Large, Global Chemical Company: A Global Employee Recognition Strategy

The challenge

Previous recognition programs at a large, global manufacturing company were stagnant. “We had a formal recognition tool that was oriented primarily around monetizing the appreciation experience so it was only vouchers or it was only cash. There was no long term strategy in terms of driving a different culture,” says their Recognition Program Manager. “We had a program that was stuck. It wasn’t moving forward.”

Their previous platform was a ‘one size fits all approach’ that simply wasn’t ringing true to employees.

“Every single person has an individual motivator. There was a need to move forward with a global strategy, but with local implementation taking more of the local culture into consideration.”

“O.C. Tanner has helped us to be more flexible in reaching our employees wherever they are. Employees are more open to collaboration, they’re more open to innovation, they’re more open to helping others around them succeed, and therefore succeed themselves.”
—Recognition Program Manager

The solution

One way the company successfully came to understand what connected their employees to their local cultures and the company they worked for was by conducting companywide employee satisfaction surveys, and more importantly, taking the time to evaluate what was working and wasn’t working in particular regions.

These surveys helped the company work with O.C. Tanner to create customized strategies that would thrive in local cultures around the globe but still be a part of one cohesive recognition platform.

“When employees feel validated and feel a part of the bigger picture, and a part of the strategy, we all work harder. We do more. We put more effort into everything we do and we do better work. That impacts the shareholders. That impacts corporate initiatives. That impacts the bottom line. It’s very good business sense to make sure that we have an engaged workforce.”
—Recognition Program Manager

The result

By utilizing these surveys and adjusting their program accordingly, they saw program registered users increase from 60% to 84% in one year. In a single year, there was a recognition moment every 3 minutes. And, the amount of employees engaged in their formal recognition program increased 11% in one year, taking the global average to 84%. Once the company understood their employees’ needs at a more human level, they were able to not only recognize, but recognize with purpose. By successfully understanding how to connect the head and the heart of their employees around the world they became a leading figure in the corporate culture arena.

The workplace culture, when described by their own employees, is a culture of openness, innovation, diversity, team spirit, and growth. By focusing on the feedback they heard from their employees, they made the appropriate changes to their recognition solution companywide. Once their new solution was implemented, they sustained its progress by continually appreciating great work, great employees, and recognizing when something great was achieved within their company.

Outcomes are everything
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