Wonder Deploys AI System to Objectively Decide Employee Promotions

Marc Lore's company Wonder has introduced an AI-powered performance management tool that evaluates staff for promotion. Every six months, a minimum of twelve colleagues assess an individual on several criteria, and their scores are merged with narrative feedback. The system also generates a "value above replacement" (VAR) figure that gauges the difficulty of finding a comparable replacement.

By feeding both data streams into an algorithm, Wonder receives a recommendation on whether and when to promote the employee, with managers able to intervene only in a handful of cases. Lore argues the approach curtails personal bias and supports fairness for women and minorities. The company, which runs 135 food halls across ten East Coast states, recently raised over $650 million at a $9 billion valuation and plans to go public early next year, while also expanding automation in its kitchens.