Rather than making assumptions, Valxon’s new leadership turned to Behavera’s Engagement Survey to diagnose the core issues affecting their workforce. Choosing to run the survey non-anonymously, they aimed to foster open conversations and better understand what each employee needed to thrive. This approach helped leadership tailor solutions to individuals, ensuring that improvements were both meaningful and effective. The results confirmed their concerns but also provided a surprising revelation: employees were still engaged. They simply lacked the right conditions to work effectively.
“From the countless complaints we heard from our people, we thought the situation was desperate. Despite the results showing issues in the areas of rewards, stress, overload, and support, the outcome was a relief. Our people are still engaged; we just need to give them the right support to perform at their best. We can do this!” – Karel Poplstein, CEO
The key insight was that dissatisfaction often masked deeper issues. Employees sometimes expressed frustration through pay concerns, but the real problems might lie in the excessive workload, lack of direction, and overall instability and chaos. Rather than focusing on surface-level complaints, Valxon identified and addressed the underlying challenges—such as the need for better workload management, flexibility, and clear expectations and processes. Furthermore, Valxon was able to make targeted plans and actions to truly enhance employee satisfaction.
“It opened our eyes. For example, we thought we were quite flexible, but a home office policy of max one day a week just didn’t do it. Now, we have remote work rules that allow employees to arrange hybrid schedules directly with their leaders. And we’re already noticing a shift in employee attitudes—when you invest in your people, they invest back in you.” – Karel Poplstein, CEO
Further analysis revealed that employees were not just unhappy with workload and flexibility but also felt disconnected from company goals due to ineffective communication. They lacked a clear sense of direction and purpose within the organization. This disconnect made it difficult for them to stay motivated and productive. Some employees even began hindering their work, worsening the situation even further. It was clear to Karel and his leaders that addressing employees' concerns and working conditions is as essential as solving any customers and business issues.
Armed with these insights, Valxon’s leadership took swift action. "There was nothing to wait for. We had data that was unshakable, so we made a Q1 plan with goals and started with changes right away," said Karel Poplstein, CEO. They structured regular one-on-one meetings between managers and employees more effectively and put an emphasis on their outcomes to clarify roles, expectations, and priorities with employees. Leadership also introduced tools to streamline processes, reducing unnecessary workload and automating repetitive tasks. To further support teams, they plan to empower managers with dedicated budgets to enhance working conditions and give them greater autonomy and flexibility in decision-making, ensuring each employee's needs are met.
Communication transparency became a priority, with Behavera’s results openly discussed in all-hands meetings. This approach demonstrated to employees that leadership was actively using the data to implement meaningful changes. Alongside these structural adjustments, Valxon also re-designed an employee recognition system, where individual goals (KPIs) are now tied to quarterly bonuses and are aligned with the company's overall OKRs. These goals are no longer random "nice to have" tasks but are meaningful and clearly demonstrate how they contribute to the company’s overall strategy. At the same time, company goals and values were promoted through town halls, newsletters, and leadership engagement sessions, providing employees with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
Valxon is also taking proactive steps to prevent future issues by refining its hiring process. They have introduced Behavera’s Hiring Assessments and pre-setted positions with the key competencies for identifying best-fitted candidates in every position specifically to ensure that new candidates align with their team dynamics and role expectations. By leveraging data-driven insights during recruitment, they aim to build well-balanced teams, reduce turnover, and maintain high employee satisfaction. Additionally, leadership plans to release the Engagement Survey regularly—once per quarter—to monitor employee satisfaction and address emerging concerns proactively.
Valxon is determined to keep the momentum going. By the end of Q1, they aim to raise their well-being index score from current 7.7 to average 8.2. To achieve this, they plan to:
Employee dissatisfaction doesn’t mean guessing—it means listening, as Valxon proved once again. Their experience presents an important lesson for any organization: salary demands might be a signal, not the root problem. Employees sometimes seek higher pay as compensation for stress, unclear expectations, or a lack of recognition, rather than addressing these issues directly. By looking at the bigger picture and using data-driven insights, Valxon was able to implement changes paving the way towards improved workplace conditions and employee satisfaction. Will they reach their goals? What will the true impact of these changes be? Stay tuned for the upcoming case study to find out.
If your company is facing similar challenges, take the first step with Behavera’s Engagement Survey. The insights you gain could redefine your approach to employee performance and unlock long-term success of your business.
