Allier Gruppen: Developing both people and organisation through employee conversations
Eirin Eriksen Horvei
October 14, 2026
– Employee appraisals that feel irrelevant to the employee are not just a waste of time – they can actually harm the employee's engagement and motivation, says Mads Nordmo Arnestad, Associate Professor at BI Norwegian Business School, Campus Bergen.
Norwegian companies spend considerable time and resources on employee appraisals to increase motivation and engagement. At the same time, a lack of individual adaptation and follow-up is often pointed out.
– There is a lot to gain from putting the employee appraisal into a system. Previously, we filled in a number of Word documents and worked less efficiently and purposefully. We couldn't go back to that now, says Camilla Heidenreich Bommen, CEO of SuperOffice Norway, a subsidiary of the international SuperOffice group.
For 30 years, they have helped Norwegian companies find, win and keep customers through cloud-based CRM solutions for marketing, sales and service. The company is a market leader in both Norway and Europe.
Five years ago, the company started using Motivati to improve the quality of its employee appraisals and employee follow-up. Over the same period, they have achieved significant bottom-line growth and increased well-being, and the employee appraisals are held in higher regard by both employees and leaders.
“Motivati has become more important to us than we expected. The company's entire 'employee dialogue' is now in the cloud, and everyone has access to their own. The tool has created better relationships, more engagement and improved results.”
Camilla Heidenreich Bommen, CEO of SuperOffice Norway
In 2018, Associate Professor Mads Nordmo Arnestad at BI Norwegian Business School carried out an impact study to evaluate the method Motivati has developed to improve the quality of employee appraisals and increase motivation. The method stands out by mapping the employee's intrinsic motivation at an individual level, deriving an analysis of what is important and unimportant in their work situation, and how well each employee feels this is taken care of.
“The results of the study showed that Motivati's approach has positive effects compared with the traditional forms many companies are used to.”
Mads Nordmo Arnestad, Associate Professor at BI Norwegian Business School
In the study, half of all leaders in various organisations were randomly selected to use the Motivati method, while the remaining half followed a 'business as usual' approach.
– Among other things, we found that participants in the Motivati group felt they received significantly more recognition for the positive things they do in their job, which we know is very important for motivation, work engagement and learning, says the BI researcher, adding:
– In general, we learn much more when we are made aware of what we do that is right and useful than when we are criticised for the opposite.
The research results also showed that the Motivati group to a much greater extent felt that what they talked about was highly relevant to them and their work, and that the feedback they received in the employee appraisal matched well with what they had actually achieved.
– This tells us that the employee appraisal for this group was better suited to reflecting the actual situation, says Mads Nordmo Arnestad.
SuperOffice Norway has had the same experience. In their offices at Wergelandsveien 27 in Oslo, on the west side of the Palace Park, there is a noticeably light and pleasant atmosphere. Laughter comes easily and echoes cheerfully off the marble floor tiles.
– We all work in a performance culture where sales are perishable goods. At the same time, it's important to have something more than just being measured on numbers. Well-being and profitability go hand in hand, says Heidenreich Bommen.
– Developing employees and leading effectively is of great value. We have a comprehensive programme for following up employees, and involve everyone in putting the company's overall goals into practice, she adds.
Every six weeks, they hold conversations with each individual employee where participation and involvement are central. Employee appraisals are carried out twice a year. Both are managed through the Motivati tool, where everything is in the same cloud solution. Surveys, individual action plans and notes are all actively used by leader and employee, both before and after the conversation.
– Ahead of the employee appraisals, employees answer questions that give us a ready-made profile analysis of what each individual finds important and unimportant. The method defines the areas for improvement, and we can talk about them in a concrete and solution-oriented way, says Heidenreich Bommen.
– With quality in, we now get quality out too, she points out with satisfaction.
At SuperOffice Norway, the employee appraisal has been given a boost and is now held in higher regard by everyone. The method from Motivati has simplified the process, and the company achieves top scores on the question of how well each individual thrives in the organisation.
– Employees need to know what is expected of them, how they are doing and get support to carry out their tasks. In our performance and sales culture, it is particularly important to enjoy the company and the tasks, because most people are responsible for filling their own calendar, says Camilla Heidenreich Bommen of SuperOffice Norway.
