The Infosys Playbook for Long-Service Awards That Work
There was a time when long service at a company was just expected. You worked, you stayed, you got a trophy, maybe a gift card, and that was that. But these days? Sticking around for 10, 15, or even 25 years is a statement. A flex. A sign that you’ve built something bigger than just a career.
And a moment like that deserves more than a standard-issue congratulations.
At Infosys, long-service awards were already a tradition, a trophy, a certificate, and a gift card to honour employees' dedication. It was thoughtful, it was structured, and it mattered.
But something was shifting. Employees weren’t just seeing Infosys as a workplace, they were wearing their tenure like a badge of pride. The logo wasn’t just a company symbol anymore; it meant something personal. And if people take pride in something, shouldn’t they get a way to own it, flaunt it, and celebrate it their way?
So, Infosys started thinking bigger. What if long-service awards weren’t just received but chosen? What if tenure wasn’t just marked but worn, used, and shown off?
And that’s when everything changed.
The Long-Service Awards Challenge: When Employee Recognition Gets Complicated
Turning long-service awards into something more personal sounded exciting. But the way the program operated behind the scenes made that difficult.
Infosys already had a structured employee recognition program. The intent was right. The challenge was the process that held it together.
Too many vendors in the mix
Trophies, certificates, corporate gifting, and employee rewards were managed by different partners. Each step depended on another, which made the long-service awards program slower than it should have been.Recognition missing its moment
Milestones are tied to a specific date. But when deliveries were delayed, the employee recognition moment sometimes arrived late.Too much coordination for HR teams
Managing vendors, tracking orders, and keeping the employee rewards program running required constant follow-ups.Global employees faced the toughest experience
For employees outside India, even something simple like a replacement or return could become difficult.
None of this changed the intention behind the long-service awards. But it did make the experience harder than it needed to be.
Infosys wanted recognition to feel effortless again. A program where employee rewards reached people on time, and the milestone itself stayed at the centre of the moment.
Rethinking Long-Service Awards to Strengthen Employee Engagement
Infosys didn’t need a quick patch-up job, they needed a fresh start. A system that didn’t just work but actually made long-service awards exciting again.
They wanted something simple, scalable, and built for choice. No more chasing vendors, no more wondering if an award would show up on time. Just a smooth, opt-in experience that employees could look forward to.
That’s when they turned to Mandaala.
Instead of untangling the existing mess, Mandaala built a system that cut out the noise. One that kept the tradition intact but made the process friction-free.
Long-service awards were about to go from routine to remarkable.
A Two-Portal System That Let Employees Own Their Milestone
Infosys wanted a system that gave employees control over their milestone celebration. Something seamless, structured, and actually exciting.
So, we built exactly that.
A two-part portal system that turned recognition into something employees could claim, customize, and celebrate their way.
Portal 1: Claiming the Milestone Kit
Every quarter, Infosys shared a list of employees hitting major work anniversaries. That’s when our system kicked in.
Instead of passively waiting for their awards, employees could log into and redeem their milestone gift themselves.
The experience was simple: They logged in, confirmed their details, and clicked to claim their milestone kit. No guesswork, no follow-ups, just a straightforward way to say, “Yes, I’m celebrating this.”
Inside the kit?
A milestone trophy: because tenure deserves more than just a “Congrats!” email.
A hardbound certificate: something real, something worth keeping.
A gift voucher: but not just any voucher. The denomination reflected their tenure—the longer they’d been at Infosys, the bigger their reward.
And that voucher? It wasn’t just a standalone reward, it was the key to Portal 2.
Portal 2: Turning Recognition Into a Personal Celebration
Long-service awards mean different things to different people. Some want something they can own and wear, a tangible reminder of their time at Infosys. Others prefer the flexibility to choose something that fits their lifestyle.
Portal 2 made that choice possible.
Employees could log in and decide how to use their voucher:
Infosys- branded merchandise : A hoodie, a bag, or accessories, something that wasn’t just a gift but a symbol of their journey. For many, the Infosys brand was more than just a logo, it was a badge of pride, a reminder of the years they’d spent growing with the company.
Global gift cards : Not everyone is into company merch, and that’s okay. With options from 50+ countries, employees could choose something personal, something that actually fit their preferences, no matter where they were in the world.
Instead of receiving a generic token, employees got to pick how they marked their milestone. Whether it was a hoodie they’d wear proudly or a gift card that let them choose their own reward, the experience felt intentional, personal, and truly theirs.
What the Program Revealed About Employee Engagement and Recognition
Once the portals were live, employees began redeeming their milestone rewards quietly and steadily. The system worked. The process ran smoothly.
But what employees chose revealed something interesting about employee engagement.
Even with global gift cards available, 10–15% of employees chose Infosys-branded merchandise instead, and that number is slowly rising.
That choice revealed a few patterns:
Employee recognition can build visible pride
When employees choose branded merchandise over flexible rewards, they’re choosing something that represents their time with the organisation.Employee rewards feel more meaningful when people choose them
The ability to decide how to celebrate a milestone made the long-service awards program feel more personal.Corporate gifting can turn into a symbol of tenure
A hoodie, a bag, or an accessory becomes a reminder of the years spent at the company.Employee recognition works best when the system fades into the background
With fulfilment, tracking, and global deliveries managed through one system, the program simply ran the way it was supposed to.
For Infosys, long-service awards became easier to manage. For employees, the milestone felt like something worth claiming and celebrating.
If you're curious how it all came together, the full case study is here.
Where MerchTech Fits In
Programs like this start to work differently when recognition isn’t treated as a gifting exercise but as a system. That’s where a MerchTech approach comes in, bringing technology, merchandise, and fulfilment into one connected experience.
What that changes in practice:
Milestones trigger the program
Work anniversaries become the starting point, so long-service awards are tied directly to employee tenure rather than manual lists and follow-ups.Employees take the lead on their rewards
Instead of waiting for recognition to arrive, employees log in, claim their milestone kit, and choose how they want to mark the moment.Merchandise becomes part of the recognition story
Trophies, certificates, branded merchandise, and rewards sit within the same ecosystem instead of being sourced through different vendors.Global programs stay consistent
Employees across regions can redeem rewards that work where they are, without the usual fulfilment complications.Recognition stays visible without becoming complicated
The program runs through a single system, giving teams visibility while the experience remains simple for employees.
When recognition is designed this way, long-service awards stop feeling like a process to manage. They start behaving the way they should: as milestones employees can claim, celebrate, and carry with them.
Making Milestones Feel Like a Win
Infosys didn’t just smooth out a few wrinkles in their long-service awards, they gave them a whole new life. No more guessing when an award would arrive, no more one-size-fits-all gifts. Instead, employees got to call the shots, pick their reward, and actually feel excited about their milestone. Recognition went from being a routine process to something they could own. Literally.
Because tenure isn’t just about counting the years, it’s about the journey, the moments, and the pride of being part of something bigger. And when recognition is done right, it doesn’t just sit on a shelf, it gets worn, used, and shown off.
That’s the kind of recognition we love building at Mandaala. A little bit of MerchTech, a whole lot of magic, and a system that just works. Because the best milestones? They’re the ones employees actually want to celebrate.
Let’s talk about how to make that happen. Find a time that works for you, and let’s build recognition that sticks.
Mandaala is the solution arm of PrintStop India