The challenge
Niche talent, high replacement costs, and an R&R program that wasn't working
BusinessOne sits at the intersection of technology and pharma - a niche that makes hiring difficult. Their technologists carry expertise in both legacy and modern pharma software, and finding the right skill fit takes time and investment. That made retention not just an HR priority, but a business one.
The existing R&R program was fragmented and inconsistent - cash, certificates, cheques, and occasional awards with no structure or rhythm. Focus groups and one-on-one HR discussions consistently flagged R&R as one of the biggest gaps in the employee experience. Recognition existed, but it wasn't frequent, visible, or meaningful enough to influence how employees felt about the organization.
- High cost of attrition, replacing niche pharma-tech talent was expensive, making employee retention a top organizational priority.
- Intermittent and impersonal recognition, cash and paper certificates lacked the immediacy and personalization needed to make employees feel genuinely valued.
- No spot award capability, the existing process could not accommodate timely, in-the-moment recognition - a key gap identified through employee focus groups.
- Limited reward choice, a single-format reward approach failed to serve a multi-generational workforce with diverse preferences.
The solution
Flexible, timely recognition embedded in daily work
Empuls integrated seamlessly into BusinessOne's existing processes, replacing the manual R&R workflow with a platform that was easy to use, flexible enough for different recognition moments, and backed by responsive customer support.
- Instantaneous and spot awards, the platform supported frequent, timely recognition including spot awards and peer appreciation - giving managers the flexibility to recognize contributions as they happened, not weeks later.
- Multi-generational reward catalog, employees across age groups and preferences could choose from a wide variety of redemption options, including experiential rewards like family dining and vacation experiences that extended the impact beyond the individual.
- Employer branding through transparency, a consistent, visible R&R program changed how employees perceived BusinessOne as an organization - reinforcing equity, modernity, and a genuine investment in people.
- Performance and learning motivation, Empuls was used to reward employees for acquiring and applying new skills, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement that showed up in internal productivity dashboards.
The results
Lower attrition, stronger employer brand, and a 20% productivity gain
20%
Increase in employee productivity within one year
100%
Digital, instant reward delivery
Between March 2018 and March 2019, BusinessOne recorded a 20% increase in employee productivity - tracked through internal dashboards that showed employees consistently improving their performance. Attrition decreased as the perception of the company shifted: employees felt the organization was progressive, transparent, and equitable.
The experiential reward options had a multiplier effect. When rewards extended to team outings and family experiences, they strengthened team cohesion and created memories that reinforced belonging. For BusinessOne's HR leadership, Empuls became a long-term investment in building the kind of employer brand that both retains existing talent and attracts new hires in a competitive niche.