Great careers start with great conversations.
As AI takes on more routine work, the human side of work becomes even more important, from the very start of a career. Building relationships, thinking on your feet and handling a difficult conversation are no longer skills people can grow into over time. They are needed from day one.
These skills were once learned by watching experienced colleagues, in meetings and on calls. Those opportunities are now much rarer. Ovida provides a space to build that experience faster, in private, with coaching on what to try next. People gain confidence and experience, and can contribute even sooner, with progress you can measure. In turn, your organization develops the leaders of tomorrow.
The way people learn these skills has changed.
Many people now start work having had fewer chances to practice everyday, face-to-face conversations. Once they arrive, hybrid work and busier managers mean less informal feedback and fewer learning opportunities. And as AI takes over the routine tasks that once eased people into a role, they step straight into the conversations that matter.
Skills like these grow by doing them, not just by knowing about them. Adapting your style, disagreeing well with a colleague, explaining something clearly and succinctly: each one gets better with every attempt. Ovida gives people the space to practice these moments as often as they need, with feedback on exactly what to try next. Confidence builds with each attempt, until the real conversation feels familiar. Managers can then build on that progress, rather than starting from scratch.
This is for you if you want to:
- help new starters contribute with confidence, sooner
- build essential skills at every level, not only in your leaders
- grow a strong pipeline of future managers and leaders
- see where your people are today, and measure how they grow
We can’t easily see how we come across.
of students rated new graduates very or extremely proficient at communication
of employers said the same
That gap is the difference between feeling ready and being ready. Ovida helps close it.
Six groups of foundational skills
Our foundational skills cover the everyday conversations of working life. Each skill is built around a specific moment, with clear behaviors that Ovida scores. Use them as they are, or have them customized to your organization’s values, language and ways of working.
- Taking a brief
- Giving an update
- Flagging problems early
- Handing work over
- Asking for feedback
- Taking feedback well
- Owning a mistake
- Asking for help
- Staying clear under pressure
- Explaining simply
- Making the case for your view
- Telling a story with presence
- Opening and closing a meeting
- Asking follow-up questions
- Listening well
- Adapting your style
- Disagreeing well
- Saying no
- Raising a concern
- Being heard when talked over
- Explaining how you used AI
- Answering questions about AI
- Handling resistance to AI
- Being clear about what AI can and can’t do
How it works for your people
- Step 1Practice a realistic moment
Each skill starts with a familiar situation. An AI practice partner plays the other person, via a voice or text chat. With everyone’s consent, people can also record a real conversation in Ovida or upload one from another platform.
- Step 2Get private, specific feedback
Immediately after each conversation, Ovida points to the exact moments that mattered, so people can see how they came across.
- Step 3Get coaching on what to do next
Their AI coach explains what worked, what to try differently and why. Each person gets clear guidance and a personal development plan.
- Step 4Practice the skill that matters next
People practice in private. They can try the same moment with a range of personas, practice as often as they like, then take it into their next real conversation.
Know where you’re starting. See how far you’ve come.
Everyone practices the same scenarios and is assessed on the same behaviors. Every skill is tracked on six levels, from Novice to Master. You get a clear picture of where a group stands today, skill by skill. Measure again a few months later to see the progress, compare groups and spot where extra support will help most.
Private for individuals. Clear insight for you.
- Each person controls what is recorded, kept and shared.
- You see progress across the group, not individual conversations.
- Conversations are never used to train AI models.
- SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certified.
Foundations for every career stage
Strong foundations make every later step easier. The skills people build here are the ones they will rely on throughout their careers, at every level. As they take on more responsibility, Leadership development builds on these foundations and helps you grow a strong pipeline of future leaders.
Questions HR and learning leaders ask
Who are foundational skills for?
They are designed for people early in their careers, from graduates through to managers. They are just as useful for anyone, at any level, who wants to sharpen how they work with others.
Can we use our own values or framework?
Yes. Use the foundational skills we have developed as they are, or we can customize them to your organization’s values, language and ways of working.
When do people practice?
Whenever suits them. Practice fits around the working day, and people can practice as often as they like.
Who can see the results?
Each person controls what they share. You see progress across the group, not individual conversations.
See how Ovida helps people build the skills and confidence for the conversations that matter at work.
We’ll walk you through a practice scenario and the feedback that follows.