We have introduced several improvements to our Product to ensure we are continuing to support effective manager and employee conversations.
- The demo release date for this update is 1st May 2025
- The planned release date to live for this update is 5th May 2025
Overview
Take a quick look at what's to come below!
- Create Objectives from within 1:1 sessions
- Making Objective Alignment Mandatory
- Adding Tags to High Fives
- US and Canada Date Formats
- Enhanced Notification Preferences
- Improved Outlook Calendar Integration
- Evaluate Probation Extensions
More details on each of the above updates can be found in this article. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to your internal OpenBlend Admin or your OpenBlend Customer Success Manager.
NEW! Create Objectives from 1:1s
The GROW framework (which stands for Goal, Reality, Obstacles and Way Forward) brings structure to every 1:1 conversation in OpenBlend. You’ve always been able to add Actions in the ‘Way Forward’ section to capture next steps. Now, you can go further by creating new Objectives directly from this section – without navigating away from the specific Agenda Point you’re discussing.
This makes it even easier to turn meaningful conversations into measurable goals - whether they’re focused on Performance, Personal Development, or Career Development – adding even more value and depth to your 1:1s.
How to create a new Objective while in the 1:1:
While in the 1:1, click on the Agenda Item you’d like to discuss (in this example I have used Wellbeing):
Once you have discussed the current status (Goal and Reality) and identified any possible Obstacles, you’ll navigate the right-hand side of the screen down to ‘Way Forward’ where you will now see two buttons – ‘+Action’ and ‘+Objectives’:
If you click on the ‘+Objectives’ button, you will now be able to create a new Objective which relates specifically to the Agenda Item being discussed. Just follow the same process that you normally would when adding an Objective:
- Select the Objective type
- Write a brief Objective title
- Add some context in the description section
- Add a due date (the start date will always default to the creation date)
- Specify how you intend to measure this Objective (i.e. by milestones)
- Align with any parent goal (Company or Team Objective)
- Add any tags (if your organisation uses them)
- Click ‘Create Objective’
NEW! Make Objective Alignment Mandatory
Aligning personal Objectives with team or company goals is key to driving focus and unity across your organisation. To support this, Admins can now make alignment mandatory for all personal Objectives.
When enabled, users will be required to link each new Objective to a Team or Company Objective, helping ensure everyone is working toward shared priorities. Admins with Data on Demand can also report on alignment – seeing how many Objectives connect to each parent goal.
To enable this setting, go to Admin > Company Settings > Objectives Features Enabled and toggle ‘Make alignment mandatory for Objectives’ to Yes.
NEW! Add Tags to High Fives
High Fives are one of the most popular features in OpenBlend – whether it’s a thank you for support on a project or a shout-out for some amazing work. And now, you can make them even more meaningful by tagging them with your company values.
If your organisation uses Tags to reflect values, you can now highlight these when giving recognition. It’s a simple way to bring your values to life and show what great looks like across the business. Plus, Admins can report on how often each value is being recognised.
To use it: Head to the High Fives page, select your recipient, write your message, and choose a Tag from the dropdown.
NEW! Date Formatting Now Supports US and Canadian Formats
You can now customise how dates appear in OpenBlend based on your location. If you're based in the US or Canada, it's easy to switch to the date format that feels most familiar.
To update your setting:
Click your profile picture in the top right corner > select ‘About Me’ > then choose English (United States) or English (Canada) from the Preferred Language dropdown. This will automatically adjust your date format.
NEW! Create Custom Regions for Smarter Data Filtering
You can now group multiple office locations into custom Regions, making it easier to filter and report on your data. For example, if you have several offices in the South West, you can now group them under one Region for more streamlined insights.
To get started, reach out to your Customer Success Manager to enable the Regions feature. Once it’s switched on, you can create your Regions by going to Admin > Company Settings > Business Areas, where you’ll see the new Regions option.
To add a new Region, go to Regions > View/Edit Details > +Add. From there, you can create a Region that suits your needs.
The example below shows five geographically based Regions, but you can define Regions in any way that works best for your organisation.
Once your Regions are set up, you’ll need to assign each Office Location to the appropriate Region.
To do this, go to Admin > Company Settings > Business Areas, then select Office Locations. You’ll see a list of all existing locations. To assign one to a Region, click the edit (pencil) icon next to the location, open the Region (optional) dropdown, select the relevant Region from your list, and click Save.
