Lallemand Health Solutions Automates Service Awards Gifts with Altrum

Lallemand Health Solutions is a business unit of Lallemand Inc., a renowned Quebec-based company specializing in the production of yeasts, bacteria, and probiotics, with a strong international presence. Known for its scientific expertise, the Health Solutions division has more than 300 employees in Quebec, spread across three plants and a research center. The company values a stimulating work environment, where employee engagement and recognition play a key role in talent retention.

Before partnering with Altrum, Lallemand recognized service anniversaries in a very traditional way, offering predetermined gifts every five years. While well-intentioned, the manual process placed a heavy burden on the HR team and became harder to sustain as the company grew. On top of that, the gifts felt less relevant over time, making it difficult to create a truly meaningful recognition experience.

Faced with this reality, the HR team wanted to:

• Formally recognize employees starting from their very first year of service
• Modernize its gift offering and personalize the employee experience
• Benefit from a simple program management process

Several factors motivated this choice:

• The platform makes it possible to automate the program, starting recognition from the first service anniversary.

• A wide selection of gifts is available, giving employees the freedom to choose according to their preferences and ensuring a more modern, personalized recognition experience.

• The shop can be customized with a welcome message and the company logo, to reflect the organization’s identity.

• Administrative tools and dashboards simplify program management and follow-ups.

In 2022, Lallemand implemented a platform to automate the management of employee gifts.

Service Anniversary Recognition Program

Lallemand reimagined its program to turn milestones into meaningful moments, starting with the very first year, then at the 3rd, 5th, and every five years after. For each milestone, employees receive a personalized email inviting them to select a gift from a curated shop aligned with their service year’s budget. At the same time, managers are automatically notified, ensuring every celebration is recognized both digitally and personally, amplifying the impact of each gesture.

Holiday Gift Shop

For the holiday season, Lallemand wanted to give employees a truly memorable thank-you. Using the platform’s customization options, the team created a themed gift shop. While it was separate from the service anniversary program, it offered the same effortless, turnkey experience. With careful planning, the HR team unveiled the initiative at the holiday party and the very next day employees received their invitations to choose a gift, keeping the festive spirit alive long after the celebration.

Using Celebration has allowed the HR team to completely transform its recognition management:

• Smooth implementation: the team was able to roll out the solution quickly and seamlessly, with no complex training or heavy transition.

• Efficiency gains: the process is now automated, requiring only a simple file to be sent to Altrum once a year. Administrative tools and dashboards provide management autonomy, even when an employee leaves.

• Fewer oversights: at each service awards, the system automatically sends an email to the employee inviting them to choose their gift, while also notifying their manager so the event can be acknowledged.

• High employee satisfaction: feedback has been very positive. “The first time our employees received their new gift, they really had a WOW reaction and found the selection impressive. And satisfaction remains just as high today,” said Nadège, CPHR at Lallemand Health Solutions.

• Reliable support: the Altrum team always responds quickly to requests, making the collaboration smooth and effective.

“We don’t have to manage anything; it’s all programmed in advance. The automation, the reminders to managers, the variety of gifts… all of this makes the program run by itself. And if changes are needed, I can make them myself, it’s easy to use. Plus, employees are always happy with their gift.”

— Nadège O’Farrell, HR Advisor, Lallemand Health Solutions

Lallemand Health Solutions now wants to further expand its recognition strategy by exploring new avenues to strengthen its internal culture, including:

• Peer-to-peer recognition, to foster an authentic, shared culture of appreciation at all levels of the organization.
• Enhancing employee engagement and team commitment, through targeted initiatives designed to support motivation and cohesion daily.