Even though recognition is a strong indicator of employee retention, a recent Gallup poll found that only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days.
Recognizing and celebrating achievements is an easily implemented strategy with outsized impact on culture and retention, but creating an atmosphere of recognition from scratch can be daunting. Built In reached out to eight leaders in the tech industry to learn how their companies have succeeded in creating cultures of appreciation.
One takeaway: recognition programs don’t have to be expensive. It can be a good idea to include budget line items for team building, but there are plenty of low- and no-cost practices to help build a culture of recognition.
“For recognition to be meaningful, it doesn’t have to break the bank,” said Andrea Rist, sales enablement and operations manager at zLinq.
Izabelle Hundrev, Partner Marketing Manager at InStride, agrees. “A simple ‘great job running that meeting!’ goes further than you might think,” she said.
Another key theme that emerged was the importance of making recognition available to everyone, up and down the org chart. Austin Easler, associate performance marketing manager at MobilityWare, says that recognition – or lack thereof – can make or break a team.
“I've worked at companies where awards were almost exclusively reserved for upper management while the team members who helped them reach their goals often went unmentioned,” he said, noting that being passed over for recognition can lead straight to burnout.
From awards programs to Slack compliments to regular company-wide celebratory days off, these leaders offer great examples of ways companies can implement and grow cultures of real, effective recognition.
Featured companies
Outdoorsy is the world's first true peer-to-peer marketplace for RVs.
How does your company celebrate employees´ achievements?
At Outdoorsy, employees’ achievements are consistently recognized. Anyone in the company can publicly acknowledge a colleague's work, with feedback shared company-wide and colleagues able to show their support through reactions and comments.
We also have awards given at the end of the year that highlight employees who have excelled. In 2023, I was humbled to be nominated for the Golden Cricket Award for my contributions at Outdoorsy. I received multiple messages from colleagues congratulating me on my nomination, as well as heartfelt and encouraging messages from the leadership team.
This was unexpected to me, and despite working on a very small team, it shows that no one's work goes unnoticed. The leadership team truly cares and looks after their employees. I have also given numerous public recognitions to my colleagues at Outdoorsy. I truly believe that recognition is the finest compliment one can receive in their professional life.
“I truly believe that recognition is the finest compliment one can receive in their professional life.”
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
Recognition is very important. Numerous studies have shown that positive recognition can prevent burnout and increase intrinsic motivation. This is evident in the sports world too, where great coaches get the best from their players by leveraging recognition and positive feedback.
I am personally driven by a higher purpose, motivated by the company’s goals, and feel a strong duty to our hosts who entrust us with their vehicles, as well as to the guests who rely on Outdoorsy to provide them with what they need for their vacations. I take immense pride in my work. Recognition from not only my leaders but also my colleagues brings me a lot of joy and motivates me to continually push the limits of my capabilities.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
Company culture is crucial, and recognition along with constructive feedback should always be top priorities. I’ve seen teammates get public shootouts from their leaders and colleagues. It’s really encouraging and important.
Other employers should certainly prioritize this, given the abundant evidence of the positive impact that a strong culture has on employee productivity, well being and company revenue. Having a public channel where feedback is openly shared and encouraged by the leadership team is an excellent practice that all companies should adopt.
zLinq is a SaaS solution that manages enterprise customers’ communication lifecycle. The company is on a mission to transform the communication landscape.
How does your company celebrate employees’ achievements?
At zLinq, we celebrate employees’ achievements in a variety of ways. In our weekly team check-in, we recognize the people who won a deal or renewal, and they speak about how they approached it. A couple times a year, we have a “zLinq Day,” a day off for everyone at the company to celebrate a key milestone such as making our revenue goal for the month or quarter.
For the “Quarterly Values” award, we nominate a peer who demonstrates one of our values (build trust, get results, and have fun) through their actions. We also reward those who demonstrated top performance by sending them to the President’s Club in February. Every function of the business is eligible to attend, not just sales. This motivates everyone at the company to stay focused on achieving their goals.
