Arvesta is the largest Belgian full-service partner for farmers and market gardeners, with a strong international network. It rewarded employees with a digital gift voucher every year, but this did not seem to get much notice. Chief HR Officer, Karen Van Roy explains how they found the ideal solution to strengthen employer branding and experience in LuckyBird.
For years, Arvesta had the tradition of giving a gift voucher worth 35 euros to all employees at the end of the year. This amount was loaded onto a digital gift card. However, nobody really noticed it, much to the company’s frustration.
"Everybody needs to feel appreciated," says Karin. "That applies to workers, employees, and managers. But appreciation must be authentic and sincere. I also felt it was important not to express it in cash. It was quite a search for the right solution until I came across Arteel."
Since Arvesta values the employee experience for strong employer branding, Arteel proposed the LuckyBird concept. LuckyBird is a gift box fully customised to the client's objectives and Arvesta's brand identity. It was transformed into the Arvesta box, featuring a personal message from management and a QR code instantly linking to an online platform. Five greeting cards were also designed per box, allowing employees to give each other a pat on the back or to express gratitude.
"The power of such a message is incredible: our employees shared them massively with their family members!" - Karin Van Roy
The boxes were sent to employees' homes, personalised with their first names. Each employee was addressed personally. Even the login process was personalised with the correct name in the appropriate language. Once on the online platform, employees were welcomed with a warm video message from the CEO, thanking them. "The power of such a message is incredible: employees shared them massively with their family members!"
After watching the message, employees could browse through the gift selection. It included physical gifts, experiences, charitable donations, beverages, concert tickets, gift cards, and initiatives to support local businesses. "It was an exciting experience, as if you were entering an Alibaba-like platform full of surprises," says Karin.
Arvesta conducted a survey after giving the gift box to gain better insight into its impact.
"More than 99% thought it was a brilliant initiative! So, it's clearly worth repeating," says Karin
People spontaneously talked about it, and also spread the word on social media.
Arvesta also conducted an analysis report to understand the employees' preferences, enabling them to continually improve the gift assortment in the future. They were so enthusiastic about LuckyBird that they applied the concept to other milestones such as births, marriages, seniority, retirement, and exceptional performances. They had finally found a heartfelt way to express their thanks!
Want to learn more about Arteel's gift solutions?
→ Also, read the blog article: why rewarding is not primarily about money.