Newgen: Strengthening Connection Across Borders with Recognition

Newgen is a top provider of an AI-enabled unified digital transformation platform. Headquartered in India with subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Newgen’s 4,600 employees deliver innovative and efficient solutions to clients and use recognition to ensure every employee feels appreciated for their great work.

Situation

The strength of interpersonal bonds has always been a key aspect of Newgen's culture. "There are a lot of Newgenites who have grown with the company, seen the company grow, and have also seen themselves grow in the process. So, there's a lot of fellow feeling," explains Vivek Mani Tripathi, CHRO.

To maintain its close-knit culture while supporting growth, Newgen sought a platform to facilitate global recognition and appreciation. Newgen chose O.C. Tanner because of its easy-to-use platform, global reach, and ability to support recognition across Newgen's global offices. This is a significant step to ensure every Newgenite feels valued, no matter where they are.

“The idea was that any Newgenite in any part of the world should be able to recognize, appreciate, and nominate any of his or her colleagues through this platform. We really did not have anything like this earlier and that's the reason we went for O.C. Tanner.”
‍—Vivek Mani Tripathi, (VP – HRD & Operations)

Solution

Ignite, powered by Culture Cloud®, enables employees worldwide to recognize and nominate their colleagues who demonstrate their core values. This solution significantly improved the overall user experience and facilitated a more cohesive and appreciative work environment.

“We spent a good amount of time ensuring that all the things were integrated quite well. It was a good experience as that was the first time that we in HR had bought something. So O.C. Tanner’s is the first platform that we have brought in from outside,” explains Rajesh Pathak, AVP – HRD.

As a part of creating more opportunities for appreciation, Newgen implemented several initiatives. They designated April as Appreciation Month, starting in 2023, and celebrated significant days like Women's Day to appreciate their women colleagues through the platform.

Newgen recently introduced a points-based system for tenure-based awards. They wanted the long-service award to include both virtual recognition and an in-person appreciation experience in front of the recipient's team and colleagues. While tenured employees are recognized offline with a trophy, certificate, and gift box in front of their colleagues, they now also receive points in their Ignite account. These points can be used to select a gift of their choice.

“Because of Ignite, instead of looking at different kinds of gifts, we can make it more customized. When it comes to reward and recognition, a hybrid approach seems to be the best,” says Tripathi. “What Ignite has helped us with is very clear. It’s very easy for employees to appreciate each other. Everyone knows how to do it and it's very seamless. That's a big positive because earlier even if you had the intent, you would not know how to do it.”

“Thankfully the portal is easy to understand. The employees know exactly where to go to give recognition to someone,” adds Saurav, Global Lead - Total Rewards & HR Automation and Digitalization Projects.

Results

Ignite has significantly improved the accessibility and consistency of appreciation within the workforce and has enabled the successful rollout of various initiatives within a unified system. Having all Newgenites on a single platform where they can appreciate each other, regardless of geographical boundaries, allows for swift recognition and appreciation across the organization.

“It has been a great partnership with O.C. Tanner. From being a part of the team since the time of inception to now, it has been a good experience,” says Tripathi.

“What I really appreciated about Ignite is that we are using a single platform for all our employees, be it employees who are based out of India or employees who are there in Saudi Arabia or America.”
—Saurav Kadam, Global Lead - Total Rewards & HR Automation and Digitalization Projects.