Uncovering hidden obstacles in employee recognition
At O.C. Tanner, we empower companies to foster a culture of appreciation. Our Culture Cloud platform enables peer-to-peer recognition, but we noticed users abandoning the “Give Flow“ – our recognition process. As the Product Designer in a cross-functional team, I embarked on an adventure to uncover why.
Data-informed discovery reveals surprising insights
Collaborating with my Product Manager, we dove into user behavior analysis. Challenges arose in data collection due to a branching path in the flow. I overcame this by creating an aggregated data view outside our existing analytics solution.
Using Pendo and Fullstory, I mapped the user journey. A key discovery emerged: a high drop-off rate at the flow’s end. We hypothesized that a simple button swap could significantly boost engagement.
Small change, big challenge
The scope was straightforward: swap the positioning and styling of two buttons at the end of the “Give flow”. However, the main hurdle wasn’t technical—it was prioritization. Despite its potential impact, this small change struggled to gain traction amidst larger, more complex projects.
This challenge led us to adjust our team processes. We modified our approach to allow for smaller, high-impact changes to be pulled in and implemented alongside ongoing work on larger projects. This shift in mindset and process proved crucial for the project’s success.
A minor tweak yields major results
Once implemented, the results were impressive:
- Recognition activity surged by 5%
- Users returning to give more recognition skyrocketed by 200%
- Completion rate for repeat recognitions jumped by 90%
This experience reinforced to me the power of data-informed design and the importance of agile implementation for even the smallest changes. More importantly, it highlighted the need for flexible processes that can accommodate high-impact micro-improvements alongside larger initiatives.
