Business

Employee Appreciation Starts From Day One — How Cyberbacker Makes New Hire Onboarding Engaging

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2023

The workplace has changed. With phenomena such as “quiet quitting” and “The Great Resignation” still shaping the modern working world and haunting CEOs, business leaders have made strides to appreciate their workforce better and improve retention.

Many businesses have prioritized employee appreciation initiatives from day one of their time with the company, integrating those initiatives into the onboarding process. According to experts, companies that employ a strategic approach towards experience and appreciation can expect up to 71% higher engagement from those employees.

“Being appreciated by your peers and your boss goes further than anyone could imagine,” says Harmony Nordgren, VP of US Operations at Cyberbacker, a company that supplies highly skilled virtual assistants. “Nobody wants to go to a job for 40 or more hours each week and not feel valued and appreciated.”

With appreciation making a noticeable difference in job satisfaction among staff and retention, Cyberbacker has put much thought and effort into its appreciation initiatives — all of which begin with the onboarding process.

From the word “hired”

From the first day that a new hire begins their position, it’s essential to let the company’s culture be known and felt. Appreciation and gratitude are part of a larger overall culture that makes up the backbone of the business’ approach to engagement.

Cyberbacker takes its role in training and onboarding new hires seriously, though they also like to inject a little fun into the process. This speaks to what it’s like to work at the company, and what new hires can expect going forward.

“We have a lot of fun with onboarding,” explains Nordgren. “It’s a long process, so we include interactive activities like ‘Embarrass the CEO’ where new team members can ask our CEO an embarrassing question.”

However, shaping their experience goes beyond having a little fun at the CEO’s expense. It needs to include deeper themes such as diversity and inclusion initiatives, technology and skill training, and the work/life balance that is at the top of most people’s wish lists.

Tokens of appreciation

To show its workforce how much they appreciate them, Cyberbacker focuses on several key areas of their talent pool’s life: wellness, team building, rest, and pay among them. “We offer HMO, we have a profit share program, paid time off, and we have a discounted loan program where we profit share the interest,” explains Nordgren. “We also do contests all the time to earn Cyberbacker merchandise, new tech, and cash rewards.”

The company also finds it imperative to work from a place of understanding that people do not quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. Cyberbacker’s leadership teams value a culture of appreciation as a cornerstone of their company, and it is a company-wide effort to keep that value sacred.

Employee appreciation goes beyond the basic elements. It is important to remember that their perspective is most important, not the CEO’s or the rest of the leadership team’s. The managers may believe a monthly pizza party is all that is needed to show their team that they care, but if they are never given paid time off or an opportunity to improve their skill sets, pizza just doesn’t cut it.

In today’s post-pandemic workplace, expectations may differ wildly from those even a few years ago. The balance of power has shifted in many ways, and what the new generation of workers want is to feel welcomed and appreciated at their place of work. This is an important factor in whether they decide to stay with that company — or move on. The days of employers simply counting ‘having a job’ as appreciation are over.

“With seemingly every company hiring everywhere they do business, you don’t want to lose an invaluable team member because you didn’t take the few extra minutes to ensure they felt appreciated,” says Nordgren, stressing a point that many businesses realize too late: currently, the market favors the talent out there. Jobs are plentiful, and many businesses — like Cyberbacker — are placing appreciation, experience and wellness as a top priority. This is leading to them attracting and retaining top talent.

Nordgren and other leaders at organizations are paving the way and showing that prioritizing the experience people have at work, only strengthens businesses. Employee experience and appreciation is not just a series of trending talking points but a new way of approaching business.

People expect to be acknowledged and appreciated for their talents and hard work. But it will be up to forward-thinking companies to step up to the plate and devise innovative and effective ways to show them that they matter.

Business

How Black Banx Has Sped Digital Payments Into Its Global Phase

Published

5 hours ago

March 13, 2025

Matthew Wiles

The payments industry has grown substantially in the last decade, with digital transactions now practically a given in most parts of the world. A key contributor to this globalization of payments has been Black Banx, a Toronto-based global digital bank founded by German billionaire Michael Gastauer.

Through innovative fintech solutions, a commitment to financial inclusion, and strategic investments in blockchain and artificial intelligence, the company continues to make transactions quicker and easier no matter where the sender or receiver is in the world.

The Cross-Border Payment Boom

Global transactions have never been more essential to the world economy. From businesses engaging in international trade to individuals sending remittances back home, the demand for fast and cost-effective cross-border payments has skyrocketed. In fact, FXCintelligence projects that the cross-border payments market will hit an astonishing US$290 trillion by 2030, driven by the rise of e-commerce and digital trade.

