Simpplr customer spotlight: workplace recognition strategies that deliver results

We’re spotlighting Simpplr customers who have implemented effective workplace recognition programs through their intranets, creating more positive and supportive workplaces. In this customer showcase, we highlight four companies with outstanding recognition programs: Credit Acceptance, Agero, Quartz Health Solutions and Zembl. Their stories show how innovative employee recognition tools deliver real, measurable results.

These organizations put the power of appreciation to work in meaningful ways. They use their Simpplr modern intranet and Recognition and Rewards to celebrate exceptional performance, promote company values, and mark important milestones both in and outside of work. Their experiences show how the right employee recognition tools help employees feel genuinely valued and more connected to their organizations.

Key benefits of workplace recognition strategies

When organizations prioritize recognition, the impact extends throughout the workplace. Research consistently shows that meaningful appreciation translates into measurable improvements, which positively impacts retention.

When recognition is done properly, organizations can expect to see:

• Improved employee engagement metrics
• Better results on workplace surveys and trust indexes
• Significant increases in employee performance
• Stronger workplace culture and employee connections
• Reinforcement of company values and strategic objectives

Companies with strong recognition programs see higher digital platform adoption, increased engagement scores, and more positive workplace assessment results. The four companies in this spotlight can attest that investing in employee recognition tools delivers tangible benefits for both employees and the organization.

Credit Acceptance: Creating people-first content

Credit Acceptance specializes in providing automobile dealers with financing programs that enable them to sell vehicles to consumers regardless of their credit history. The company uses their intranet to make every story a people story, spotlighting team members who drive change and achieve goals that lead to business success. 

“The way the Simpplr platform enables us to engage and recognize our employees has enhanced the culture of our company in such a positive way,” said Krystal Barrad, Web Content Specialist. “Before we had Simpplr, our intranet was not user-friendly.”

Credit Acceptance saw an immediate 30% jump in usage after launching their Simpplr-powered intranet.

Their approach to recognition has reinforced the company’s purpose and strategy, which has also improved employee response to the Fortune & Great Place to Work Trust Index Survey. 

Workplace recognition that drives engagement

Credit Acceptance celebrates employees each week through videos, podcasts and stories that highlight their successes. This approach inspires others and builds pride in the work done inside and outside the workplace.

The company recognizes milestone anniversaries monthly, with special recognition for 30-year service milestones. Even business objectives are presented as recognition stories, focusing on a team member in each piece of content.

Stories featuring team members drive substantially more views — increasing by more than 110% when cover images shifted from branded group leadership photos to personalized images of individual leaders.

The company also honors employees who give back to their communities, invites top performers to share success tips, welcomes new hires with personal features, and gathers testimonials about new initiatives.

Specialized recognition initiatives

Two standout programs that have significantly improved engagement include:

• Dealer Obsession stories: Recognizes employees who help customers succeed through a dedicated site where team members can submit their own stories
• Unburied Life program: Encourages team members to pursue bucket-list items and share their experiences, acknowledging that fulfilling lives extend beyond work

Agero: Bridging the gap between frontline and corporate workers

Agero provides roadside assistance, accident management and digital dispatch solutions, assisting more than 30,000 drivers daily through intelligent software and human support.

The company uses Simpplr to connect more than 34,000 employees across multiple locations. Agero centers its company culture on appreciation — a value that its contact center and corporate employees embrace. The two groups often collaborated on support cases but lacked opportunities to interact and provide mutual support. After Agero implemented employee recognition tools, they began to form a more unified community.

“Since launching Simpplr Recognition and Rewards, we’ve found employees not only post and engage more on our intranet, but our communications content views have also increased more than 17%,” said Ashley Anglisano, Communications Manager.

Recognition drives connection

Agero maximizes their recognition capabilities through:

• Peer-to-peer awards tied to company values like “Going the Extra Mile” and “Demonstrating Leadership”
• Recurring awards programs managed through the platform
• Real-time recognition that reaches a broader audience than in-office acknowledgment
• Analytics that provide employee insights to support performance management

Almost every part of the organization now posts, interacts and shares regularly. Groups traditionally quiet on the intranet now actively participate in giving shout-outs. 

Agero’s intranet had nearly 700 recognition posts and replies the month they launched — 22 times higher than the previous month. 

The company’s call center director, Joe, noted that recognition in the office used to happen on the spot, but recognition within their Simpplr intranet has allowed them to share appreciation with a much larger audience. “I would argue this is even better than recognition in the office due to the broad reach,” he said.

The platform’s analytics help Ashley’s team provide managers with valuable data about employee engagement. Thomya, a call center customer experience analyst, received acknowledgment for having the highest number of recognition posts. 

