What “MVP” means to LiveIntent
You’ve probably seen the research and heard employees say that being recognized and feeling valued goes a long way. Like many companies, we are constantly brainstorming how we can do this more, have it feel genuine and be creative in the process. Recently, we landed on something that we thought was going to be epic (AND IT WAS)!
During our mid-year review cycle we asked the org to share employees who they thought were incremental to our success in 1H of 2023. We weren’t sure how many people were actually going to fill this prompt out (afterall it wasn’t a question about their individual success), but what we saw unravel was a genuine appreciation and admiration across peers. The comments about these individuals consistently highlighted their effectiveness, willingness to pitch in, and an extra mile attitude that distinguishes them from others. These MVPs weren’t just problem solvers in their specific areas, they were described as people who think bigger and who aim to benefit LiveIntent as a whole.
Our MVPs showcased a diverse roster spanning multiple departments and varied tenures, coming from 8 distinct departments across the Operations, Technology, and Revenue org. We also saw representation from individuals across our three office locations (New York, Copenhagen, Berlin) and all employee levels: AVP, VP, SVP, Director, Senior Director, Manager, Senior Manager level and individual contributors.
We tallied up this information and shared it with our Executive team who were as blown away by the responses as we were. Our Executive team outlined a three-tier reward system for the top 13 MVPs, based on the number of nominations each received. This tiered approach underscored the value of each level of achievement within our team. The People Development team, adding a touch of excitement with an NFL theme and a Taylor Swift soundtrack, announced this at the end of a Town Hall meeting. The energy was palpable as the MVPs were revealed. Those in the third tier, each with an impressive amount of nominations in their own right, were honored with a custom LiveIntent jersey – and bragging rights of course. The second tier, consisting of MVPs with even more votes per person, were awarded not only the jersey but also a $1,000 travel bonus.The top-tier MVP, receiving an impressive 40% more peer nominations than the person below them, was given the ultimate prize: a trip to the Super Bowl in 2024! Embracing their love for sports, the winner made a surprising yet exciting choice to use the prize money for a thrilling experience at March Madness, adding another level of enthusiasm to our team’s celebrations.
Rewards are always fun and you better believe the reactions during Town Hall were nothing short of STUNNED. But what really stood out was how honored the nominees were, one individual sharing, “This was a very wonderful and shocking (in a good way) way to start my morning. I was not expecting the MVP show to begin with, let alone thinking I would come close to sniffing this nomination. There are so many well deserving people that I can think of that can easily take this trophy home. I am super grateful and fortunate for this.”
A huge shoutout to each and every one of our employees who took the time to share insights to highlight the stars among us, and to celebrate the greatness we see in our colleagues every day.
It turns out the research is right, being recognized and feeling valued does go a long way, which is why our core value of #putpeoplefirst is so important to us as a company. And I must say, it’s a darn good feeling to see employees put each other first.
As we close out the year 2023, we can certainly say this was our most impactful employee engagement initiative. This was a great reminder for us as a company that every proverbial pass, tackle, and field goal matters. #OneCompanyOneGoal means all LiveIntenters show up on the field, come rain or shine, ready to assist a teammate, lead the charge, and show an unwavering commitment to excellence, just as our MVPs have this year. Here’s to recognizing the outstanding work we do and to another season of winning together in 2024!