Historically, moving money across borders wasn’t simple. Traditional banking relied on a complex web of intermediaries, leading to slow processing times, high fees, and inefficiencies. But fintech has changed the game. Companies like Black Banx have introduced digital-first solutions that eliminate unnecessary middlemen, enabling instant, affordable transactions.

Black Banx’s Rapid Growth: A Testament to Demand

Black Banx has experienced explosive growth, reflecting the increasing demand for seamless global payments. By the end of 2024, the company’s customer base had expanded to 69 million users across 180+ countries—a staggering 76% growth from 39 million in 2023.

This growth wasn’t accidental. Black Banx’s success stems from its ability to offer frictionless cross-border banking, catering to individuals and businesses worldwide. It’s offerings include:

Instant Multi-Currency Accounts – Customers can open accounts online within minutes, eliminating the need for physical bank visits.
Cryptocurrency Integration – Black Banx has accepted Bitcoin and Ethereum since 2016 and expanded its crypto services in 2024 by integrating Solana and the Lightning Network, allowing for ultra-fast, low-cost cross-border transfers.
Zero-Intermediary Transfers – By leveraging blockchain technology, the company bypasses traditional banking infrastructure, significantly reducing fees and processing times.

AI-Powered Payments: Enhancing Speed and Security

If there’s one technology that has reshaped digital payments in 2024, it’s artificial intelligence. AI is now at the heart of fraud detection, customer service, and transaction optimization, making global payments more secure and efficient.

Black Banx has fully embraced AI, using predictive analytics and automated systems to streamline operations. AI-driven chatbots handle customer inquiries, reducing response times and improving service efficiency. Meanwhile, real-time fraud detection algorithms flag suspicious transactions, preventing financial losses and building customer trust.

The results? Black Banx achieved a cost/income ratio of just 68% in 2024—one of the best in the industry—demonstrating how AI-powered automation can drive profitability while maintaining top-tier service.

Financial Inclusion: Breaking Down Barriers

Despite living in a digital age, over 1.4 billion people worldwide remain unbanked, according to the World Bank. Traditional banks have long failed to serve these individuals due to bureaucratic hurdles, geographic limitations, and high fees. Black Banx has made financial inclusion one of its core missions, particularly in underbanked regions like Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia-Pacific.

In 2024, the company’s impact on financial inclusion was profound:

32% year-over-year increase in SME clients in Africa and the Middle East – Black Banx empowered businesses in these regions with seamless digital banking services, reducing reliance on inefficient traditional banking channels.
Instant digital accounts with minimal documentation – Unlike traditional banks, which require extensive paperwork, Black Banx allows users to open accounts quickly, enabling greater access to financial services.
Affordable cross-border transactions – By eliminating intermediaries, the company ensures that even those in remote regions can send and receive payments without excessive fees.

The Future of Cross-Border Payments: Crypto and Blockchain

Cryptocurrency is no longer a niche asset—it’s gradually become a key cog in the global payments machine. Recognizing this early on, Black Banx became one of the first digital banks to integrate Bitcoin and Ethereum into its platform back in 2016.

In 2024, the company doubled down on its crypto-first strategy, incorporating Solana and the Lightning Network. These technologies allow users to complete cross-border transactions in seconds while avoiding the high fees and delays associated with traditional banking infrastructure.

Black Banx is also exploring crypto-based lending services, a move that could disrupt traditional financial models even further. If successful, decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions could provide businesses and individuals with access to capital without the constraints of conventional banking regulations.

A Year of Record-Breaking Financial Success

While many tech companies faced financial turbulence in 2024, Black Banx defied expectations, posting record-breaking numbers:

Annual revenue: US$11.1 billion (exceeding the forecasted US$10.8 billion)
Pre-tax profit: US$3.6 billion (far surpassing the original US$2.4 billion projection)
Customer base: 69 million users worldwide
Cost/income ratio: 68% – demonstrating operational efficiency
Capital distributions: US$2.90 per share

Black Banx’s financial success highlights the immense demand for efficient digital banking services, proving that fintech is not just a disruptor but the future of global finance.

What’s Next for Black Banx in 2025?

Given its past success, Black Banx is setting ambitious goals to build on its 2024 momentum. The company aims to:

Expand its customer base to 100 million users – By reaching more individuals in emerging markets, Black Banx hopes to further its mission of financial inclusion.
Strengthen its presence in digital asset banking – With growing demand for cryptocurrency-based financial services, the company will continue integrating blockchain solutions.
Enhance global payments infrastructure – By entering new markets and refining its AI-driven systems, Black Banx plans to make transactions even faster and more accessible.
Lower its cost/income ratio – Through further automation and AI optimization, the company aims to improve operational efficiency.

By embracing AI, blockchain, and a relentless commitment to financial inclusion, Black Banx has clearly been key in accelerating the transition of the world to a truly global payments system.