The perfumery and cosmetics industry lives from experience: in-store advice, the brand story, impeccability at the point of sale, product quality, and the speed to respond to trends. In that context, the way teams work (and feel) directly impact sales, reputation, and operational efficiency.
That is where Gallup Q12 can provide value: it is not “another climate survey,” but a framework of 12 engagement indicators (commitment) that serves to convert data into conversations and concrete leadership actions.
Q12: why it fits especialmnete in perfumery and cosmetics
Q12 evaluates 12 employee needs, from the basic (clarity and resources) to the relational (belonging) and growth (progress and learning). Gallup connects it with results such as productivity/sales, profitability, turnover, absenteeism, safety, shrinkage, and quality.
In perfumery and cosmetics this is especially relevant for a simple reason: a large part of the value is created in daily execution. There is a lot of frontline (store, corners, large surfaces) where engagement translates into attention, product knowledge and experience. Furthermore, turnover can be high in retail and seasonal campaigns; losing talent costs and lowers the quality of service. And, as if that weren't enough, the operation mixes creativity (marketing/R&D) with discipline (quality, regulatory, supply), where coordination matters a lot.
From the survey to the store: concrete improvements that are noticed
In perfumery and cosmetics, the “product” includes the treatment: needs diagnosis, tests, routine recommendations, demonstrations, sampling and follow-up. Q12 helps detect typical brakes that, when accumulated, erode the experience and the sale: lack of clarity about service standards; lack of materials (testers, POS tools, shade stock, samples, hygiene, training); lack of recognition (only the sale is rewarded and not the quality of the advice); and little voice from the frontline (real customer feedback does not return to the organization).
There is also a critical point that many brands underestimate: brand consistency in omnichannel. If teams are not aligned, the brand "breaks" between store, e-commerce, chat, and customer service. Q12 pushes for alignment with the brand promise, internal communication routines (promos, launches, claims, restrictions), and better collaboration between channels.
And when we look at HQ, R&D or marketing, the challenge is usually another: sustaining innovation without burning out the team. Fast cycles of campaigns, reformulations, claims, packaging and regulatory changes. Q12 helps detect if there are a lack of clear priorities and progress conversations, opportunities to learn and grow, and real use of strengths (people doing what they do best).
Finally, in plant, laboratory and supply, engagement is noticed where it hurts most: process discipline, early reporting of incidents and quality culture. In the Q12 meta-analysis, results such as quality/defects, safety and absenteeism, among others, are studied.
The 12 levers of the Q12, in business language
A useful way to understand Q12 is as a practical map of leadership habits. It speaks of clear expectations, adequate resources, using strengths, recognition, personal care, development, voice, purpose, shared quality, team bonds, progress conversations, and continuous learning.
The objective is not “to pass a survey”, but to translate findings into simple and repeatable routines: check-ins, feedback, recognition and elimination of obstacles. It is there where engagement stops being an abstract concept and becomes operation.
How to implement Q12 in a company in the sector (without complicating it)
The practical approach is direct. First, define what metrics you want to move by area (retail, plant/lab, customer service). Then, measure and segment by store/region/channel/shift/seniority/campaigns. With the results, convert them into 1–2 habits per team (no more, but sustained). And, very important, close the loop with visible actions and communication of the type “you said it → we changed it”. Finally, re-measure and learn.
In parallel, it is advisable to avoid three common mistakes: measuring and not acting (kills credibility), leaving it as “HR-only” (it is operational leadership), and seeking to “raise the grade” instead of removing real frictions.
Public evidence in sector multinationals with mention of Q12
Not all multinationals publish what specific tool they use for engagement. A case in the sector with explicit mention of Gallup Q12 is Marico (personal care), which documented repeated measurements (e.g., 4th and 5th measurement) and reported improvement in the engagement indicator over time.
CliftonStrengths®: the “how” to convert engagement into sustainable performance
CliftonStrengths® (formerly Clifton StrengthsFinder / StrengthsFinder) is Gallup's assessment to identify talents and develop them as strengths;
Gallup explicitly indicates that the assessment was rebranded to CliftonStrengths®. In perfumery and cosmetics, its main advantage is that it provides a common language for to better execute: more aligned roles, managers with more useful conversations, teams with less friction and greater retention in commercial pressure environments.
Advantages of using CliftonStrengths® in perfumery and cosmetics
In store and counter, roles are not homogeneous: acquisition, diagnosis, storytelling, demonstration, loyalty, queue/peak management, VM, etc. CliftonStrengths® helps place each person in tasks where they can shine faster and design complementary “pairs” or micro-teams (for example, whoever masters the narrative + whoever details the routine + whoever closes the sale). Gallup states that strengths-based development is associated with greater engagement, better performance, and lower attrition (turnover).
Furthermore, in this sector, execution depends heavily on the manager (standards, energy, focus, feedback, recognition). A common language of strengths facilitates more actionable feedback ("how" to improve) and less generic ("you have to smarten up"), and allows for more frequent and less tense development conversations. In a Gallup webcast about L’Oréal Asia, it is described how CliftonStrengths® helped to give "language" to simplify and change conversations, including feedback, and to expand the approach in a top-down and bottom-up manner.
And when we enter into cross-functional collaboration —marketing–R&D–supply retail— silos appear: marketing promises, regulatory cuts, supply doesn't arrive, retail gets frustrated. CliftonStrengths® helps visualize how work styles complement (or clash) and to define “who does what” with more clarity, avoiding duplications and conflicts. In the public case of Estée Lauder Companies, Gallup describes the use of tools like the team grid so that teams understand how their strengths interact and fit better with each other.
In terms of retention, Gallup points out that when people know and use their strengths, they tend to be more engaged and perform better, and are less likely to leave. And in demanding campaigns —Christmas, sales, viral launches— with shifts and pressure for objectives, CliftonStrengths® can be used as a basis for conversations about energy, stress, and recovery habits; Gallup even links strengths resources with stress/burnout reduction.
Public evidence of multinationals in the sector using CliftonStrengths®
- Estée Lauder Companies: Gallup documents that it won in 2022 the Don Clifton Strengths-Based Culture Award and describes qualitative results such as connection between teams and a continuous strengths-based coaching model.
- L’Oréal Asia: Gallup describes the use of CliftonStrengths® as support for a cultural transformation (“simplicity”) and its impact on internal conversations (including feedback) and organizational adoption.