From Candidate to Champion: A CPO’s Blueprint for 92% Employee Engagement
A Conversation with Kevin, Chief People Officer at RentSpree
In an era where employee disengagement costs companies billions, achieving a meaningful workplace transformation can seem daunting. However, Kevin, Chief People Officer at RentSpree, has done just that. In only twelve months, he guided his team to an extraordinary 92% survey participation rate and a 78.3% employee engagement score. His secret lies in a fundamentally different approach to the employee experience—one that begins long before a candidate’s first day.
Redefining the Employee Experience
Most organizations believe the employee experience starts on day one. With two decades of experience in people and culture across diverse industries, Kevin argues otherwise. “The experience of the company starts even before they walk into the door,” he says. “It starts with the candidate searching and exploring, reading up on a company, and hearing about their stories, culture, and values.” This comprehensive view encompasses every touchpoint, from a candidate’s initial research and recruitment to onboarding, development, and even how departing employees are treated. This humanistic approach is rooted in Kevin’s background in organizational psychology, which emphasizes that while we are all unique, we are more alike than not.
The Proof Is in the Numbers
When Kevin joined RentSpree, engagement was already a respectable 70%. However, he recognized that high survey participation is the true indicator of trust. “When you have that high level of participation, there’s enough trust in the company,” he explains. “People typically don’t participate because they don’t believe it’s anonymous or that action will be taken.” The results of this trust are compelling: survey participation rose to 92%, and employee engagement jumped over eight points to 78.3%—a significant leap in a field where a 1-2% increase is notable. These metrics are measured across four key dimensions—pride in the company, intent to stay, motivation, and likelihood to recommend—providing a far more nuanced view than a simple Net Promoter Score.
The Anti-Playbook: What RentSpree Avoids
Kevin’s success is defined as much by what his team does as by what they refuse to do. His philosophy is built on several non-negotiables, including a strict “no-asshole rule” to prevent toxic behavior from spreading. Culture is not imposed from the top down; it is co-created with employees at every level. Radical transparency is another cornerstone; when leadership cannot share information, they explain why, preventing speculation. This is supported by ego-free leadership, where every team member is treated as a valued human being with an important role to play.
Using Technology to Enhance Human Connection
At RentSpree, technology is a force multiplier, not a replacement for human interaction. “I’ve hired ChatGPT to be one of my teammates, and I encourage my team to make the most use of it,” Kevin notes, highlighting how AI helps his team move faster. Believing that less is more, he consolidated multiple HR systems into a single platform, Rippling, to reduce complexity and improve the user experience. The company’s streamlined tech stack, which also includes Slack and Notion, is designed to support employees and enhance productivity without sacrificing the human-centered approach.
Empathetic Recruitment as a Differentiator
In a competitive job market where candidates are often ghosted or treated poorly, RentSpree’s “empathetic recruitment” process stands out. “If you provide that candidate the experience that you really care about them, you’re trying to help them through it, you’re being very responsive—that candidate will be like, ‘Wow, that company is awesome,'” Kevin says. This focus on care creates a significant competitive advantage. Every communication, including automated rejection messages, is customized to ensure that even unsuccessful candidates have a positive and respectful experience with the brand.
Navigating the Challenges of a Global Team
RentSpree operates across vastly different time zones, with major offices in Bangkok, Thailand, and Seattle, Washington. This presents a significant collaboration challenge, as one team’s morning is the other’s night. Kevin’s team addresses this with concrete solutions, including cross-functional project teams, virtual team-building events, regular office visits for face-to-face connection, and ongoing cultural education. While acknowledging there is still room for improvement, this honest and proactive approach exemplifies the transparency that drives their success.
Integrating Diversity and Inclusion into Every Role
Rather than siloing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into a separate department, RentSpree integrates it as a core function of every role on the people team. “What I hold my entire team accountable for is that we all need to have that diversity lens in our area of expertise,” Kevin states. This means talent acquisition actively seeks diverse candidate pools, learning and development teaches inclusive practices, and business partners coach managers to recognize unconscious bias. The business case is clear: diversity fosters creativity, innovation, and a better understanding of both the consumer market and each other.
Conclusion
Kevin’s success at RentSpree demonstrates that business growth and human flourishing are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing goals. The blueprint for this achievement is clear: design the candidate experience as the first chapter of the employee journey, measure engagement with purpose, and use technology to automate with heart, not replace it. By building a culture from the ground up and actively embracing global complexity, organizations can create environments where people thrive. The most powerful lesson from RentSpree’s transformation is that when you lead with humanity and dignity, the metrics will naturally follow.
