How Engagedly Helped Blackspoke Build a Scalable Performance Culture

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Headquarters

Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

Challenge

No centralized system for performance management; lack of visibility and structure across a dispersed workforce.

solution

Engagedly's Performance Management Platform to enable structured feedback, goal alignment, and compliance tracking.

Result

Improved accountability, streamlined training compliance, and a scalable system that supported growth from 15 to 100 employees

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Founded to support national security and defense missions, Blackspoke was a Washington, D.C.-based technology services company offering specialized expertise in cybersecurity, IT operations, and data analytics. As a federal contractor with both remote and on-site staff, Blackspoke faced a unique challenge: maintaining consistent performance management during rapid organizational growth.

When the company partnered with Engagedly, it had just 15 employees — but leadership knew that growth was imminent. Over the next few years, the team scaled to nearly 100 employees before being acquired by Crimson Phoenix. Implementing Engagedly allowed Blackspoke to build a strong foundation for performance, communication, and compliance at every stage of that journey.

Industry: Federal Contracting, Technology Services
Company Size at Start: 15 employees
Company Size at Peak: ~100 employees
Products Used: Performance Management, Goal Tracking, Training Compliance

Challenge: Lacking Structure in a Growing Organization

Before Engagedly, performance management at Blackspoke was ad hoc and inconsistent. With no centralized system, the process relied entirely on manager initiative and informal check-ins — leaving many employees without regular feedback or clear performance expectations.

Key Challenges:

No Centralized Platform: Reviews and feedback weren’t consistently documented, especially for remote or project-based staff.
Unstructured Goal Setting: Individual and team goals weren’t clearly tied to broader company objectives.
Training Gaps: Tracking compliance training and certifications for federal audits was manual and prone to oversight.
Scalability Issues: With plans to grow quickly, the lack of a formal system threatened accountability and alignment across the organization.

Action: Building a Scalable Performance System

To address these gaps, Blackspoke implemented Engagedly’s Performance Management module — a centralized platform that enabled consistent goal-setting, structured feedback, and training compliance tracking.

“We knew we’d be growing fast and needed something scalable from day one. Engagedly gave us structure and visibility as we scaled from 15 to 100 employees,” said a company leader.

Key Features Used:

Quarterly Check-ins + Annual Reviews: Frequent, conversational touchpoints kept communication open throughout the year, while annual reviews offered formal evaluations.
Goal Alignment Tools: Helped connect individual goals to company-wide objectives, improving clarity and motivation.
Training & Certification Tracking: Critical for audit readiness, especially as a federal contractor.
Configurable Platform: Engagedly was tailored to Blackspoke’s specific needs, making adoption smooth and widespread.

Implementation & Adoption:

Deployment was smooth due to the lack of a legacy system.
Managers appreciated the added structure.
Employees felt more connected, with clearer expectations and more meaningful feedback.

Results: Structured Growth with Lasting Impact

By implementing Engagedly, Blackspoke created a performance management system that supported growth, accountability, and compliance — all while enhancing employee engagement.

Measurable Outcomes:

Improved Communication: Regular check-ins ensured that performance conversations were happening across all teams.
Stronger Goal Alignment: Linking daily work to larger objectives boosted focus and morale.
Training Compliance: Tracking mandatory training and certifications became streamlined and audit-ready.
Scalable Success: As the company grew, the performance system scaled with it — supporting both employee development and operational oversight.

Blackspoke’s story shows that getting ahead of performance management — before growth makes it chaotic — can lay the foundation for success. With Engagedly, they built a culture of continuous feedback, clear goals, and organizational alignment.