Overview
Transport for Wales appointed Alt Labs to explore a new way for employees to recognise and reward one another for outstanding work.
Following a clarity workshop with TfW, Alt Labs designed and developed Cwtsh, a cross-platform internal rewards app built around peer recognition, company values, and gamification.
The app allows employees to reward colleagues with digital coins, celebrate achievements, access company news, and earn additional rewards through participation. By 2023, Cwtsh had been downloaded by more than 2,500 members of staff.
The Brief
Transport for Wales wanted to improve how employees were recognised for their work.
Existing recognition was often led by managers, but TfW wanted colleagues to be able to acknowledge each other too. Any new system needed to support a positive workplace culture while connecting recognition more closely with the organisation’s strategic priorities.
The solution needed to:
- Give employees a simple way to recognise good work and reward colleagues
- Connect endorsement with tangible rewards
- Reinforce TfW's strategic pillars, including safety and service
- Provide another channel for company news and updates
- encourage regular participation across the organisation
Our Solution
Alt Labs designed and developed Cwtsh, an internal rewards and communication app available across multiple devices.
Employees can use the app to reward colleagues by awarding them digital coins. These coins can be saved and exchanged for gift vouchers from retailers including Amazon, Next, and Currys.
Recognition can be linked to TfW’s strategic values, helping employees understand how their day-to-day work contributes to wider organisational priorities.
Cwtsh also gives TfW a dedicated space to share internal news, updates, and staff achievements, bringing recognition and communication together in one platform.
Our Approach
Alt Labs began by running a clarity workshop with Transport for Wales, using design thinking methods to explore different approaches to employee recognition.
The workshop helped define the needs of both the organisation and its staff. It also showed that the most suitable solution would need to combine recognition, rewards, communication, and ongoing participation rather than operate as a standalone points system.
Alt Labs then translated these requirements into the structure and functionality of the Cwtsh app.
To encourage employees to return regularly, the app included gamification features. Staff could earn additional coins by completing activities such as reading company updates, commenting on colleagues’ achievements, and reaching participation milestones.
The system was designed to make recognition easy and immediate while giving TfW flexibility over how rewards, content, and internal ampaigns were managed.
The Results
Cwtsh introduced a new way for employees across Transport for Wales to recognise the contribution of their colleagues.
The app widened staff recognition beyond management teams, allowing employees to celebrate good work directly and connect those achievements with TfW’s strategic values.
It also established an additional internal communication channel through which TfW could share news, updates, and staff successes.
By 2023, more than 2,500 employees had downloaded the app, demonstrating strong adoption across the organisation.
Cwtsh has since become a central part of TfW’s approach to peer recognition, bringing rewards, internal communication, and employee participation together within one digital platform.
