Getting More From Phenom: What Phenom Phans and Community Unlock for Customers

Every Phenom customer has access to two programs that make their Phenom experience more useful without adding another item to their calendar. One is a hub for learning, problem-solving, and connecting with peers. The other rewards you for the engagement you are already doing. They both sit directly on the login screen and are easy to scroll past on the way to the CRM. 

On a recent episode of Talent Experience Live, Theresa Anthony, Community Manager at Phenom, and Heather Klinger, Loyalty Manager at Phenom, explained how Phenom Community and Phenom Phans work, what participation can look like at different levels, and how customers have used both to build professional networks, develop their careers, and get more value from the platform on their own terms.

Two Programs, Two Ways To Get More From Phenom

The programs serve different purposes, but they work well together. Phenom Community is the always-on hub for questions, conversations, product knowledge, and connections with other Phenom customers. It is also a place to interact directly with Phenom product managers and subject-matter experts.

"The concept is familiar to anyone who has been part of a loyalty program. The more you engage, the more points you accumulate, and at Phenom, that applies to virtually everything you do as a customer," Klinger said. 

Phenom Phans, meanwhile, adds a rewards layer to that experience. Activities such as attending a webinar, listening to a podcast, joining office hours, or contributing to a discussion can earn loyalty points. 

Those points can be redeemed through a rewards store offering Phenom swag, gift cards, charitable donations, and experiences with Phenom executives. Think of Community as the place where you learn and connect; Phenom Phans as a way to enhance those interactions with benefits.

You Do Not Have To Be an Active Poster To Participate

One common misconception is that joining a customer community means posting regularly, answering questions, or becoming a highly visible contributor. Neither program works that way. Your level of involvement can change depending on what you need at the time.

You might log in each morning to see what is new, browse a discussion thread, and move on without posting. During implementation, you might visit more often because you have questions to work through. Once everything is running smoothly, you may only check in occasionally.

One customer in Australia described a particularly simple routine: she would post a question at the end of her workday, close her laptop, and return the next morning to find an answer waiting for her. If the answer is already available and you can find it without waiting for someone from Phenom to step in, the resource is doing its job. 

"Come as you are. Come ready to learn. You don't have to know the most, and you don't have to have a big problem to solve." Klinger explained. Reading release notes, browsing discussions, or attending a webinar can all be part of the experience. When those activities qualify for Phenom Phans, they can add points to your account too.

Related Read: Inside Phenom Phans: How Talent Leaders Turn a Loyalty Program into a Career Tool

The Community Is Your Peer Network

Product support is only one part of what happens inside Phenom Community. Some of the most useful answers come from people at other organizations who work with the platform. They may have approached the same challenge differently, found a creative automation, or developed a workflow worth borrowing. A question posted publicly can also become a searchable resource for anyone who encounters the same issue later.

The sourcing group is one example. It began when a customer asked whether there was a place for sourcers to connect with other sourcers. Anthony followed up offline, and within two weeks, the group was live. Today, sourcers use it to exchange industry knowledge, role-specific advice, and practices that can change faster than formal documentation.

The conversations can extend well beyond product questions, too. Career development, industry trends, and professional experiences regularly come up. People who first meet through discussion boards or speaking engagements have later crossed paths at IAMPHENOM and recognized one another like old colleagues.

Related Read: The Practitioner's Guide to Phenom Self-Service: From Knowledge Base to Community Momentum

Your Phenom Expertise Can Travel With You

There is another benefit to participating: the knowledge you build on the platform can become part of your professional profile. 

Phenom is a large platform with a lot to learn. Developing a strong command of it gives you expertise that can carry into your next role. Anthony shared the story of a customer who used her experience with Phenom to land a new position and earn a promotion.

The Community team is also exploring ways to surface open talent acquisition roles, giving members another reason to connect around career opportunities as well as product expertise.

You can make that expertise visible in several ways.  

"If you are not going to build your own name out there, who else is going to?" Klinger said. Speaking at a Phenom webinar, contributing to a case study, or becoming a community advocate of the month gives others a chance to see what you know.

You do not need a huge audience to make an impression. Sharing your experience gives other customers a reason to reach out, compare approaches, and continue the conversation after a session ends. And if networking does not come naturally, the mentorship program takes much of the guesswork out of making that first connection.

A Six-Month Mentorship With Structure Built In

The mentorship program runs in six-month cohorts, pairing participants according to shared product interests and similar roles.

The program is structured to remove the parts of networking that most people find hardest. Pairings are made based on shared product interests and similar roles, which means participants arrive at the first conversation with common ground already established. Each cohort receives a roadmap of activities and conversation prompts, giving both sides an easy starting point. Two virtual group meetups also bring the full cohort together during the six months, so participants can build relationships with others in the group.

The first cohort has now completed the program, with strong feedback from participants. At the end, everyone receives a customized T-shirt along with loyalty points for completing the experience.

"You do not need to be the most experienced person in the room, and you do not need a pressing problem to solve,” KlingerHeather said. “Ask questions, and engage with the process," That applies whether someone is joining as a mentee looking for guidance or as a mentor who wants to give back but is still building confidence in that role.

Beyond the formal program, Phenom Phans has its own organic mentorship dynamic.

The leaderboard has become a conversation starter among highly engaged members, with top-ranked customers reaching out to compare approaches, share what is working, and challenge each other to keep building their engagement.

You Can Start Without a Strategy

You do not need a detailed plan to see what is available. Anthony and Klinger’s advice was simple: log in and navigate around. 'Phenom Community is meant to be a place where you can find answers at any time, not just during business hours or on a specific day of the week. If you come in and the resource you need is already there waiting for you, that is exactly what we built it for," Theresa said.

A good place to begin in Community is Tip Tuesday, a weekly forum thread featuring useful hints from across the platform. It is one of the most-visited areas and offers an easy way to see what people are sharing without having to jump into a discussion yourself.

Release notes, help articles, and discussion boards are searchable, too. You can start by looking for an answer to something you are working on right now. 

With Phenom Phans, take a look at the rewards store and see what is available to you. Webinars, podcasts, mentorship, office hours, and other activities can all contribute to your points balance.

The bigger idea behind both programs is simple: your Phenom experience does not have to end when you close the platform. The knowledge you gain can lead to better workflows. Questions can turn into peer relationships. Participation can build professional visibility. And the activities you are already doing can come with rewards.

Join the Phenom Community to connect with other customers, earn rewards, and get more value from the platform.