Diabetes UK is the leading UK charity for people affected by diabetes. From care and support to prevention, campaigning, fundraising and research, it works to tackle the fastest-growing health threat in the UK (there are currently 4.6 million people in the UK living with diabetes).
As the UK’s leading diabetes charity, employing around 400 members of staff, its mission is to work in partnership to support those living with diabetes, prevent Type 2 diabetes, make research breakthroughs and ultimately find a cure. The charity’s success in these areas relies on inspiring a range of different groups – people with diabetes, volunteers, healthcare professionals, donors, commercial partners and the staff of Diabetes UK – to help meet these challenges. The expertise and motivation of staff are crucial in helping Diabetes UK work towards its many aims and objectives.
Charities such as Diabetes UK often face unique challenges when it comes to engaging and motivating their staff. Its workforce constitutes a broad range of roles, demographics and skillsets, united by their passion and support for the charity but all with different motivations and experiences. This has a direct impact on the development of reward and recognition strategies. At the same time, as with any charity, funding is heavily reliant on donations and as a result finances, including money spent on staff, are heavily scrutinized.
Diabetes UK approached Xexec with a view to developing and implementing a cost effective employee engagement strategy that would address these challenges. Notably the charity wanted a scheme that would not just celebrate hard work, but support the culture and values that were so crucial to its ongoing success.
Xexec developed and launched a bespoke reward and recognition programme for Diabetes UK, to help the charity recognise and celebrate its team’s outstanding work. The emphasis of the scheme was on meaningful gestures, rather than large financial rewards. The programme was directly linked to Diabetes UK’s core values, to encourage specific behaviours and support its workplace culture.
Xexec incorporated Diabetes UK’s pre-agreed approval process into a fully automated and seamless nomination programme. Nominators have to select one of the organisation’s core attributes that their colleagues has displayed: “We put people first”, “We’re driven to know more”, “We keep things simple”, or “We make change happen”, and write a personal message. Nominees then receive an instant £25 thank you award added to their reward balance as well as appearing on a “Winners Wall”. The reward credit can be spent on a selection of E-vouchers and experiences, or even donated to Diabetes UK.
Since launch, the platform has enabled staff members to easily recognise and reward each other’s contributions and there have been a total of 495 awards put through the system.
