W.E.-Matter, with the support of CHROs and CEOs, recognized that many awards had lost their value, becoming mere transactions rather than true symbols of achievement. 

One conversation stands out as a turning point. A seasoned executive, after including a recent award in the board's docket, was met with an unexpected comment from a director. "At the Mumbai airport, I noticed even the idli wala had won the same award," the director remarked, highlighting the dilution of credibility in these honors.

The message was clear: the industry needed something better, something that would restore the value of recognition. It was from this sentiment that the W.E. Global Employees' Choice Workplace Awards were born.