About customer

In Kazakhstan, Home Credit Bank has been in business since 2005, ranking among the top ten banks in the republic in terms of capital size and actively participating in the retail lending segment. As of 2022, a new stage of development has begun, involving website and application updates for clients, organizational improvements, and, of course, employee engagement. This endeavor earned them the prestigious "HR Brand Central Asia" award. 

Current State: Challenging Times for Teams

With 3,500 employees across 18 regions in Kazakhstan, Home Credit Bank faced the challenge of retaining and attracting talent in the competitive retail banking sector. Recognizing the importance of a robust work environment and corporate culture, the bank aimed to minimize turnover and boost employee engagement. The case we want to share is related to the corporate culture, internal communication, and small automation.

Objective:Reinforcing Teams and HR Brand

In the retail sector, hiring and retaining personnel is a classic concern. High employee turnover poses additional risks for expanding networks. Retaining existing specialists and attracting new talent is crucial. While working conditions matter, they aren't the sole factor influencing employee and candidate decisions. Values and corporate culture play a significant role. Home Credit Bank, in its active expansion, aimed to strengthen its team, boost its employer brand among candidates and employees, extensively automate processes to ease operations, and introduce an appealing employee incentive system. The objective was to increase engagement levels and minimize staff turnover.

Challenges and solutions

Awara IT's Gamification Approach

To address these challenges, Awara IT proposed gamification—a motivation strategy incorporating game elements into daily work with Company Coins. This low-code proprietary application by Awara IT on Microsoft Power Apps introduced gamification elements into daily tasks, allowing colleagues to express gratitude for excellent work through points, rewards, or badges, similar to mechanics found in contemporary video games. In essence, Company Coins became the internal currency.

Awara IT refined the initial idea based on the bank's requirements, ultimately solving the client's challenges using Power Platform, Teams, and Office 365 technologies. The final solution enabled employees to complete tasks, earn badges, and receive rewards in the form of corporate currency. Examples of tasks earning badges include becoming a bank ambassador, embracing eco-culture, or participating in a sports challenge.

Employees could send "coins" to each other as a token of gratitude or use them to purchase items from the corporate Merch Store, Teams-based tool integrated within the system. Microsoft Office 365 is utilized for email notifications. The solution also included order management functions to cater employees in different cities. The application is deployed within the existing Microsoft 365 licenses held by the customer, eliminating the need to purchase additional licenses and increase the project cost.

Implementation: From Idea to Next Steps

Awara IT's specialists leveraged Power Platform, Teams, and Office 365 to develop and implement the solution. The project, from concept to launch, spanned six months, with considerable time spent discussing the technical requirements and the desired outcome to align with the bank's objectives. The launch took place in two stages. Following its September 2023 launch, active engagement reached 2,400 employees within two months. In the subsequent stage, almost 3500 employees were included.

Top bank managers and regular employees who became models for photos in the Merch Store were actively engaged in promoting the new initiative. As of today, the bank's employees actively use the solution, sending "coins" to each other, earning "badges," and ordering products from the store.

Results

Impact: Unlocking New Potentials

A recent WORKHUMAN IQ FALL 2021 INTERNATIONAL SURVEY REPORT indicates that employees who receive or express gratitude are nearly three times more likely to agree that their work has meaning and purpose. Home Credit Bank's experience aligns with these findings, showcasing positive results for the business:

• Increased engagement and productivity: We streamline user management, enforce access control, and configure authentication processes through the implementation of Azure AD.
• Strengthened corporate culture and loyalty: Enhanced sense of belonging, significance, teamwork, and collaboration, fostering a positive work environment.
• Reinforcement of team spirit: Encouraging growth and recognition through incentives for personal and professional development.

Next Steps: Expanding Reach and Integration

The next stage involves addressing several tasks, including:

• Extend to All Employees: Encompassing all Home Credit Bank employees in Kazakhstan.
• Mobile Version Development: Expanding the gamification solution's accessibility.
• Integration of New Products: Evolving the system to incorporate additional offerings.

Conclusion: Inspiring HR Practices in a Digital Age

Home Credit Bank's experience in Kazakhstan serves as inspiration for HR policies and brand development, contributing to digitalization in various business areas. Awara IT emphasizes that gamification's possibilities extend beyond engagement, demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing more serious challenges, such as tracking employee performance.

Regular performance assessments, typically conducted manually 1-2 times a year by analyzing timekeeping records, manager feedback, and colleague reviews, often prove time-consuming and less effective. Employees expect evaluations or recognition from employers and colleagues more frequently than twice a year. Leveraging the right tools, such as Company Coins, for timely team assessments can significantly enhance the efficiency of addressing personnel incentive, retention, and motivation challenges.