How TI/NTG Built a Culture of Employee Recognition and Connection with Assembly

When Natalie Cook, Vice President of Employee Experience at TI (Transportation Insight) and NTG (Nolan Transportation Group) took stock of the company culture, one insight stood out: recognition was happening—but not equally and not visibly.

Before adopting Assembly, appreciation at TI/NTG often came through emails, Slack messages, or small in-office gestures. Though heartfelt, these ad-hoc efforts lacked structure and cross-team visibility. The leadership team realized that recognition needed to be woven into the company's daily workflow and not treated as an afterthought. This was essential not just for morale but for promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, where every contribution could be celebrated.

Cook and her Employee Experience team began exploring platforms that could bring consistency, visibility, and delight to the employee recognition process, and double up as a foundation for team building activities and staff appreciation gifts. A simple Google search led them to Assembly - and the first impression was promising.

During the evaluation phase, the AI-powered reporting caught their attention. The ability to ask questions and instantly pull insights made it easy for leaders to track engagement trends and participation. The variety of reward options, from company-branded swag to digital gift cards and custom awards, offered inexpensive employee engagement ideas that fit perfectly with their vision of companies with great culture.

Rolling out new software across an organization can be challenging — but Assembly proved to be the exception.

Within days, employees were giving daily shout-outs, celebrating milestones, and participating in team building activities through the platform. Recognition quickly became part of the company's rhythm. So much so that Natalie Cook jokes,

"The volume of recognition is so high, it's actually hard to keep up — which is a great problem to have!"

The impact was measurable — and meaningful. Within months, 85% of the workforce was receiving recognition every month. Engagement survey scores improved significantly, with a 15% jump in the statement "I have received recognition or praise for doing good work."

Cross-functional appreciation also saw a spike. Departments that rarely interacted began connecting through shout-outs, sparking collaboration and mutual respect.

By creating a space for genuine connection and reward, TI/NTG positioned itself among companies with great culture, championing inclusivity and continuous encouragement.

The TI/NTG team describes Assembly's customer support as "low-touch but high-value." The platform's simplicity means they rarely need help, but when they do, a quick email or call solves it instantly.

Even the onboarding process, typically a pain point in tech rollouts, was smooth. Employees required no formal training, and most feedback centered on how easy and enjoyable the tool was to use.

The only feature wish? "More flexibility in customizing colors and branding — but that's just us wanting to make it feel even more like TI/NTG."

One of the most memorable moments for the team was the "300K Steps Challenge" held in April. The initiative encouraged employees to stay active, and the response was overwhelming.

This single event became a cultural turning point, illustrating how recognition tools can bring teams together around shared goals beyond work tasks. It also showcased how inexpensive employee engagement ideas can have an enormous impact on morale.

Assembly has now become an integral part of TI/NTG's employee experience strategy. It has helped them strengthen engagement, build inter-departmental trust, and make recognition part of everyday life - not just performance reviews.

"Our employees often ask, 'Why didn't we have this sooner?' That's when you know it's making a difference," smiles Cook.

When asked to describe Assembly in one line, Natalie Cook puts it perfectly: