This Finance Director Uses Peer Recognition to Improve Employee Morale & Get Through Tough Times

Source: Bloomberg

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DFS needs no introduction. They are known for being the world’s leading luxury travel retailer and have been pioneers in the industry since 1960.

With an extensive network of 54 duty-free stores, 13 major global airports, and locations on four continents, no one has come close to the unique duty-free shopping experience that DFS offers.

Just by looking at the scale of their operations, a global company this massive needs a skilled and efficient finance team to keep things running smoothly.

To support their global operations, the majority of their finance team consisting of 200 employees is currently based in Singapore. But just like most people in the retail industry, the DFS team was hit especially hard by the pandemic in 2020.

The Reality for Finance Teams & Back-of-House Employees

Just like everyone else, the DFS finance team had to turn to digital channels to stay connected with one another. But it was mainly formal exchanges through emails, online meetings, and nothing else. Because of the pandemic, they no longer had an avenue to interact and thank each other socially due to the lack of physical interaction.

On top of that, there’s also the lack of appreciation for back-of-house employees. Sometimes, it’s the people who work the hardest that get the least appreciation. This only made the team more disconnected and miserable while working from home.

That’s when the problem became clear as day: they wanted a solution that would boost morale and cheer each other on despite their current circumstance.

Building Consistent Employee Engagement in Just 6 Months with PraisePal

When DFS Director of Global Finance, Jason Ang, turned to PraisePal to address the team’s pain points, he saw a massive shift in employee morale and engagement in such a short period of time.

Over the last 6 months, 100 employees have been actively using PraisePal to show appreciation to their teammates for their hard work and efforts. With how easy it is to send a recognition message that showcases their company values, the DFS finance team was hooked.

While the average global employee engagement rate falls at 41%, the DFS team’s engagement rate since using PraisePal has risen to 73%, which is significantly higher than the global average.

As if that’s not impressive enough, over 1,000 recognition messages were sent over the course of those six months, which only proves that peer recognition can work wonders even for 100% remote teams.

We know these figures sound too good to be true. But the numbers don’t lie.

With PraisePal, it’s possible to boost employee morale from zero to hero through a shared recognition habit.

Improve Recognition Daily As A Habit With PraisePal

The DFS finance team is a great example of how peer recognition is one of the best yet simplest ways to keep employees motivated during such a difficult time as the pandemic.

Not only were they able to celebrate both small and big wins as a team, but they managed to put back-of-house employees at the forefront and appreciate them for all their hard work.

Whether you’re a customer-facing or behind-the-scenes employee, we believe everyone deserves to have a platform where they are seen, celebrated, and valued.

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