Frequently asked questions

A peer forum is a small group (typically 6-12 people) that meets regularly for confidential, structured conversations. Members share challenges, give and receive feedback, and hold each other accountable. The model is inspired by organizations like YPO and Vistage, which have demonstrated life-changing outcomes for executives. Forum@Work makes this model accessible to every employee.

While mentoring is one-to-one and coaching is expert-led, peer forums leverage collective intelligence. There is no single expert; instead, every member contributes their unique perspective. This creates a more egalitarian and diverse learning environment. Research shows that peer learning can be more effective than traditional training because insights come from real, shared experience.

We recommend 6-12 members per forum. This size is small enough for deep trust and authentic sharing, yet large enough to provide diverse perspectives. Our platform lets you choose the exact size that works for your organization.

Each forum session runs 60-90 minutes per week. Moderators spend an additional 15-30 minutes on preparation. We have designed the format to be impactful without being burdensome. Most organizations schedule sessions during work hours as an investment in employee development.

Yes, every plan comes with a 14-day free trial with full access to all plan features. No credit card is required to start. At the end of your trial, you can choose to continue with a paid plan or your account will be paused (no data is deleted).

Absolutely. You can upgrade at any time and you will be prorated for the remainder of your billing cycle. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing period. Enterprise plan transitions are handled by your dedicated Customer Success Manager.

Yes, we offer a 30% discount for registered nonprofit organizations and accredited educational institutions. Contact our sales team at community@forumsatwork.com with your organization details to apply.

No. Forum@Work is a web-based platform that works in any modern browser. We also offer a mobile app for iOS and Android so members can access session notes, check in, and stay connected on the go. There is nothing to install on your company's servers.

The Business plan includes API access, and the Enterprise plan supports custom integrations with HRIS systems (Workday, BambooHR, etc.), LMS platforms, calendar tools (Google Calendar, Outlook), and communication tools (Slack, Teams). We also offer a Zapier integration on all plans.

Available on the Business and Enterprise plans, AI meeting summaries automatically capture key discussion points, decisions, and action items from each forum session. Summaries are private to the forum group and help members stay aligned between meetings without the need for manual note-taking.

Confidentiality is the foundation of peer forums. All data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3). Forum conversations are only visible to forum members. We are SOC 2 Type II compliant and GDPR ready. We never sell user data or use it for advertising. You can export or delete your data at any time.

Data is hosted on SOC 2-certified infrastructure in the United States by default. Enterprise customers can request data hosting in the EU, Canada, or Asia-Pacific regions. All data centers meet the highest physical and digital security standards.