We also recognize employees through a “High Five.” One of my recent one-on-one meetings with my boss became a surprise meeting with the entire executive leadership team, who took turns acknowledging the work I did and how my work impacted the business over the past year. The call was recorded so I could share it with my family. It felt amazing to be recognized in such a highly personalized and meaningful way.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
zLinq team members are geographically dispersed throughout the United States. We take advantage of the time we are together in our Monday morning check-in by spending the last portion of the meeting doing small group breakout discussions.
In the breakouts, we share what we are most proud of from the last week and then discuss a question relevant to the business. Taking the time to reflect on what we are most proud of gives us the opportunity to appreciate each other’s accomplishments and learn about what team members whom we may not interact with every day are doing.
When we make recognition a part of how we interact on a regular basis, we feel a stronger connection to each other and to the team. While it’s great to have the chance to nominate a colleague for an award, and it’s certainly wonderful to receive an award, sometimes a simple “thank you” in a one-on-one chat or a shout out in a team meeting can make someone feel valued and happy about the work that they are doing. This feeling can carry them through the week. Knowing that our efforts are valued and contribute to the bigger picture inspires us to do our best work and reinforces our commitment to the company.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
When done well, recognition is not a “one-and-done” event, but embedded in how the business is managed. Having said that, you can start small and add to it. Find one thing to anchor around and build from there, so that recognition is gradually and organically woven into the fabric of the company and culture.
“When done well, recognition is not a ‘one-and-done’ event, but embedded in how the business is managed.”
For recognition to be meaningful, it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are lots of low- or no-cost ways to acknowledge hard work and celebrate accomplishments. However, to truly supercharge your recognition, carefully think through the time, money, and effort it will need to carry weight and have impact. Set aside a budget for rewards that matter to people to elevate recognition as a strategic priority for the business to drive engagement and performance.
As you implement recognition, make it available and accessible to all employees at every level. Giving everyone an opportunity to be acknowledged for their accomplishments instills fairness and helps the team feel valued. At the same time, giving everyone an opportunity to acknowledge the good work and efforts of their colleagues makes it possible for all employees to play a role in creating a culture of recognition.
Edmunds is an online consumer review website that offers its users with research, shopping, and buying tools for new and used cars.
How does your company celebrate employees´ achievements?
Recognition has always been a central element of Edmunds’ culture. For example, in the bi-weekly all-company meetings that we call Cadillac Catch-ups, we recognize new hires and celebrate major anniversaries. I recently crossed the 15-year mark as an Edmunds employee, and it was great to be recognized for all that I’ve achieved and get to reminisce on my journey here at Edmunds.
“Recognition has always been a central element of Edmunds’ culture.”
As a member of the Edmunds Sales organization, I can speak to the ways we recognize our amazing salesforce. For years, we’ve rewarded our top sellers with an annual President’s Club trip. While this continues to be a way to reward our top sellers, we knew we wanted to motivate and recognize a larger part of our salesforce. Specifically, we wanted to acknowledge individuals who did not achieve President's Club but whose efforts helped us reach our overall sales and retention goals.
Last year, we introduced the President’s Club Badging System — Diamond, Platinum, and Gold tiers — with special promotional material that allows Edmunds sales representatives to be recognized in emails, business cards and on LinkedIn. This gives us an opportunity to recognize a wider set of sellers for all of their contributions.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
With our salesforce dispersed across the country, the way we recognize our employees is critical to keeping us all connected. We host monthly virtual all-hands calls, where top performers from the previous month are announced. The sales development team makes an extra effort to incorporate fun facts about each individual when they are announced and team members fill the Zoom chat with supportive congratulatory messages throughout.
In addition to virtual gatherings, we also prioritize in-person opportunities. We host annual divisional meetings where each team gathers in a central location within their division to learn from and recognize each other's contributions to the team. We also host an annual All Sales Meeting, where our entire salesforce travels to Edmunds’ headquarters in Santa Monica, CA for days of learning, team-building and recognition.
