Technology and services provider transforms recognition and communications to unite employees

Founded in 2010, ModMed specialises in providing technology and services for physicians including electronic medical records, practice management, billing services, payment processing services and communication tools for streamlining services. Since its start, ModMed has experienced large growth, now helping over 23,000 providers in 50 states.

The challenge:

Because of its expansion, the staff at ModMed went from 300 employees to more than 1,500 dispersed employees, with the 350% increase in headcount largely attributed to new hires within the States. 

ModMed had all of its corporate functions including marketing, software engineering, finance and HR all in one location. But after the acquisitions, the organisation suddenly found it had accumulated a large staff of primarily remote workers or those who preferred to work from home. ModMed wanted to ensure they delivered a positive employee experience to all their employees, so they began a search for options that not only addressed their new workforce but also reflected their core values. 

Previously, ModMed used a manual programme to recognise standout employees through Google form nominations by their peers. The company representative would then print it out on a certificate and hand-deliver it to the recipient along with the corresponding 'rockstar' recognition pin. The team would gather everyone around and read what the nominator had written about the recipient.

As Serena Reno, People Experience Supervisor at ModMed, described the process:

“It was fun, but also quite time-consuming and a very manual process. Obviously, that was not scalable and didn’t work once we started to grow by acquisition and employees were located all over the world.” 

That’s why when it came time to update their employee recognition programme, Serena created a system that not only streamlined employee appreciation for an ever-growing remote staff but one that would set their people up for success on day one. After creating a case study to justify the cost and get stakeholders on board, they evaluated several different vendors until they found Reward Gateway, which had everything ModMed was searching for, including robust communication and recognition capabilities all in one platform.

The approach:

With the firm belief that showing appreciation is a key factor in employee engagement and performance, ModMed partnered with Reward Gateway to design the 'Pulse,' a digital employee recognition programme that was easy and effective for all their employees to utilise, even remote staff.

Combining the power of recognition and communications in one place, The Pulse served two important functions that ModMed believed were vital for employee experience and retention. The platform first created an engaging form of communication that connected employees from across the globe with access to links to the company mission, vision and values, links to commonly asked questions, a calendar listing company events, and chat rooms for employees to discuss things of interest.

“Our vision for a solution was for it to become our go-to destination for all of our employees, regardless of where they were located. We wanted a centralised location for all information that they needed to stay connected to the business and with their colleagues,” says Serena.

While it was the communications features from Reward Gateway that made it stand out in the search for a partner, The Pulse also provides a solution for outstanding employee recognition. Following along with the company value of 'Align Passion With Purpose,' the platform provides several ways for employees to be appreciated for a job well done, for lending a helping hand and for reaching company milestones.

Rewards for employee recognition are presented:

As a spinoff, many departments have utilised the platform and created their own specialised recognition programmes within ModMed to show appreciation to teams. These rewards are given for 'Team Member of the Month,' for reaching company goals or for winning KPI competitions within their department.

The result:

From its launch during the pandemic, the Pulse was adopted quickly. Through polls within the platform, the team discovered that employees loved the new hub, and The Pulse has quickly cemented itself as the go-to during onboarding and beyond. From the start of a new employee’s journey, The Pulse is introduced with the 'NEWBIE-ginning' hub, containing frequently asked questions and up-to-date benefits policies, plus information about what to expect in their first few weeks and how they can connect with other employees through various internal organisations and networks. 

To keep employees up to date with The Pulse and happenings in ModMed, the team introduced the ModMed Moment, which includes a preview of all the events that are happening throughout the week in the company, as well as virtual wellness classes or recordings of the monthly company meeting. The ModMed Moment is sent via email and then posted on the Pulse via a blog for easy access. 

“Those are just some of the ways we are keeping our workforce engaged and connected despite being located all over the world,” Serena notes. 

In the first year since launch, there has been continued growth in platform usage. ModMed now registers every onboarded employee with the platform to ensure continual usage and awareness from their every first day.

Since the launch, 97% of their employees have sent or received recognition or both, leading to more than 15,000 recognition moments across the business, with more than half of it focussed around reward. What’s more, out of the close to £21k awards issued, more than 70% of awards have been redeemed! 

To say that ModMed has a more engaged and productive staff that will stay with the company for a longer time to come is likely an understatement. Serena reiterates:

“I am very proud of how the programme has gained traction internally and how much engagement we're seeing from our leaders and teammates across the organisation.”

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