Employee recognition is a must for any organization. But if you’re looking for a one-and-done kind of formula, you’ll probably want to think again. That’s because the best results come from a holistic approach that embeds recognition deeply into the fiber of your organization’s culture and work rhythms.
Combine the best tools with the best practices, integrate technology with human contact, and build a cadence of frequent recognition at all levels of your workforce. Not easy, but worth the effort. AI is unquestionably becoming a part of this, but personal communication gives it meaning.
Certainly, recognition is better when it happens more than once a year and doesn’t seem like lip service. Leaders play a central role here, by getting actively involved and being consistent about it. As for gratitude? Thankfulness never hurt anyone. In fact, it is a proven factor in thriving workforce cultures.
So, what works well when it comes to employee recognition? To help HR teams develop smarter strategies, I’d like to suggest some practices that make a big difference. The following list comes from insights we’ve published recently on the TalentCulture blog , as well as from inspiring collaborations I’ve had with innovative HR tech companies. From classic to cutting-edge, keep in mind that these methods work best when they’re working together. Here’s what you need to know…
5 Modern Recognition Best Practices
1. Be More Frequent and Proactive I’m starting with this because a) it isn’t new, and b) it remains an extremely powerful lever that too many HR teams still miss. Frequently recognizing people for their efforts (not just their results) is the secret sauce when it comes to employee engagement. In fact, employees are nearly 70% more likely to dig deeper when managers recognize them more often. So why hold back?
Some easy ways HR can help turn up the volume:
Schedule periodic nudges, reminding managers to recognize individuals and teams.
Use gamification and peer recognition to deliver quick moments of appreciation via text or chat.
Run pulse surveys to identify the optimal pace of recognition across your organization. Advanced version: pinpoint the ideal cadence within each department.
Share your recognition strategy with your whole organization so everyone is in on the intention, the findings, and the importance of fostering a culture of appreciation.
2. Hyper-Automation Is Good, But Adding a Human Touch is Better Digital automation helps organizations quickly scale activities up or down as needed, without investing in additional staff members, training, or other resources. Now, hyper-automation takes this to a new level by tapping into AI and other advanced technologies. And by bringing data and insights together under one automation umbrella, organizations are dramatically improving their ability to see the big picture.
For HR, this kind of business process reengineering can slash costs and turbocharge the pace of central activities, from screening resumes to onboarding employees, and beyond. There’s a tremendous upside in transforming HR operations. But it can also trigger unintended consequences. No doubt, leaning too heavily into hyper-automation can create communication imbalances that dampen an organization’s employee experience.
Better practice: Balance digital solutions with human value-add. Use hyper-automation to maximize efficiency and save everyone’s time. But make sure personal connection is also in the mix. For example, with employee recognition, there’s a sweet spot for how much human contact to include in a cadence of digital acknowledgments. Once you find it, let that be your north star. Bake it into your recognition strategy.
3. Keep it Simple I’ve seen HR teams twist themselves in knots trying to brainstorm the perfect recognition strategy. The most effective approach is far simpler: create tangible rewards, observe the occasions, and celebrate the milestones.
Everyone loves a holiday, a bonus, a cheer. Make those the cornerstones of a culture where appreciation is a regular, consistent part of the work experience. My favorite examples:
Provide more paid vacation, selectively need a reprieve . In fact, research says this kind of reward can boost engagement by up to 20%.
Turn the spotlight on peers Encourage employees to nominate coworkers for rewards. Or orchestrate special awards that fit your team. (Best 11th-Hour Save, Most Organized, Best Communicator, Outstanding Zoom Call Coordinator of the Month, Customer Service MVP.) The possibilities are endless.
Organize “take your skills to work” days A great way to recognize employee skills is to give them the chance to teach their coworkers. Skills swaps are a lot of fun as well. It’s an easy way to support one another in new ways that can boost morale and collaboration by up to 30%.
Make Employee Appreciation Day a regular occasion Many of us think of Employee Appreciation Day as an annual celebration. But why not ramp up the frequency? You could create a program to honor an employee of the week, month, or quarter. Don’t forget about managers, either. If you appreciate your workforce all year long , when the annual event rolls around on the first Friday of March, the concept won’t seem quite so performative. The point is to make room for more recognition, not less.
4. Get Leaders Involved 81% of employees say they’re motivated to work harder for an appreciative boss. Yet I recall more than a few situations where getting leaders to participate in recognition felt like pulling teeth. But there’s no longer any excuse to not step up, given what we know about the power of employee appreciation and the availability of tools that make it easy to manage efficiently and effectively.
The business case is compelling. Recognition drives engagement. In turn, engagement drives collaboration, innovation, and performance. How much? Try these numbers: Highly engaged teams can boost business profitability by 21%. And companies with high engagement report 81% lower absenteeism as well as 43% less turnover.
From a human standpoint, recognition doesn’t even have to be a big gesture or a complicated message. In fact, the clearer, the better. A thank-you note to team members, a quick text to an employee or a manager — these small gestures can have a giant ripple effect. Simply reminding an employee of the organizational values they’re living can boost alignment. Asking for feedback, encouraging progress, celebrating growth, and recognizing achievement are all part of that powerful mix.
5. Say Thank You I’ll never forget research conducted by the University of Florida on the impact of gratitude journals on teams. Over the course of two weeks, participants were asked to write down what they were grateful for each day — everything from a kind word to a pat on the back. Afterwards, participants’ coworkers reported a more polite, respectful workplace, with less gossip, less finger pointing, and better treatment overall.
Should we make employees keep gratitude journals? Likely not. But HR can and should find ways to integrate gratitude into workplace culture in meaningful ways — focusing on expressing appreciation daily for the contributions of individuals and teams. Technology can help. But it really starts with leaders who openly and genuinely thank people. This is an incredibly powerful driver of engagement, performance, and retention.
A Final Note on Employee Recognition in the AI Era
At its core, recognition is about giving credit where credit is due. Its purpose is to express true appreciation — not just for a job well done, but also for effort, participation, and even (sometimes) simply showing up.
How (and how often) we deliver this message is important. And now, technology makes the whole process highly efficient. HR teams are eager to apply AI to recognition, so they can personalize the experience at scale. Employees expect this from a modern organization. But when assigning roles to AI, be careful not to lose the human side of recognition along the way. After all, appreciation depends not just on timing and tempo, but also on heart and soul.
RSVP HERE EDITOR’S NOTE: Want more ideas and insights to level up your employee recognition efforts? Join Meghan M. Biro in Toronto, Ontario on June 13th for a very special one-day event – RECOGNITION NEXT – hosted by Achievers.
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