Nolan Oils, an independent and family-owned fuel provider, employs over 20 staff who are spread between an office environment, home working and remote locations with drivers continually on the road has implemented a platform to reward and connect dispersed teams.
The company is led with the belief that staff recognition is essential to ensure employees are motivated and get the feedback and appreciation they deserve. Problematically, because staff are in different locations and on the road, creating instant recognition and building a sense of connection between people has been troublesome.
Mark Nolan, Managing Director at Nolan Oils, explains: “Recognition is something we firmly believe in, but hadn’t been consistent with before. If I noticed someone going above and beyond, I would buy them a gift or give them a day off. But what we hadn’t really considered is that senior leaders can’t possibly see everything, so some people were missing out – and potentially worse, although this moment of celebration may be good for one, it can create resentment for others if their great work isn’t noticed too.”
“Also, with teams spread out, employees were unable to recognise one another’s great work, which meant there was a barrier – particularly between office staff and drivers who had less point of contact. It wasn’t toxic, but it was lacking in terms of positivity and teamwork. We really wanted our appreciation to help remind people that we don’t just deliver oil, we keep people warm at home and help companies operate effectively.”
Nolan Oils now uses Arteel, an instant employee experience and customer loyalty platform that allows team members to recognise each other’s work, building a sense of connection and ensuring moments of appreciation are not lost over time or distance. As recognition can come from any employee, great work is less likely to be missed.
Nolan adds: “ One of our office team can deliver a recognition star through the Arteel platform and the driver will receive a notification that they have been recognised for their work – and have their moment to shine. The recognition also goes on the virtual wall of the platform which others can see, like and comment on, so great work will be noticed by everyone which amplifies the positive experience further. Arteel has helped our people truly appreciate the importance and meaning of our work, which is fundamental to our business.”
Using this strategy, employees are able to build points of recognition and claim rewards, such as travel, dining or experience vouchers, food and drink gifts or funds to donate to charity. In the first five months of use, Nolan Oils has had an 87% usage rate of the platform and over 200 moments of recognition between employees.
Nolan Oils’ worked with Arteel experts to create a recognition strategy based around employees showing appreciation to others who demonstrate key company ethos and values. In turn, the company not only rewards and motivates employees for individual instances of hard work, but boosts a strong culture aligned with positive behaviours.
The strategy works with Nolan’s values of Safety, Mastery, Integrity, Love and Excellence, supporting its ethos of going the extra S.M.I.L.E. Individuals who practice these values are rewarded, driving the company towards the same set of expectations and company objectives.
Ian Feaver, Managing Director of Arteel UK, summarises: “Organisations that thrive are those that have a strong and positive culture: a culture with values that inspire employees and drive the organisation’s performance, no matter where they are working from. Conventional culture initiatives focus heavily on communication to make people understand and believe in this, but the goal should be to embed the desired culture into employees’ day-to-day tasks. This helps influence behaviour so it not only makes individuals feel good about their work but helps the company work as a team towards its business goals”.
