Strategic Employee Recognition Program Unites Team Members at a Global Pet Retailer
How an energetic initiative across an organization tapped into the shared passion of associates to create a better experience for them and their (two- and four-legged) customers.
At a global pet retailer, all associates share a passion for connecting with pets and pet parents. But with associates spread across retail stores, corporate headquarters, a call center and distribution centers, the company was struggling to find a way to meaningfully connect all team members to a shared purpose and vision.
The company wanted a stable and experienced team to manage their global needs. One that could drive best-in-class, viable and continuous employee recognition and reward offerings while creating value-added services to support their operations and control costs.
A centralized platform creates a culture of recognition.
Our client looked to ITA Group for help. As conversations began, we held a visioning session to clearly define the strategy for their associates. Using our experience and expertise in creating solutions for diverse job functions, we collaborated with our client to establish a strong program brand that would connect with associates regardless of role, provide a centralized recognition platform and support ongoing engagement through a mixed-media communication campaign.
The result was PlayUp, a fun, energetic initiative that tapped into the client’s brand and their associates’ love of pets while also encouraging recognition for those playing up in our client’s core values.
Years-of-service award pins publicly promote loyalty.
To build excitement for PlayUp among associates, locations received printed materials to display in their workspaces. Leadership was given tips for talking about the program and recognizing their associates in a way that would build authentic relationships. We also reintroduced a years of service program that had been on hiatus and handled the logistics of shipping materials to over 1,600 locations. And with back-end report flexibility, any individual store reporting needs were met as well.
Together, we consolidated multiple disparate programs to offer various types of recognition all united by their core values, including:
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition
- Manager Recognition
- Nomination-Based Awards
- Years of Service Awards
- Grooming Salon Recognition
- Contests & Incentives
Robust dashboards ensure reporting needs are met.
Just months into PlayUp’s first year, the client saw such strong levels of engagement, they wanted to extend PlayUp even further. They looked to us for creative, strategic ways to grow the program, allowing us to conduct field research where we met with managers and associates at retail locations to better understand their motivations and challenges.
With these findings and our continued data-driven program optimization, we’re helping our client deliver on their business objectives and show appreciation for all associates across their organization as they continue to develop a culture of recognition.
Results
91% of associates have received a recognition (that’s 40,950 people!)
95%+ of leaders have issued recognition
500K+ recognitions given in year one
15% greater retention at 3 months for new associates who are recognized at least once
$11M+ saved by improving retention of new associates