The client

TE Connectivity is an American-Swiss technology company specializing in the design and manufacture of electrical and electronic products for industries like automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, and energy.

For over 80 years, TE engineers and product specialists have collaborated with customers to create advanced connectivity and sensing solutions, driving the vision of a connected world. With a strong emphasis on reliability, durability, and sustainability, TE Connectivity embodies a commitment to innovation and progress. Their extensive product portfolio empowers companies of all sizes to transform ideas into technologies that shape the future.

With a global workforce of 90,000 employees, including over 8,000 engineers, TE Connectivity serves customers in 140 countries.

The challenge

Once a year, TE Connectivity hosts a 2 week-long series of virtual events called GROW@TE. The events are designed to inspire employees to pursue personal and professional growth. The sessions have been successful, receiving strong ratings and positive feedback from the workforce.

In the fall of 2023, Jennifer Allen approached LeadUp with a idea to turn Grow@TE into Grow@TE Games. The goal was to create a more engaging, gamified, and enduring experience using an online platform that would allow TE employees to come together, solve meaningful challenges, and continue applying what they learned long after the event ended. Additionally, Jennifer wanted to extend the reach of the event to include all employees at the factories and on-site locations, who had not previously been included in the virtual events.

Key areas important to include in Grow@TE Games were Inclusion, Collaboration, Empowerment, Wellbeing and Team Leadership. 

The objective was to design a unique, behavior-driven, and experiential learning journey that could help teams integrate new behaviors and mindsets, fostering growth both in their careers and personal lives.

Moreover, TE Connectivity is a competitive organization where different business units often compete against each other, so Jennifer also saw an opportunity to channel this competitive spirit constructively. By gamifying the experience and organizing the Grow@TE Games in teams of 8-10 people, the initiative aimed to promote teamwork and strengthen bonds within and across teams as well as ensure that the ensure that teams continue to collaborate and apply their learning beyond the event.

This approach was crafted to make the impact of the games long-lasting, helping to create cohesive groups that could apply their learning in practical, everyday work scenarios.

Our solution

TE Connectivity and LeadUp initially explored existing IT platforms to find one that could support all the functional requirements for Grow@TE Games. However, after a month of research and meetings with various software companies, it became clear that existing platforms would require additional functionality to be build in order to meet TE’s specific needs.

Instead, LeadUp proposed expanding their existing platform, and over a five-month period, TE Connectivity and LeadUp collaborated to co-create a platform for GROW@TE Games 2024. The new platform featured onboarding for teams of 8-10 employees, weekly challenges, an advanced feed, a global scoreboard, support for 14 languages, detailed reporting, and gamification elements that allowed each team to track their progress and view their rankings within their country, business unit, and site. GROW@TE Games 2024 successfully launched in April 2024, and below is a snapshot showcasing its innovative design.

The impact

“

With 32,000 employees from 41 countries on the LeadUp platform, teams of 8-10 employees competed in weekly challenges available in 14 languages. Throughout Grow@TE Games, they gained deeper insights into Inclusion, Collaboration, Empowerment, Wellbeing and Team Leadership.

 

The feedback exceeded our expectations. 90% of participants reported experiencing a heightened sense of inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment over the three-week period. 90% explored new ways to practice wellbeing, both within their teams and at home. Additionally, 91% shared that the Games provided valuable opportunities for learning and team bonding

 

For HR in TE Connectivity, it was very insightful dive deeper into all the data and to explore the photos and updates posted by teams from all over the World as they completed each challenge. The enthusiasm, curiosity, and inspiration displayed throughout the journey underscored the strong desire within our organization to become more collaborative and to further enhance wellbeing for our people both in the workplace and in their personal life.

 

/ Jennifer Allen, Global Head of Leadership, TE Connectivity