How a Large Public Bank Reignited Employee Engagement with Recognition

One of India’s top Public sector banks, this institution operates 20,000+ branches and serves millions of customers across retail, corporate, and digital banking. Known for its legacy public service, the bank employs over 200,000 people across metros, Tier 2/3 cities, and support hubs. In an industry facing intense talent competition and rising regulatory scrutiny, the bank’s HR team sought to modernize internal engagement and recognition practices. The end goal was also to build a culture of high performance and promote the team to move faster, with meritocracy.

The Challenge

The bank faced growing disengagement among younger, frontline staff and mid-management due to rigid time-based promotions, and a lack of culture of performance and appreciation. High performers especially felt under-valued and attrition was high for these employees. Internal surveys revealed employees felt unseen for non-financial contributions like customer empathy and crisis handling. With recognition limited to annual awards, HR struggled to build a culture of everyday appreciation and high performance at scale.

The Solution

Edenred partnered with the bank to launch a fully integrated, mobile-first recognition platform across all zones - focussing initially on front-line staff. The solution allowed managers and peers to reward employees instantly for demonstrating high performance and company values - with a curated mix of e-vouchers, lifestyle rewards, and milestone gifts. The focus was on appreciating work done by front-line staff, both from a performance and customer service perspective. Spot awards were encouraged to appreciate contributions right away. Employees could redeem from a vast catalogue including top-tier appliances, fitness gadgets, luxury dining, and wellness experiences like staycations and spas. Edenred handled end-to-end logistics, returns, and reporting. Integration with the bank’s HRMS ensured data security and compliance.