How SanoRice used employee feedback to drive transformation and build alignment across Europe
After years of rapid growth, SanoRice was facing rising internal complexity and results began to level off. A new CPO and CEO stepped in, followed by a complete reorganization into a matrix structure, creating clarity and shifting the focus from local to global. In October 2023, SanoRice relaunched their collaboration with Effectory through a global employee engagement survey, creating a fresh starting point for change.
What began as a feedback exercise became the foundation for broader transformation. Survey results gave leaders the clarity to make confident decisions, align teams across borders, and build a more connected organization. One year later, the organization saw measurable gains in all areas —alignment, engagement, role clarity, and employer excellence—driven by their strong, ambitious spirit and the willingness to truly listen.
SanoRice is a Dutch family-owned business and the world’s largest private-label producer of popped cakes. Founded in 1998 in Veenendaal, it now operates factories in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Poland, supplying major retailers in over 40 countries. SanoRice makes only private-label products, including gluten-free, organic, and Rainforest Alliance-certified options using non-GMO ingredients like quinoa, lentils, and buckwheat. With over 850 employees, the organization is known for its continuous focus on developing new and surprising products that meet the highest quality and food safety standards.
For over two decades, SanoRice expanded steadily: new lines, new plants, new countries. But by 2022, the growth that had once powered the organization was beginning to create internal pressure points.
Processes varied between sites. Collaboration across locations was limited. Departments operated locally, without a coordinated approach. There was no structured way to gather or act on employee feedback. Leadership had a strong sense of where improvements were needed, but lacked the data to back those instincts.
“At a certain point you reach a level of company growth where you need to look inward.” — Mandy de Water, Chief People Officer, SanoRice
In 2023, a new Chief People Officer (CPO) stepped in, and a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) started. The Dutch and Belgian plants transitioned to an entirely new management team. These leadership changes marked the start of a broader transition: from building fast to building with more clarity, consistency, and long-term direction.
In October 2023, SanoRice launched a global employee engagement survey with Effectory. The survey ran in all four factories and was coordinated by the HR manager in Poland. Effectory’s platform and reporting tools made it easy for employees to respond in their local language:
“The reporting and all the information on the platform, in all the languages and with all its possibilities, really helped us give employees feedback about the results. And it also helped create an overview of where the differences are and where we stand out. I really like it.” — Mandy de Water, Chief People Officer, SanoRice
To further include employees in the transformation and support visibility for non-desk workers, the HR manager also coordinated printed booklets with the survey results, which were shared in canteens and break rooms.
SanoRice implemented a matrix structure to align leadership across plants. Operational roles remained local, while support functions like HR, finance, and quality were connected at group level to act as strategic partners to the factories.
Rather than treat the survey as a one-off, SanoRice used it as a foundation for change, with the results serving as a starting point to measure impact over time.
A ‘leadership circle’ of 50 key people was created to support the transformation. Each member was encouraged to focus on three key priorities for the year to improve execution and accountability.
Job roles were clarified with standardized descriptions. An organization-wide performance cycle was introduced to encourage two-way dialogue and connect individual goals to business strategy.
HR itself was redefined. Local teams became part of a coordinated HR function, with weekly alignment calls and clear ownership of strategic projects. A prime example: the organization’s performance cycle, led by the HR manager in Belgium.
SanoRice also formalized its core values, shaped directly by employee feedback gathered through the survey and follow-up workshops. These values helped bring legacy sites and newer teams into alignment around a shared direction.
In 2024, SanoRice launched a second employee engagement survey with Effectory across all locations to track progress and keep momentum going.
“We were really happy to use the same survey platform the second time because we could make comparisons in the exact same way, and it was easier to bring the data together and match it correctly.” — Mandy de Water, Chief People Officer, SanoRice
In just one year, SanoRice turned strategy into action, and action into results. While it’s difficult to see any growth in the figures—let alone in all of them within such a short time—the numbers speak for themselves:
The biggest shift, though, was cultural. Employees felt heard. What used to be silence became dialogue:
“In 2023, people said: ‘I said this four months ago and nobody listened.’ Now it’s: ‘I know they heard me.’ That’s a big shift.” — Mandy de Water, Chief People Officer, SanoRice
Surveys also helped uncover the small, sometimes invisible changes that made a difference. When enablement scores unexpectedly improved, the team traced it back to a seemingly minor fix: removing the remote-access portal had made it easier to work from home.
In the Netherlands, lower inclusion scores prompted a closer look and revealed that some internal documents were still only available in Dutch, creating unintended barriers for non-Dutch-speakers. Once identified, the issue was resolved by making materials more accessible.
Leadership used survey data to confirm instincts, question outdated habits, and support difficult but necessary decisions. Effectory’s platform, benchmarks, and tailored advice were instrumental throughout their journey:
“I really enjoy and love the platform because of all the information that’s in there. And the reporting and the possibilities really, really help.” — Mandy de Water, Chief People Officer, SanoRice
Looking ahead, SanoRice plans to run short pulse surveys throughout the year and add the PSA (Psychosocial Risk Assessment) to identify stress-related risks and focus attention where it’s needed most. Both tools will support more targeted follow-up and ongoing dialogue with employees.
