MAGNA-TILES, the number one magnetic building brand in the U.S., is known for its premium children's products and commitment to promoting meaningful play. As the company grew, it sought new ways to engage its expanding team and reinforce a culture of recognition and transparency.
Challenge: rapid growth among a distributed team
When Liz Sziler joined MAGNA-TILES at the start of 2023, the company lacked a formal recognition program. As the People and Culture Manager, Liz recognized the need for a transparent, quick, and accessible way for team members to appreciate one another across the organization. The company was experiencing rapid growth of 35% per year and required a solution that could scale with them, while also accommodating both office and warehouse employees.
The key challenge was to find a tool that could:
- Motivate employees across various roles
- Provide an easy-to-use recognition platform for both desk and mobile workers
- Foster team engagement and highlight wins, both big and small, across departments.
Solution: Bonusly’s flexible and fun recognition platform
Having experienced Bonusly’s tremendous impact in her previous role, Liz immediately suggested implementing Bonusly at MAGNA-TILES. She saw Bonusly as a natural fit for their growing team, and her advocacy for the platform was so strong that she jokingly pitched herself and Bonusly as a "two-for-one package."
MAGNA-TILES implemented Bonusly as their first-ever peer-to-peer recognition program, and the transition was smooth from start to finish. The platform allowed both their office staff and warehouse associates to easily recognize one another, regardless of location or role. The mobile app ensured that recognition could be shared in real-time, even by associates who were not stationed at desks.
MAGNA-TILES saw early success with Bonusly, including:
- Seamless Integration: The implementation of Bonusly was smooth and painless, a pleasant surprise given the typical challenges of rolling out new tools
- Mobile accessibility: Warehouse associates, often without desktop access, were able to give recognition on the go using Bonusly's top-rated mobile app
- Culture fit: MAGNA-TILES’ team, known for their love of memes and GIFs, embraced Bonusly’s ability to personalize recognitions with fun and creative visuals
MAGNA-TILES continues to see results, driving impact across the company:
- Increased engagement across teams: Bonusly has become an integral part of team engagement at MAGNA-TILES. From motivating employees to participate in required training to celebrating fun events like fantasy football Draft Days, the platform has helped drive critical team connections.
- Recognition for customer service excellence: MAGNA-TILES takes great pride in its customer service department, and Bonusly has provided an avenue to share and celebrate the incredible feedback they receive from customers. Positive reviews are posted on Bonusly, allowing the entire team to rally around these wins.
- Enhanced employee experience: By giving employees the power to recognize each other, MAGNA-TILES has created a culture where small wins are amplified, and individual contributions are regularly celebrated. The use of memes and GIFs in recognition has added a unique and enjoyable touch to the team’s communication, fostering a sense of fun and belonging.
Liz’s take on Bonusly:
“Coming into Bonusly, my favorite piece is that we’re really into memes and GIFs, so being able to attach one to recognition makes it unique and fun—it gets the team talking about it. I tell everyone they need to give Bonusly a shot and start a peer-to-peer recognition program. Bonusly made implementation easy from start to finish, and it’s been a huge success with our growing team!”