The totality of efforts Edmunds makes to establish and maintain a culture of recognition is what truly makes this organization so special. I try not to take it for granted.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
I would not underestimate the power of recognition and its impact on a company. Moments of recognition both small and large go a long way toward showing employees that success of all types is important to the company. It is an essential building block for a company, allowing them to support comradery among peers. And in the case of a sales team, this culture-building tool creates healthy competition that makes teams stronger and far more productive.
InStride is a learning services enterprise designed to achieve significant social impact through partnerships with universities and employers, providing employees the opportunity to earn the highest-quality degrees.
How does your company celebrate employees´ achievements?
InStride’s mission is closely tied to a belief in continuous learning, so the company is constantly exploring ways to recognize employee growth. This includes our Star of InStride and Inspiring InStrider awards, which celebrate employees who go above and beyond the scope of regular duties.
I received the Star of InStride award last year at Connect, our biweekly company-wide meeting, which included a cash award. The award is quarterly, selective and kept a surprise, so you never think it's going to be you. It meant a lot to be recognized in front of the entire company for my achievements and to hear the things my team leader and colleagues shared when nominating me.
Similarly, the Inspiring Instrider award goes through a committee selection process and celebrates employees exceeding expectations with a cash award and recognition at Connect, but on a monthly basis for more immediate acknowledgement of recent achievement.
We also celebrate employee promotions at Connect. During these quarterly announcements, team leads speak about the demonstrated impact behind promotional decisions. Then our colleagues get the floor to thank the mentors and teammates who make their work possible.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and/or your colleagues?
It’s so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day of work. Having a culture of recognition where even the smallest wins are celebrated (learnings are recognized too) helps boost morale and reminds you of the impact you’re contributing individually, as a team and as an organization.
Giving recognition feels just as good as getting it. Outside of formal recognition, InStriders are always giving each other shout-outs via Lattice, our people management platform, through Slack and verbally in smaller meeting forums to recognize effort and celebrate wins.
I should also mention our annual Eddy Awards (named for our internal elephantine mascot). They celebrate employees for those invaluable contributions that often connect us most, including one-of-a-kind awards like “Zoom Background Champion,” “Resident Movie Buff” and “Always Sunny.” Because recognition is so ingrained in our company’s culture, so is celebration of our uniqueness.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
Employees appreciate meaningful recognition. Make some awards selective and have the company CEO or leadership announce them in a public forum. But don’t just celebrate the big wins. There’s great value in recognizing employees all the time – not just for significant accomplishments. A simple “great job running that meeting!” goes further than you might think.
“A simple ‘great job running that meeting!’ goes further than you might think.”
Another consideration: look out for external recognition opportunities for employees that are relevant to their field or industry. I was honored to receive Built In’s Moxie Award last year, honoring rising women in tech, because of an InStride nomination.
Finally, it is really nice to receive a gift or memento beyond the monetary award. I was given a one-of-a-kind InStride letterman jacket alongside my Star of InStride award, and I’ll forever remember and cherish that recognition because of it.
MobilityWare is one of mobile gaming's leading publishers of card and puzzle games. With over 600 million downloads across their product portfolio, their mission is to bring joy to others one game at a time.
How does your company celebrate employees´ achievements?
From a company-wide perspective, every year several team members are recognized as Value All-Stars at our year-end event. This award is given to individuals who go above and beyond to exemplify our core values in both their work and interpersonal interactions.
Prior to the meeting, each team can nominate an individual who deserves to be recognized on a wider scale, and it is up to the managers to decide who receives the award. Winning the award is truly an honor as you are recognized on a grand scale among your peers.
On a smaller scale, we also have company-wide shoutouts where managers can give special recognition to any team member over Slack for the rest of the company to see. It's a nice way to know the work you are doing is appreciated.
