Brillio: Recognition That Goes Beyond Results

Brillio is a global digital technology services company whose 6,000 employees provide customer experience, data and AI, product engineering, and cloud solutions. They use recognition to foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and innovation.

Situation

The company primarily recognized success and outcomes, but Brillio’s agile culture demanded something broader: a way to celebrate intent, effort, and values. High performers were often rewarded through salary increases and promotions, yet everyday behaviors that embodied Brillio’s hustler and agile culture needed more recognition.

Leaders saw the opportunity to evolve the program into a more open, value-driven framework that showed appreciation for effort and impact while also celebrating symbolic milestones and personal moments across the employee lifecycle. Recognition often followed specific timelines and approvals, which limited the everyday appreciation Brillio wanted to enable.

Seepika Singhal, Global Head of Total Rewards, explains, “Recognition is a very important pillar of our total rewards strategy. Without it, the essence of rewards is incomplete.”

Brillio turned to O.C. Tanner to evolve its recognition framework, ensuring it reflected effort and values as much as outcomes.

“O.C. Tanner has been a strong consultative partner, bringing a depth of recognition principles and insights that few others offer—and they have consistently delivered that to us.”
—Shivansh Ohri, Senior Rewards Manager

Solution

Brillio’s recognition program, Thanks, was re‑engineered to reflect the company’s agile culture, making it intuitive, value‑driven, and instantly familiar to employees. It was designed to celebrate effort as well as results, empower peer‑to‑peer appreciation, and tie every recognition moment directly to Brillio’s core values. Recognition experiences expanded to include e‑Cards, client appreciation, milestone celebrations, service anniversaries, and impact‑based awards. The platform integrates with Teams and uses AI to craft meaningful messages, making it easier for employees to recognise each other.

Brillio introduced Thanks in phases: first gathering input from HR teams and recognition ambassadors, aligning leadership, sending global communication and leveraging ambassadors, and finally training sessions with O.C. Tanner experts to drive adoption.

The recognition strategy was sharpened to define what each award meant, its scope of impact, and when it should be used. “When definitions are clear, the program becomes seamless—every leader knows exactly what each award stands for,” notes Seepika Singhal, Global Head of Total Rewards. Business partners also helped name the awards, increasing excitement and ownership.

HR teams and recognition champions validated categories and tested the system experience before the global rollout. Nudges, open houses, and learning sessions ensured employees understood not just how to use the program, but why recognition mattered to Brillio’s culture. This structured, collaborative rollout ensured Thanks was embraced consistently across the company, embedding recognition into everyday work and reinforcing Brillio’s culture of agility, care, and ownership.

Results

Brillio’s revamped recognition program quickly translated into measurable success.

Employees are also taking ownership of recognition, initiating their own celebrations, customizing messages, and even requesting additional recognition weeks beyond formal campaigns. The enthusiasm has spilled onto social media, with awards proudly reposted on LinkedIn and Facebook, amplifying Brillio’s employer brand.

“The reaction of employees is overwhelmingly positive. From fresh design feedback to the surge in recognition moments, we see genuine excitement and cultural ownership across the company.”
—Shivansh Ohri, Senior Rewards Manager