As you are building and growing your employee recognition program, it is important that your rewards and recognition techniques resonate with your employees. This will ensure that you are getting the most out of your program and that your employees will engage with it.
It’s crucial that you aren’t just checking the boxes and giving your employees the bare minimum when it comes to recognition. Instead, aim to create a meaningful experience that makes employees feel valued. Here are four contrasting examples of recognition programs that fall short—and some tips on how to elevate the employee experience.
| Recognition Done Wrong | Recognition Done Right |
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Generic Thank You’s: Sending out a generic ‘thank you’ company- wide is a great way to make your employees' recognition feel impersonal and insignificant. For example, if someone receives the same message for their 10-year anniversary as someone celebrating one year, the recognition loses its value |
Personalized Thank You’s: Take time to create different ecards for your employees based on the milestone they are hitting. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but ensure that each message reflects the specific achievement. A thoughtful note tailored to the occasion shows employees you value their time & contributions. |
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Only Managers Give Recognition If you cut off recognition to just managers, you are losing out on a big opportunity for your employees' work to be acknowledged. Employees contribute in ways that leadership may not see. By allowing only managers to give recognition, you overlook contributions which leads to lower morale & motivation. |
Allowing for Peer-to-Peer Recognition While manager recognition is meaningful, peer recognition can be just as powerful—sometimes even more so. Encouraging employees to recognize and appreciate each other fosters a culture of support, collaboration, and engagement across your team.
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Set It and Forget It Recognition Programs If recognition is only given during year-end awards, it risks becoming an “out of sight, out of mind” initiative. This is also an easy way for it to become outdated and unmotivating for your employees. If you are promoting that you have this incredible program but it isn’t used, then your employees will see that there is no value in it and won’t participate at all. |
Continuously Updated Programs Your program should grow alongside your organization. Actively monitoring participation and tracking success metrics helps you spot what’s working & what’s not. Use employee surveys & KPIs to understand how your recognition program is impacting your team & make adjustments as needed.
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Meaningless Appreciation Gifts Even if you have a top of the line program in place, without motivating and enticing rewards your program will fall flat. It’s important to offer items they actually want to work toward, so your program reaches its full potential.
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Find Out What Gifts Motivate Employees Without the right incentives, your employees may lose interest. Offer a mix of tangible and experiential rewards, especially for major milestones. Giving employees a variety of options keeps the program fresh and encourages continued participation. |
An effective recognition program goes beyond surface-level gestures. When you take time to personalize recognition, encourage peer-to-peer support, and offer meaningful rewards, your program becomes a powerful tool for motivation and morale. Don’t just check the box—make every recognition moment count.