In 2020, I received a call from the HR Director of a German company with operations in Türkiye, which I had been supporting on various occasions over the years.

She shared the results of the company's latest employee engagement survey, which revealed dissatisfaction, particularly with the company's Recognition and Reward processes. Then, with a remarkably strategic perspective, she explained:

“As HR, even if we make changes ourselves, I don't think employees will necessarily feel more satisfied. But I also hear their need for change. We want to launch a Recognition and Reward System Redesign Project that actively involves employees in the process. We have already communicated our intention to employees and identified 15 volunteers. But we need your facilitation expertise!”

For someone working in organizational change, this was exactly the kind of strategic thinking and project request that makes your heart sing!

The project was particularly sensitive because its outcomes would affect employees across the entire organization – white-collar and blue-collar employees, sales teams, factory employees and head office functions. It also touched on some of the most fundamental human needs: feeling recognized, valued and treated fairly.

I approached the work with the sensitivity this deserved. Following preliminary work with the HR Business Partners, I facilitated the project kick-off and subsequent project follow-up sessions.

Together, we first established a shared understanding of:

• Why the project was being initiated – and why it wasn't.

• The criteria for success.

• The roles and responsibilities of team members, including what and how they would communicate to colleagues at the locations and within the functions they represented.

• A team charter that clearly defined the principles and ground rules for working together.

With this foundation in place, we worked through each component of the Recognition and Reward system, step by step. We compared the existing system with the desired future state, evaluating each area against the agreed success criteria.

For me, the most striking part of the project was the journey of discovery the participants went through during the workshops.

As they explored what it takes to design systems and processes that are fair, realistic and inclusive of different employee groups, they began to recognize just how much thought had already gone into the existing structures.

This realization led to increased appreciation of and trust in the existing systems. It also changed the way participants approached improvement opportunities: with much greater motivation, a more constructive mindset and a stronger willingness to find common ground.

Through employee involvement and collaborative design, the company achieved a significant improvement in employee satisfaction with just 3–4 days of consulting and facilitation support.

How do you address the factors that drive employee engagement down in your organization?

Kindest Regards

Şebnem Gürün Özeren