On a department level, each team is empowered and encouraged to celebrate their achievements in their own way, whether it’s through events, awards, or an end-of-year party. Often, milestones are celebrated with team lunches, whether it be a new game launch or hitting a marketing goal.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
Recognition from managers and colleagues is always appreciated. Whether it’s company-wide or team-wide, it is extremely gratifying to be recognized for your work. It helps to know that your colleagues are not only looking out for you but are also invested in your success. With the Value All-Star award, there is a wave of recognition and appreciation for the awardee's work that sweeps through their department. It even becomes a point of pride that feels like a shared honor for the entire team.
In the marketing department, achievements are often shared not only to give recognition, but also to see if the methodology underlying their success can be replicated by other team members. It often sparks productive discussions and can reinforce the bonds between teammates.
Being recognized by your colleagues makes you proud of your work and your co-workers, connecting you both on a different level than before. It motivates you to reach new heights in your career and creates a culture of cooperation and appreciation.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
For employers that want employees to feel more appreciated, there are a variety of steps to take. Start small by giving shoutouts for a job well done during weekly meetings. This can help you feel connected to your colleagues.
In a more private setting, receiving recognition during a one-on-one meeting is also encouraging and can motivate you to go above and beyond in your work. From there, you can slowly implement team-based recognition, eventually introducing company-wide rewards. Feeling appreciated and being recognized for the work you do is vital to employee happiness.
Recognition (or lack thereof) can often make or break a team. I've worked at companies where awards were almost exclusively reserved for upper management while the team members who helped them reach their goals often went unmentioned.
“Recognition (or lack thereof) can often make or break a team.”
This line of thinking often led to employee burnout and dissatisfaction. Eventually, you feel that no matter how much effort you put in or how many goals you surpass, your efforts will not be appreciated. Employers should be well aware of this danger and find ways to recognize their employees for their accomplishments.
Arrive Logistics is a carrier and customer-centric logistics company.
How does your company celebrate employees´ achievements?
Arrive has always been great about celebrating employees’ life moments and successes within the business. When I was a sales rep, there was constant recognition from senior leadership. Now as a middle manager, it is a focal point of our engagement plan to ensure those who work hard are recognized for their contributions and passion.
We have company-wide recognition, Hustlers of the Week awards, and our yearly President’s Club, which is a celebration of our top performers across the business. My personal experience with recognition has been across the spectrum, from end-of-year award ceremonies to extra floating holidays for my efforts. The culture of engagement at Arrive is one of the driving factors for why I have pushed myself to be the best employee I can be.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
As an employee in a satellite office, being recognized by the business keeps up a currency of engagement with HQ that ties everything together. My employees and I feel like day-to-day tasks play a large part in the overall success of the business when we receive recognition. It contributes to a sense of belonging where individuals feel seen and appreciated and are more likely to identify with our core values, creating a stronger sense of belonging and connection.
“My employees and I feel like day-to-day tasks play a large part in the overall success of the business when we receive recognition.”
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
Something that I have adopted in my team culture is the idea of extreme ownership. Own the fact that YOU are the #1 reason an employee will love their job and want to stay with the company. I would ignite engagement with employees and make sure that you are not just appreciating “metric” achievements. Make sure that all aspects of the job are celebrated and make this acknowledgment core to your daily routine.
Aurora Solar develops solar industry software.
How does your company celebrate employees’ achievements?
We provide different ways to recognize team members for great work and encourage the use of both social recognition and financial rewards. All Aurorans (including managers) can drop a note in our company #kudos channel in Slack, recognize team members in 1:1s, standups, and team meetings.
We also provide our people managers with a monthly team morale budget that can be used to mark both personal and professional achievements. Managers can use the morale budget to send rewards such as e-cards, gift cards, flowers, coffees, teas, or treats. For larger contributions to the culture or business, some departments host quarterly value awards and others use incentive programs.
On the company level, we know that our team members are working hard year-round and we recognize the need for a collective break. We provide ‘Energize Fridays’ throughout the summer months where we all collectively ‘unplug’ and recharge.
Folks can get out, and step away from their email and Slack, and spend some time reconnecting with friends and family. This is one of our most popular recognition/reward programs and Aurorans have expressed an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about Energize Fridays.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
Recognition involves acknowledging teamwork and collaboration which builds stronger team dynamics. When employees feel recognized for their collaborative efforts, it encourages a sense of unity among colleagues.