“When you know someone has taken the time to say ‘thank you’ or ‘I appreciate you,’ it means a lot and makes a difference in how we approach our jobs,” Thomya said.

Quartz Health Solutions: Celebrating employees across channels

Quartz Health Solutions is a health plan management and administrative services company that offers a variety of health insurance products and services. The company leverages their intranet, Prism, to deliver a comprehensive employee recognition strategy that’s generated impressive usage and engagement metrics.   

Prism by the numbers: 99% of users log on, 99% view content, and 30% actively contribute.

“We attribute our notable intranet usage and engagement metrics in large part to the many ways we use our intranet to recognize our employees for a wide variety of things,” said Lori Devoti, Sr. Internal Communications Specialist.

From celebrating workplace excellence to personal achievements, new hires to long-term team members, and employees who embrace company values, Quartz makes the most of their intranet’s features to celebrate and appreciate their people.

Strategic use of employee recognition tools

Quartz maximizes their intranet’s capabilities through:

• Newsletters: Highlighting recently promoted employees in the weekly all-employee newsletter and showcasing new leaders in the biweekly leadership newsletter
• Weekly articles: Recognizing individuals, cross-functional teams and departments for retirement, innovation, learning and process improvement
• Dashboards: Sharing tiles to welcome new employees and celebrate work anniversaries and birthdays
• Spotlight section: Featuring shoutouts to employees recognized outside of work in a special section of the home dashboard
• Media galleries: Enabling employees to share images of team retreats and volunteer activities and videos of company events and personal milestones
• Interactive elements: Creating departmental leaderboards to recognize excellence in specific activities
• Personalized profiles: Greeting new hires with custom welcome banners and adding service award badges for employment milestones

“Many departments also use the intranet to profile team members, recognizing each person as an individual and building belonging within their teams,” Lori said. “Our intranet is an essential tool for recognizing our employees’ success at work, in our communities and as individuals.”

Zembl: Building a values-driven recognition program

Zembl is an Australian company specializing in energy brokerage services for businesses and residents. At Zembl, their core values — Give a Damn, Work as One, and Keep It Real — form the foundation of their culture.

“We live and breathe these values in every decision, action and interaction, shaping how we support, collaborate and build on our purpose-driven culture,” said Morgan Biggar, Head of People & Culture.

Zentral: The digital hub for recognition

The company took a significant step in nurturing this culture when they launched their intranet, Zentral, in July 2023. “Zentral’s employee recognition tool has empowered our team to hand out an impressive 144 recognitions (and counting) to Zemblrs living our values in real-time,” Morgan said.

The platform has enabled leaders to highlight exceptional performance through their monthly Values Awards program, with each winner receiving a dedicated post. Zentral’s homepage also showcases celebration tiles welcoming new team members and commemorating birthdays and work anniversaries.

Supporting employee success

Zembl’s approach extends beyond simple recognition to support Zemblrs and ensure they have what they need to do their jobs. 

• Resource Hub site provides a one-stop shop for employee requests and a suggestion box for how the company can improve
• Give a Damn volunteer program site houses information on upcoming opportunities, application processes for volunteer days, and supported charities

“At Zembl, we want to help people win, and Zentral is a key enabler in achieving just that,” Morgan said. “Zentral helps foster a culture of recognition, collaboration and support.”

Lessons from successful workplace recognition strategies

These four organizations align their recognition programs with their values and strategic objectives, ensuring that appreciation reinforces what matters most. Their successful approaches share several common elements.

Effective recognition elements include:

• Personalizing recognition rather than using generic acknowledgments
• Balancing work achievements with personal milestones and outside interests
• Using multiple intranet features to create comprehensive recognition programs
• Making appreciation visible across the entire organization
• Documenting measurable benefits to demonstrate program value

These companies use the recognition and rewards capabilities integrated within their Simpplr-powered employee experience platform to celebrate their people in the flow of everyday work. This consistent appreciation strengthens workplace connections and reinforces company values.

Build a stronger recognition culture with Simpplr

Credit Acceptance, Agero, Quartz Health Solutions and Zembl have demonstrated that an effective recognition program goes beyond formal awards — it becomes part of everyday work life. They have woven appreciation into their company fabric using Simpplr’s Recognition and Rewards within their intranet. Colleagues can easily thank each other, celebrate important moments, and reinforce what matters at their company — without having to switch between systems. 

With Simpplr, saying “great job” happens naturally throughout the workweek. The platform sends automatic announcements, offers simple ways for people to recognize others publicly, and includes reward options that make appreciation both visible and timely. Leaders can also see what’s working through analytics and engagement data so they can adjust their approach to encourage more participation and better results.

Discover how Simpplr Recognition and Rewards can make your people feel genuinely valued and connected. Request a demo today!