Industry:
Education
Number of employees:
400+
Number of locations:
14
Platform features:
Employee reward and recognition, employee communications, employee discounts, employee wellbeing
The approach
When investigating platform options, Sesame Lane’s team realised there was much more to an engagement platform than the reward budget. With Reward Gateway, Sesame Lane now offers its employees a peer-to-peer recognition program that uses values-based eCards, as well as ‘Years of Service’ rewards and a wellbeing centre. The platform customisation process is supported by Reward Gateway’s ready-to-go, curated content and functionalities, ultimately saving the HR team significant time and resources.
The secret to 95% deskless registration and 70% active use
The short answer: Centralisation. Most of Sesame Lane’s employees are working with kids and focussed on care, but it’s clear that people want to be better connected and feel like they’re part of a community. When more employees started signing up to the platform, it had a snowball effect, with more and more staff talking about the functionalities and sharing their thoughts with others.
Staff also use Laneways for payroll questions or to search for new internal vacancies as and when they come up. And the Discounts Marketplace has been a big draw for employees, especially when they realise the sheer range of different services and retailers where they can save some money.
The results
Before even adopting the platform, Sesame Lane earmarked a designated pot of reward money for each centre – but it’s found that it’s not spending it at anywhere near the anticipated rate, even though redemption rate is above 60%. People are finding it so valuable to get a personalised pat on the back.
The organisation has also seen additional ROI from the discounts and cashback benefits program, saving employees nearly $16,000 since launch.
The peer-to-peer recognitions have far exceeded expectations. As a group of 14 centres, it’s typically been tough to connect managers and staff and to shine a light on the great work being done in different locations. Since launch, employees have sent more than 2,800 eCards. With the social wall in ‘Laneways’ – what Sesame Lane calls its engagement platform – the recognitions aren’t just quick and easy, they’re also seen by the entire company. That often creates a chain reaction where people from other centres chime in.
"Our managers love it, too, because they have the ability to give out awards to staff as and when they see fit, whether that’s to our operations team, frontline staff or other line
managers. I know personally when you receive a card that says ‘Thanks for all you do,’ it touches your heart.” - Head of Sesame Lane