Recognition also appeals to employees on an emotional level, creating a connection between their personal investment in their work and the acknowledgment they receive. This emotional connection can lead to a stronger commitment to the organization's goals. When people feel a stronger connection to the purpose and impact of their work, and feel recognized for their contributions, they are more engaged in their work and in the business.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
Employee appreciation plays a key role in team member satisfaction, so prioritize building a culture of recognition and take time to reward your team members. When people are recognized for the impact they’re having and for modeling values, it reinforces company values and culture.
It also creates a stronger sense of connection, pride in the work one is doing, belonging and makes people want to go above and beyond in their roles. Remember to also celebrate the small wins and not just the milestones.
“Remember to also celebrate the small wins and not just the milestones.”
This is especially effective when motivating those who typically work behind the scenes, in support roles or less visible roles, to help reinforce the idea that their contributions are valued. An engaged, valued workforce results in increased job satisfaction and subsequently boosts productivity, enhances collaboration, and cultivates a stronger team culture.
RingCentral provides cloud-unified communication and collaboration solutions to support the increasing mobile and distributed workforce.
How does your company celebrate employees’ achievements?
At RingCentral, it’s important (and fun) to celebrate our amazing accomplishments. It makes us feel valued and that we’re making an impact. Last year, we created a quarterly Rewards and Recognition program to celebrate our achievements.
The program is divided into three categories: The Spot Award, for individuals who embody our core values and demonstrate positivity; Above and Beyond Award, recognizing those that exceed their everyday responsibilities; and the Visionary Award, our grand prize, for individuals or teams who made a substantial impact on company growth and operations.
I’m proud that my leadership efforts were recognized as this year’s Spot and Visionary Award winner. This award system allows nominations to get the exposure and engagement they deserve with senior leaders and their consistent encouragement motivates me everyday.
Additionally, as part of our commitment to a healthy life-work balance, RingCentral employees enjoy an extra paid holiday each quarter, called “CaRing Days.” This time off allows our team members to disconnect, rejuvenate and spend quality moments doing the things they love, reflecting our dedication to the well-being of our employees.
How does a culture of recognition make you feel more connected to your work and your colleagues?
RingCentral’s culture starts with recognition from peers and senior executives. This acknowledgment fuels my drive to excel everyday, providing me with a profound sense of purpose and pride.
When my colleagues and senior leaders recognize my work and projects, it cultivates a supportive atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement. Feeling valued and appreciated leaves me feeling fulfilled and connected to both the meaning behind my work, and my team. What I love about RingCentral is that it’s small enough that execs truly value our work, but large enough that I know I have room to grow.
“What I love about RingCentral is that it’s small enough that execs truly value our work, but large enough that I know I have room to grow.”
As a woman in leadership, having my achievements acknowledged and celebrated validates my professional capabilities and contributions, boosting my confidence and sense of belonging within the organization. RingCentral exemplifies a dedication to diversity and inclusion, fostering a positive and empowering environment where all employees can thrive, both personally and professionally.
What advice would you give to leaders or employers interested in making their employees feel more appreciated?
I am fortunate to have found wonderful mentors through our RingCentral WISE (Women in SaaS Empowerment) Employee Resource Group. My growth and development is continuously supported as a leader, leaving me feeling valued and appreciated.
My advice to leaders is three-fold; set clear expectations, have career growth conversations and celebrate wins. To start, clearly outline expectations for your team and how their work aligns with the company’s mission. By providing context and purpose behind goals, employees will feel more motivated and accountable, contributing to the larger vision.
Secondly, regularly engage in career growth conversations, maintaining consistent check-ins on employees’ progress, offering support and guidance along the way. Lastly, celebrate the wins. Shout out your team in meetings and messaging channels and offer meaningful rewards or incentives to reinforce their hard work.
I believe that by practicing empathy as a leader, you can create a positive and supportive work environment where team members feel valued, respected, and motivated to perform at their best.
