Turning Applause into Impact: How Cognyte Scaled Peer Recognition Across a Global Workforce

About Cognyte

Cognyte, a global leader in data processing and investigative analytics solutions, helps government agencies and other organizations generate Actionable Intelligence for a Safer World™. With offerings that leverage state-of-the-art technology, including artificial intelligence, big data analytics and advanced machine learning, Cognyte helps customers eliminate the unknown and make smarter, faster decisions with their data for the best possible outcomes.

The company’s culture is built on excellence, curiosity and collaboration. Their workforce includes engineers, analysts, data scientists, and technology professionals working in concert to deliver faster, smarter investigative outcomes. Recognizing individual and team contributions is critical to maintaining that culture at scale.

The Challenge

Cognyte’s “Outstanding Employee” program had been a longstanding initiative, but its manual and fragmented processes were limiting its impact. Collecting detailed nominations, managing internal and external votes, and ensuring fair outcomes required considerable effort and often lacked transparency.

As Cognyte scaled globally, with over 1,600 employees worldwide, the company needed a recognition platform that could:

· Enable detailed, story-rich nominations from employees.

· Introduce a weighted voting model that includes both internal and external voters.

· Enforce a time-bound, secure, and auditable voting process.

· Automated processes to reduce manual tracking and communication.

· Fit seamlessly into existing systems while allowing for future expansion.

The ultimate goal was to reimagine recognition as a structured, fair and empowering experience, without creating additional administrative burden.

The Solution: ReCognyte, Powered by Total Rewards

To meet its goals, Cognyte partnered with Semos Cloud to implement the Total Rewards platform, branded internally as ReCognyte.

Our flexible, configurable platform allowed the company to transform its recognition strategy into a streamlined, people-first experience. The implementation focused on addressing every layer of the nomination and voting process, ensuring transparency, fairness, and ease of use.

Key Features of the ReCognyte Platform:

· Tailored nomination forms that prompted employees to submit rich, detailed examples of excellence.

· Weighted voting system with a 70/30 ratio between internal and external votes, a feature specifically designed for Cognyte’s needs.

· Mandatory dual-vote tracking, supported by automated pop-up reminders.

· Real-time celebration, with winner announcements and achievements shared via the company’s internal social feed.

· Automated certificates and final rankings, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

What stood out most was the adaptability of the platform from interface design to workflows; everything was built to match Cognyte’s organizational culture and operational needs.

A Thoughtful Rollout, One Phase at a Time

Cognyte approached the implementation in carefully planned phases:

Phase One: Core Program Launch

The foundation was set with two core programs – one monetary, one non-monetary – to build recognition habits and familiarize employees with the platform.

Phase Two: Outstanding Employees Program

The primary focus was redesigning the flagship nomination program to include detailed forms, weighted voting, reminders, and automation.

Phase Three: Celebrating Milestones

The final phase introduced automated recognition for service anniversaries and birthdays, ensuring all key moments were acknowledged consistently across the company

What Made It Work

Behind every successful technology deployment is a human story and Cognyte credits the Semos Cloud team for bringing this one to life.

1. Professionalism and Flexibility

Yafit Dahan, HRIS Business Analyst, highlighted the Semos team’s adaptability:

“Even when we needed changes midway, the team stayed flexible and responded quickly. That made a big difference.”

2. Seamless Communication

For Yaniv Flaxman, IT HR Applications Leader, regular updates and mutual ownership helped everything run smoothly:

“We always knew where we stood. The project had great rhythm – quick replies, clear updates, shared ownership.”

3. Attention to Detail and Alignment

Dalit Ross, People Technology Director, praised the deep collaboration and results:

“The solution was fully aligned with our objectives. The Semos Cloud team didn’t just deliver – they listened.”

4. Smart Customizations

From the dual-vote logic to real-time tracking, all features were tailored to Cognyte’s operational model. These weren’t off-the-shelf tools – they were built around the company’s people and processes

The Results

The impact was immediate and measurable. ReCognyte didn’t just upgrade a process, it changed the employee experience.

Streamlined Processes

Manual nomination tracking and email chains were eliminated. Everything now runs inside a single system, from submission to celebration.

Trusted and Transparent

With a fully auditable workflow and fair voting model, trust in the program increased significantly across locations and teams.

Employee Engagement

Participation in peer recognition rose as employees saw the value and visibility of the new platform.

Meaningful Celebration

Winners are no longer just names in an email. They’re celebrated publicly, receive automatic certificates, and are recognized across Cognyte’s digital spaces.

Final Thoughts

Cognyte’s experience with Total Rewards shows what happens when recognition is built around people, not just processes. By redesigning their program to be transparent, flexible, and scalable, the company laid a strong foundation for a culture where excellence is visible and celebrated.

With ReCognyte, recognition has become an everyday reality — not a quarterly event. And in doing so, Cognyte has not only boosted engagement, but also strengthened the values at the heart of its global workforce.

Why Semos Cloud Total Rewards

Semos Cloud’s Total Rewards Hub is a centralized platform designed to provide employees with a transparent and comprehensive view of their entire rewards package, including compensation, benefits, and recognition. By consolidating this information into one accessible hub, it enhances employee understanding and appreciation of their total rewards, fostering engagement and satisfaction.

The platform supports personalized rewards, transparent pay structures, and flexible benefits tailored to meet the diverse needs of the workforce. This approach not only empowers employees with real-time access to their rewards information but also aids organizations in optimizing their rewards strategies for greater equity and impact.

By integrating recognition programs and providing data-driven insights, Semos Cloud’s Total Rewards Hub helps organizations build a culture of appreciation and transparency, ultimately contributing to improved employee retention and performance.