Global employers use KC’s backstitch to engage and keep top talent; now smaller companies can too

One of Kansas City’s most quietly impactful startups built its employee communications platform behind the scenes for Fortune 500 companies; now it’s scaling those proven solutions to a new market: smaller businesses that need the same worker engagement, said Jordan Warzecha.

Crossroads-based backstitch — a leader in digital solutions for HR teams — on Tuesday announced the public launch of its new TRS Express product. The platform is a simplified version of the startup’s flagship service, which aims to drive awareness, appreciation, understanding, and participation in employer-sponsored benefits, effectively engaging and retaining talent.

Changing workforce trends necessitate an even more refined approach to communicating the full value of compensation and benefits packages — for companies large and small — said Warzecha, co-founder and CEO of backstitch.

“In recent years, the dynamics between employees and employers have shifted dramatically, underscored by trends like the Great Resignation and the ongoing Great Detachment, with job-seeking boards experiencing the highest activity since 2015,” he detailed. “Despite companies investing heavily in robust benefits and incentives, many employees still do not fully understand the complete value of their package. This lack of awareness can lead them to consider, and sometimes accept, offers that are objectively less competitive.” 

TRS Express in action; photo courtesy of backstitch

TRS Express provides small to mid-sized employers with a cost-effective way to independently create comprehensive total compensation and total rewards statements, he said. A software-as-a-service web application, it enables streamlined creation of total rewards statements, a process that is often complicated by the gathering of disparate data across vendors, combined with the need for design resources that small HR teams often lack.

Click here to learn more about TRS Express and its features.

“Our extensive experience working with Fortune 500 companies, global employers, and top brands has deepened our expertise in communicating total rewards effectively,” Warzecha said. “Recognizing that smaller companies face similar challenges in articulating their value propositions, we developed TRS Express. This solution empowers smaller employers to more effectively compete for top talent.”

Founded in 2012 in Detroit by Jordan and Stefanie Warzecha, backstitch relocated to Kansas City after joining the Techstars Sprint Accelerator in 2016. It later was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch.

backstitch has continuously evolved its flagship platform since originally developing the solution as an add-on module based on customer feedback in 2017, Warzecha added, noting it gained significant traction since the pandemic and remains essential as organizations navigate new trends and exacerbated challenges related to retention.

The company — backed by such investors as Capital Midwest Fund, KC Rise Fund, Missouri Technology Corporation, Serra Ventures, Mairs & Power Ventures, and Wintrust Ventures — expanded in 2023 at its Crossroads headquarters, where it now occupies the 11th and 12th floors of the Mainmark building at 1627 Main St.