The State of Engagement:
Kirsti Grant
Chief People Experience Officer, Auror
This edition of TSOE is with someone who creates the conditions for their people to thrive. Auror allows individuals to play to their strengths, collaborate deeply, and grow together as a championship team.
Auror is a global software company providing Retail Crime Intelligence to the world’s leading retailers to record and prevent crime, better collaborate with law enforcement, and create safer stores for all.
They’re on a mission, alongside their partners, to reduce violent retail crime by 50% in 5 years. Globally, Auror is used by more than 50,000 retail stores and in more than 3,500 law enforcement agencies across North America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
From a people perspective, I wanted to speak to them as they have office locations in Auckland, Denver, London and Melbourne, and a global team of 250+ people and counting.
It was a pleasure to find out more about their fantastic approach, by speaking to their Chief People Experience Officer, Kirsti Grant.
What engages employees?
“What engages people at Auror comes down to three things: purpose, balance, and connection”, says Kirsti.
Sound familiar? In the post with Matt Phelan from the Happiness Index he similarly listed Clarity, and Meaning & Purpose. Bianca Errigo from HumanOS lists autonomy, mastery and connection. Moving this forward, Kirsti detailed how it works at Auror:
Meaningful Work (Purpose): “Our team is deeply motivated by the impact of what we do – helping to reduce retail crime and make stores safer. Our team (Aurors) can see how their work contributes to something bigger.”
Balance: “We know people do their best work when they have space to do things they enjoy and spend time with loved ones. Flexibility, autonomy, and respect for life outside of work aren’t “perks” for us; they are foundational.
Connection: “We also put a lot of emphasis on solving problems as a team, not in silos. Whether it’s cross-functional work, open dialogue, or learning out loud, we believe the best outcomes come from shared ownership and collective thinking. That sense of connection and trust helps people stretch, grow, and do their best work together”
What gives your business the edge in attracting and retaining talent?
“Our edge in attracting talent is rooted in intention.” says Kirsti, “our aim is simple but ambitious: to make Auror the best place for people to do their best work.”
This shapes everything. From how they design roles and teams, to how they support growth, autonomy, and impact. Their teams and squads are deliberately designed to enable Aurors to contribute meaningfully, collaborate deeply, and take ownership of outcomes – reminiscent of when Aled Nelmes of Lumen SEO spoke about ownership.
“Our global team is united by a strong set of shared principles. These guide how we show up for each other, how we make decisions, and how we measure success. That alignment, paired with our commitment to delivering high-quality technology, thoughtful solutions, and trusted partnerships, creates a sense of purpose and momentum that people want to be part of. “
In your experience, what are employees looking for?
“Aurors join because they want to play a meaningful role in a shared mission. Our 50 in 5 mission – to reduce violent retail crime by 50% in 5 years alongside our partners – brings real purpose to the work we do. When we can show our teams how their work contributes to our mission and success, they feel fulfilled, energised, and motivated to do their best work.”
Alongside their brilliant mission, each employee is offered shared ownership in the company’s long-term success through their Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP), as all Auror employees are adding value – why not!
They’re intentional in investing in their employees growth, Kirsti explains, “Every Auror’s role is mapped to a Career Progression Framework, providing clarity and visibility of what’s expected of them, and how they can best navigate being in the driving seat of achieving their own career aspirations. Alongside this framework, we also provide transparent salary bands, so that everyone has visibility of their earnings potential.”
You can see with the range of benefits beyond what’s listed here. They take development of their employees seriously.
Which part of EVP matters most to you personally?
EVP, or Employee Value Proposition, is the balance of what people give and what they get back. I like to break it down into seven pillars:
Brand & Purpose, Culture, Environment, Monetary, Prospects, Relationships, and Wellbeing.
For Kirsti, it would be culture – because it’s the glue that holds all the other pillars together.
“For me, culture is where purpose, connection, and growth intersect. At Auror, although each individual’s take is slightly different, culture for us is a high-performance, high-care environment where people can show up as themselves, contribute their strengths, and know their work truly matters.
A strong culture creates the conditions for people to thrive. It allows individuals to play to their strengths, collaborate deeply, and grow together as a championship team. Our fast-feedback approach supports real-time learning, helping people stretch, adapt, and improve without fear.
When culture is strong, the other EVP pillars, such as rewards, opportunities, wellbeing, and relationships, are amplified. Aurors come to work knowing they can make a positive, empowering impact on others while continuing to learn and grow along the way. That’s what makes the experience truly meaningful.”
What are your biggest people challenges right now?
Auror’s biggest people challenge right now isn’t unique. It’s finding more suitable ways to engage, inform and empower their team as they scale.
“As we grow across markets and bring many new Aurors into the team, we’re constantly communicating strategic priorities, guiding principles and decisions to hundreds of people across various time zones. It’s all about making sure everyone is on the journey together, and we maintain our culture despite our growth and change. We want to ensure that the trust, collaboration, high performance, with the high care that makes Auror special continues to be felt by our global team as we grow.”
They seem to be doing a good job!
Follow Kirsti on Linkedin
Check out Auror’s website
Contact CHEER!
Click here for past editions of The State of Engagement