The Challenge
Tigers Childcare is one of Ireland’s largest childcare providers, offering early years education, preschool, after-school care, and ASD classes for children with autism. Founded in 2003 by Karen Clince, the company operates 34 locations across Dublin, Cork, Meath, and Kildare, caring for and educating over 2,000 children nationwide.
With over 600 employees across its centres and corporate locations, Tigers Childcare provides services for children aged 6 months to 13 years and has built a strong reputation for high-quality education and care across Ireland’s childcare sector.
As the organisation continued to grow across multiple locations, Tigers Childcare wanted to introduce a modern and engaging recognition programme that would support employee appreciation and strengthen company culture across the business. Their previous provider’s costs had increased significantly, prompting the team to look for a more flexible and better value solution that would better suit the needs of their workforce.
Tigers Childcare approached Amplify to deliver a recognition platform that would support a range of employee awards while also handling the administration of their Small Benefit Scheme. This resulted in an easy-to-use experience for both employees and managers across the organisation.
The Programme
Amplify partnered with Tigers Childcare to create Tiger Stripes, a manager-led employee recognition programme designed to celebrate and reward team members who consistently demonstrate the organisation’s values.
Each month, managers are allocated a set number of nomination credits based on the size of their team. These credits can be used to recognise employees who go above and beyond in their roles. Credits operate on a “use it or lose it” basis, meaning any unused credits expire at the end of the month when the next allocation is issued.
Through the Recognition Hub, managers can use their credits to nominate employees for a High Five, Applause, or Tiger Roar award, accompanied by a short message highlighting their achievement. Recipients are rewarded then with Stripes, the programme’s branded reward currency. In addition to manager nominations and birthday awards, employees can earn Stripes through a variety of ad hoc recognition initiatives throughout the year, including:
- Fully compliant Tusla inspections
- Christmas reward top-ups
- Seasonal and engagement competitions (such as Best Halloween Costume and Christmas Jumper competitions)
At the end of each year, employees’ accumulated Stripes are automatically converted into AllGo Mastercard Gift Cards, enabling Tigers Childcare to provide tax-efficient rewards through Ireland’s Small Benefit Exemption Scheme.
The Result
Now entering its third year, Tiger Stripes has become a key component of Tigers Childcare’s employee engagement strategy. The programme provides managers with a simple and effective way to recognise employees in real time, helping to embed appreciation and recognition into everyday working life across the organisation’s 34 locations.
Since launch, the programme has achieved strong levels of engagement, with more than 80% of managers using their monthly nomination credits to recognise team members. The programme also maintains a 100% reward rate, ensuring that every nominated employee receives recognition for their contribution.
By combining employee recognition with Small Benefit Scheme administration on a single platform, Tigers Childcare has streamlined administrative processes while enabling employees to receive meaningful, tax-efficient rewards through the annual conversion of Stripes into AllGo Mastercards.
As Tigers Childcare continues to grow and expand its network of centres, Tiger Stripes provides a scalable and sustainable recognition solution that supports a consistent culture of appreciation, engagement, and employee recognition across the organisation.
Since its launch on January 15th, 2024, the Tiger Stripes Recognition Programme has significantly boosted morale and strengthened our workplace culture by reinforcing our core values. The support and structure provided by Amplify have been instrumental in making this program a success, and we are grateful for the positive impact this collaboration has had on our organization.
Eve Bartley
HR Manager
