arguments are that employees can waste more time now that they have been given a "reason" to surf the Internet. On the other hand, companies such as Xylo will state that Internet tools give directed and specific access to services that make employees´ lives easier and therefore employees can save time by not having to leave the workplace or take additional time to search for the best products.
When you think about it, it does make sense... Employees looking for gift ideas, vacation plans, company information only need log onto their corporate website to find their options. With door-to-door delivery service and products at a lesser price, why not always use the Xylo application?
As the dotcom stragglers continue to drop out and the stronger ones remain, I predict we will see an increased integration of work solutions and work-life solutions into one single product. For example, Xylo does not provide a work component similar to the Worklinks´ Learning Channel. The Learning Channel gave employees the ability to register for training and development through their corporate website yet still offered a Living Channel that met the off-work needs of the employees. As product vendors are able to broaden their functionality and product development, I expect we will see more comprehensive web-based offerings incorporating both business and leisure related activities.
Do these product offerings really promote a sense of corporate culture, connectivity, motivate and help retain employees? I agree that addressing Work-life balance issues is important considering that work is becoming an increasingly larger part of our lives. But it really is quite early to tell. Many of the companies have been using the applications for either just over a year or not even a year.
Would you be interested in finding out what Xylo´s clients have to say?
If yes, please email me at klee[at]HR.com and I will get in touch with some of Xylo´s clients to get their perspective on the overall effects of their application. (If I get more than or close to 10 emails over the next week, I will contact Xylo and write a subsequent article...)
"Founded in 1997, among our first clientele were the Fortune 100 companies Boeing and Microsoft. Today, we implement our comprehensive work/life solutions to help over 35 Fortune 500 and other thought-leading clients extend life-embracing opportunities to their employees.
Xylo, Inc.
500 108th Ave. NE
Suite 2200
Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: 425.450.1028
Fax: 425.450.0248