15Five Launches Kona, an AI-Powered Coach to Help Managers Boost Engagement and Performance 15Five, the AI-driven performance management platform used by thousands of organizations, today unveiled Kona by 15Five at its virtual event, Next. This launch follows 15Five’s acquisition of Kona in January 2025.
Kona is an AI-powered coaching assistant that joins virtual meetings to provide managers with personalized, privacy-conscious guidance in real time. Drawing on data from 15Five including performance reviews and engagement surveys Kona helps managers sharpen critical skills such as leading effective meetings and handling difficult performance conversations. It continuously tracks changes in manager behavior, allowing HR leaders to monitor what’s working and identify areas needing improvement.
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 Report, global employee engagement dropped to 21% in 2024, with managers experiencing the sharpest decline. Manager engagement strongly influences team engagement, with 70% of team engagement variance attributed to managers highlighting the crucial role managers play in driving performance and retention.
“Managers are the critical lynchpin for employee performance, engagement, and retention,” said Jim Morrisroe, CEO of 15Five. “Kona equips organizations with personalized enablement tools at scale, unlocking the full potential of managers to drive business success. Early adopters are already seeing meaningful improvements.”
Jenn Sobocinski, Senior Director of People and Culture at early adopter ReUp Education, shared: “Kona supports new managers in real time with feedback that helps them grow immediately. It’s exactly the kind of continuous coaching fast-growing companies need.”
Sid Pandiya, General Manager of Manager Products at 15Five and former CEO of Kona, added: “Manager effectiveness is more complex than ever. Kona’s personalized coaching, powered by data, lets HR teams see where to focus efforts and double down on what works.”
15Five continues to help HR teams drive change at scale with tools for performance reviews, engagement and manager effectiveness surveys, actionable insights, and tailored manager enablement products.
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