NEW! Enhanced Notification Preferences: More Control, More Personalisation
While OpenBlend has always offered some level of notification personalisation, many notifications were previously grouped together, limiting control over what you received.
We’ve now improved this experience by allowing you to customise notifications at the module level. This means you can choose exactly which parts of OpenBlend you’d like to receive updates from, tailoring your notifications to better suit your role and how you like to work.
To update your setting:
Click your profile picture in the top right corner > select ‘Notification settings’ > then simply select which notifications you’d like to receive – you can choose to received notifications via email and/or your internal messenger i.e. Teams/Slack.
NEW! Improved Integration: Microsoft Teams Link Automatically Included in Outlook 1:1 Invites
When scheduling an OpenBlend 1:1 directly from Microsoft Outlook, your calendar invite will now automatically include a Microsoft Teams meeting link by default. This enhancement makes it even easier to stay connected and ensures your 1:1s are set up with minimal effort.
Once the invite is confirmed, the Teams link will appear in the calendar entry, allowing you to launch the call directly from your Outlook Calendar.
You will also now receive a Teams call link in any reminder sent (example image below)
Just a reminder: after starting your Teams meeting, don’t forget to click ‘Start 1:1’ within the OpenBlend platform to access the full 1:1 experience and agenda.
NEW! Evaluate Probation Extensions
1. Creating an Extension Cycle
The Evaluate Probation Review feature is widely used to manage new starter reviews, but until now, there’s been a limitation: if an employee didn’t pass their initial probation, there was no streamlined way to move them into a probation extension process.
With this update, Admins can now create a dedicated Probation Extension Cycle that runs in parallel with the standard probation cycle. If an employee does not pass their initial review, their manager will have the option to seamlessly transition them into the extension cycle, ensuring a smooth and consistent process.
To create the Extension Cycle. As an Admin, head to Admin > Evaluations > Click on the ‘+Add probation extension cycle’ button
The setup process for an Extension Cycle will feel familiar, as it closely mirrors the steps used to configure a standard Probation Cycle. There are three key pages to complete:
- Page 1 – Define the cycle name, choose whether to include a self-evaluation phase, confirm if the review should be discussed, and set the default length of the probation extension.
- Page 2 – Select the review Form (questions) you'd like to use. You can either load an existing Form or create a new one directly from this step.
- Page 3 – Review your settings and confirm that you’re ready to start the cycle.
2. Seamlessly Add Employees to a Probation Extension Cycle
Following completion of the initial Probation Review, whether the employee has passed or not passed, the Manager will be prompted to discuss the outcome during a 1:1. By adding the submitted review as an agenda Item this allows for this to be done easily.
Once in the 1:1, when the Probation Review is selected as an Agenda Item, the Way Forward section now presents two options: ‘Complete Probation’ or ‘Extend Probation’.
By selecting Extend Probation, the Manager is asked to confirm that the review has been discussed with the employee.
Once confirmed, a banner will display to indicate the probation has been successfully extended.
Admins can view the employee (e.g. Teddy Smith) automatically added to the Extension Cycle by navigating to:
Admin > Evaluations > [Extension Cycle Name]
Note: The default extension period set when the cycle was created will automatically apply. New participants will appear with a status of Pre-probation review, and notifications will be triggered to both Manager and Employee when the due date approaches.
3. Assign Employees to an Extension Cycle Without a Prior Review
Greater flexibility has also been introduced for cases where an employee hasn't had an initial probation review, but still needs to be added to a probation process. Admins can now manually assign users to an Extension Cycle by navigating to:
Admin > Evaluations > Cycle Settings (for the Extension Cycle)
From there, new configuration options allow Admins to:
- Manually add employees to the extension cycle
- Set or amend start dates, probation due dates, and probation end dates
- Assign managers responsible for completing the review
- Monitor ongoing extensions and track their status in real-time
This ensures all employees, regardless of their initial review status, are included in the right workflow.
4. Easily Update Probation Cycle Dates
Previously, once a user was added to a probation cycle, their start date (and the associated review dates) were fixed and couldn’t be edited – even in cases of error. With this latest improvement, Admins now have the flexibility to update these details via a new ‘Dates’ tab in the Cycle Settings menu.
Admins can:
- Search for a specific employee
- Adjust their start date
- Update both the probation due date and the probation end date
This enhancement ensures probation timelines remain accurate and easy to manage, even if details change post-setup.
