Case Study

From My Voice to action: ISS launches “Placemaker Perks” employees asked for

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20%

of employees are active on the platform within the first two months

80%

activation goal after first six months

About ISS Pacific

ISS is a global facility services provider focused on creating space where people and businesses thrive. Its purpose is to create and maintain environments so customers can focus on what matters most. With 325,000 colleagues supporting 40,000 clients across more than 60 countries, ISS brings global strength and local expertise to every partnership. In Australia and New Zealand, that capability is applied locally by teams who understand the realities of operating across sectors including healthcare, aviation, commercial workplaces, remote environments, and defence.

ISS delivers integrated facilities services that support safe, reliable day-to-day operations, providing consistent service, clear accountability, and the ability to scale with changing needs. For clients, this means a single partner across multiple services and sites, consistent standards backed by global expertise, and local teams who understand each environment.

At the heart of this approach is a belief that people make places and places make people. ISS’ Placemakers are trained, supported, and empowered to deliver high standards and bring a human touch to every interaction. As Giulia Savio, Head of Employee Experience at ISS Pacific, explains, “We really make places and that's why we call our employees Placemakers because it's really the heart of our organisation. The frontline leaders that we have are the people every day that you engage and connect with and they make a real difference to the spaces that we live and work.”

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The challenge

ISS used its annual employee listening survey, My Voice, to identify clear priorities from its people. “We had really fantastic internal data that told us directly from our employees that recognition, reward, and benefits was something that's really important to them,” Giulia says.

The team needed to deliver a solution employees had asked for, while overcoming barriers to engagement across a diverse workforce. As Giulia notes, “[our] challenge was always the engagement. You can create these beautiful looking platforms… but it would be pointless if people aren't actually getting on and using it.” She adds that workforce demographics added complexity: “We knew in terms [of the] demographics of our workforce, so maybe non-tech digital natives, an ageing population, so again not familiar with utilising online platforms. We're really fortunate to have a diverse workforce, which also means cultural and linguistic challenges, and the platform is in English.”

At the same time, ISS needed to support financial wellbeing where pay was fixed. “There's aspects of our business where we can't shift on pay. So there might be EBAs and pay is fixed. So how do we make those dollars stretch for our people and those everyday discounts was one that we could help support them with, whether it's a four per cent saving or a 10 or 15 percent saving, every little bit matters.”

The team also sought to centralise recognition to drive both cultural impact and measurable outcomes: “It's quite complex for our organisation firstly to change processes and systems but then probably even more difficult the cultural change of behavioural change, so channelling everything through one platform. The benefit for that is that you've got a central location, so in terms of reporting and measuring that's really exciting for us that we can actually demonstrate what we're doing in that space.”

The solution

ISS selected Reward Gateway | Edenred because employees had explicitly asked for recognition, reward, and benefits.

“It was a no brainer that Reward Gateway | Edenred was something that we needed to lean into because it was something that our people directly told us they wanted and needed."

The team launched a fully branded hub called Placemaker Perks to build ownership and pride: "That was the first thing that we wanted to really instil that this was for our people, by our people, and it was a real pleasure partnering with Reward Gateway | Edenred that it was able to be branded Placemaker Perks so our people knew that it was theirs.”

ISS also took a holistic approach to wellbeing by introducing a dedicated component within its hub called Thrive, offering nutritious recipes, healthy living tips, workout videos, financial education, and a range of resources and tools.

To ensure ease of access for all roles and schedules, the team prioritised mobile access. “Because we've got the app functionality, you've got it in the palm of your hand. So our people at any stage, whether they're at work on a break or maybe preparing even for a toolbox talk or a safety share or they're at home doing the groceries, they're able to jump onto Placemaker Perks and align with what fits them at that time.”

To remove barriers and drive activation, ISS integrated access and communications through an existing channel widely used by employees. “We were fortunate that we had previously launched a MyISS app, and again in partnership with Reward Gateway | Edenred we were able to channel all comms to get access to Placemaker Perks through the MyISS platform.” This partnership, flexibility, and adaptability were critical throughout the implementation process for Giulia and her team.

“Being able to have really open conversations with Reward Gateway | Edenred in terms of what is meaningful to us, having the flexibility to tailor and change the platform to suit our needs and then for me personally having the global benchmark of what good looks like."

Looking ahead, ISS is expanding into recognition on the same branded hub. “It's not just about discounts as a way of recognition. It was about our leaders communicating a thank you or a well done. And the reward and recognition platform enables us to do that.”

The results

Within two months of launch, ISS achieved its initial activation goal. “We set ourselves a target of 20% activation within the first two months, which we're really pleased we achieved,” Giulia reports. Building on that momentum, the team moved into “a really aggressive campaign” to continue growth, with a six-month “stretch target around 80%.” The program resonates across the organisation, from executives to frontline teams. “It doesn't matter whether you're our CEO who has bought Crocs at a discount price or one of our wonderful Placemakers checking people through the security at airports or cleaning our hospitals or doing catering in New Zealand. Everyone wants those everyday discounts.”

As a result of this early impact, global interest has been sparked beyond the Pacific region. “What's exciting for us with ISS Pacific really leading the way with Placemaker Perks is that our Spanish colleagues who have a Placemaker workforce of 30,000 employees have now tapped us on the shoulder and said hey can we get a cheeky look at Placemaker Perks and they're looking to implement it globally as well which is really exciting.” Above all, this initiative reflects ISS’ commitment to listening and acting on what matters to its employees.

“The baseline was we knew that it was something that our people needed and wanted, so we needed to get it right.”

Giulia's message to peers underscores the value of the partnership and platform: “In terms of what I would say to my peers in regards to Reward Gateway | Edenred, it's do yourself a favour and sign up."

"It really works for our organisation and the functionality within and the optionality, I think it would work for any organisation. But more importantly, it will work for your people and make a real difference to them. That's the power of Reward Gateway | Edenred and the benefit that we have seen, the joy that it's brought to our people and our organisation.”