An old sports trophy, collecting dust, that you can’t seem to part with, a heartfelt thank you note from a loved one that sits on a desk, the degree that hangs on a wall: Recognition and appreciation leave a lasting, formative impression at all stages of life.
In small gestures of encouragement and milestone celebrations, people find pride and satisfaction in the reminders of who they are and what they can accomplish.
At the physical and virtual office, recognition plays an irreplaceable and impactful role in the employee experience. Even something as simple as a Slack shoutout can motivate, bond and energize team members, with ramifications for individual and organizational success.
A 2023 Great Place to Work survey showed that appreciation from leadership resulted in a 69 percent increase in the likelihood of employees going above and beyond in their work, while 37 percent of respondents said personal recognition would lead to better performance outcomes.
Likewise, employees who felt recognized at work were 2.2 times more likely to drive innovation and bring new ideas forward.
“The clear impact of feeling celebrated and supported by our colleagues, regardless of physical proximity, serves as a powerful inspiration to show up as our authentic selves and consistently deliver our best work,” said Employee Experience Lead Mackenzie Rohn, a team member at fintech company OppFi.
Rohn shared how her company prioritizes recognition and creates a culture of appreciation — even in a remote environment.
OppFi is a fintech platform that provides credit-challenged customers with accessible finance products and inclusive digital experiences.
How does OppFi approach employee recognition while working remotely?
At Oppfi, employee recognition and celebration of achievements take center stage during our monthly hybrid town halls through Employee Spotlights. Nominated by leaders, selected employees receive Fringe points, enabling them to choose benefits from a lifestyle benefit marketplace.
While these rewards are essential, we place even greater emphasis on recognizing the daily accomplishments of our distributed workforce through the micro-recognition tool, Lattice, which fosters frequent and “just-in-time” acknowledgments. Lattice facilitates top-down and peer-to-peer recognition and feedback requests. We’ve integrated the tool with Slack to ensure companywide notifications for public recognition, which often sparks joyous emoji reactions and comments that embody the OppFi culture of praise and support.
Earlier this year, we revived and reimagined our quarterly Oppt to Give program, which rewards four team members with the most pieces of praise and recognition in Lattice with a $1,000 donation to one of our Business Resource Group-partnered charities of their choice. By gamifying employee recognition, we drive positive behaviors and instill a culture of continuous feedback.
As a leader, how do you make sure that you spotlight specific individuals on your immediate team?
To ensure frequent and diverse recognition from our leaders, we implemented strategies to make the process easy and accessible. Consistent reminders, quick links and QR codes give leaders direct access to a nomination form, keeping recognition a priority amidst our busy work lives. Coaching leaders on the benefits of recognition, setting an example and promoting recognition programs regularly also contribute to spotlighting individuals regularly.
Consistent reminders, quick links and QR codes give leaders direct access to a nomination form, keeping recognition a priority amidst our busy work lives.”
By socializing our company business principles and linking the principles to employee recognition, we are able to emphasize how our employees’ efforts contribute to company success when acknowledging employees. Sharing photos of team outings and award ceremonies on our companywide communication channels, including Slack and email, inspires other leaders and teams to follow suit in recognizing their team members.
How does keeping employee recognition front-of-mind help build remote culture and cohesion on your team?
The Employee Spotlights and Oppt to Give segments during our town hall meetings never fail to ignite the Zoom chat with excitement! OppFi’s employees thoroughly enjoy celebrating each other’s accomplishments and fostering a profound sense of camaraderie and connection, even when physically apart. Understanding the importance of recognition, especially in remote settings, we actively prioritize it — knowing that appreciation strengthens work relationships and enhances communication among team members.
