What's one piece of advice you would give to a company looking to revamp its employee recognition program? What should they prioritize?

Question

Employee recognition is a critical aspect of workplace culture that can significantly impact morale and productivity. This article presents expert insights on transforming recognition programs to create more meaningful, personalized, and effective appreciation strategies. From focusing on sincere peer-powered appreciation to aligning recognition with company values, these expert-backed approaches aim to revitalize how organizations acknowledge and motivate their workforce.

Vasilii Kiselev · Answer

If you are revamping your recognition program, this is what I would advise: stop focusing on rewards and start focusing on meaning.
Legacy is privileged to work with teachers and support professionals around the world — people who might never meet in person but show up for children in meaningful ways. What we have learned is that recognition doesn't need to be public — it needs to be seen.
The question we always ask is: “Does this recognition make the person feel understood?” Not only valued, but understood — for how they think, lead, or work behind the scenes with issues that no one else knows about.
We've moved away from generic 'employee of the month' programs and have instead built small rituals into our culture — spontaneous shoutouts tied to values, private notes from parents or students, or peer recognition that highlights someone's unique way of working.
Recognition should feel personal, not performative. That's what people remember. That's what keeps them committed when the job becomes challenging.

Eva Schöne Arnold · Answer

I've seen firsthand that the most successful recognition programs put the honorees at the heart of every decision. Recognition is earned, not simply given. Present something truly special for the recipient — something they'll be proud to keep and display, and that reflects the very qualities for which they're being honored. After all, why reward a job well done with a trophy that's not?
Only then should you consider what the moment says about your organization. Recognition is more than a gesture—it's a statement of your values. Resist the temptation to make it a promotional product. Instead, create a piece worth giving and keeping, one that celebrates both the excellence of the honoree and the values you hold dear. 
When recognition is both personal and values-driven, it becomes a powerful driver of pride, engagement, and culture.

Max Shak · Answer

When I set out to build my company, I underestimated how critical consistent, meaningful employee recognition would be to our culture and performance. Early on, I believed that good work spoke for itself — but I learned the hard way that silence can easily be mistaken for indifference. The one piece of advice I'd give to any company revamping their employee recognition program is this: prioritize sincerity over scale.
Too often, companies roll out flashy systems with points, badges, or gamified platforms, but they miss the heart of recognition — authentic human connection. Recognition doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate to be powerful. What matters most is that it feels personal, specific, and timely. When someone on our team does something exceptional — whether it's landing a tough client or solving a silent tech glitch — I make a point to name exactly what they did, how it impacted us, and why it matters. That kind of granular praise resonates more than any generic, "Great job!"
We also shifted our recognition culture from being top-down to peer-powered. We built moments into our team rituals where colleagues can publicly appreciate each other. It's a small change, but it created a ripple effect. People feel seen not just by leadership, but by the people they collaborate with every day. That's where trust is built.
If you're redesigning your recognition program, ask yourself: Is this designed to check a box, or to deepen a connection? Prioritize substance over surface. Recognition should never feel like performance — it should feel like gratitude.
Ultimately, people don't just want to be rewarded. They want to be remembered — for the things they contribute, the effort they make, and the way they show up. When a company gets that right, recognition becomes more than a perk. It becomes part of the culture that people want to stay and grow in.

Vikrant Bhalodia · Answer

If you're reworking your employee recognition program, don't start with a platform. Start with a question: What kind of recognition matters to your team?
We learned that generic rewards or once-a-year shoutouts didn't move the needle. What worked better was keeping it real and immediate. A manager sending a quick Slack message after a good client call. A teammate thanking someone for stepping in during crunch time. That kind of recognition sticks because it feels honest.
We didn't make it a big process. No fancy names or formal awards. Just small, regular moments that showed people they were seen. And we didn't assume everyone wanted public praise either. Some people just wanted a quiet thank-you or a little flexibility after a tough sprint.
We also stopped trying to push recognition through systems that no one wanted to use. If it takes more than a minute to appreciate someone, it won't happen. So we made it easy and let teams run with it in their own way.
Recognition shouldn't feel like a program. It should feel like part of how people work together. That's what we focused on, and it made a bigger impact than anything we rolled out top-down.

Kraig Kleeman · Answer

Generic praise is like a participation trophy—everyone gets one, no one remembers it.
If you are revamping your employee recognition program, start with this rule: make it personal, or don't do it at all. Recognition that really makes an impact is rooted in specificity, not just, "Great job." People want to feel seen, not scanned.
We have switched from a one-size-fits-all shoutout scheme to a system that lets team members choose how they are recognized, whether it is publicly, privately, or with experiences. It's not about flash but about fit. The result? Higher engagement, stronger retention, and a culture where hardworking people feel valued for what they do.

Andy Danec · Answer

Don't overthink it — make it real. That's the advice. Recognition doesn't have to be flashy or expensive. What matters is that it's honest, timely, and personal. If your people feel invisible, nothing else you're doing matters.
We deal with heavy issues daily. Our staff are the backbone of our mission — they hold the line when someone's falling apart. I've learned that recognizing their efforts consistently, and in a way that speaks to them as human beings, is the only way to keep morale strong in this field.
What do we prioritize? Authenticity. I don't wait for quarterly reviews or company-wide shoutouts. I walk the halls. I look someone in the eye and say, "You showed up today when you didn't have to — and it made a difference." That hits harder than any plaque on the wall.
We also tailor recognition to the person. Some folks light up with public praise. Others just want a handwritten note and five minutes of your time. Learn your people. That's leadership.
Bottom line: employee recognition isn't about checking a box. It's about building a culture where people feel seen — not just for the big wins, but for the daily grind no one claps for. Do that, and you'll keep your team in the fight, even on the hard days.

Brian Fontanella · Answer

If you're revamping your employee recognition program, my advice is to prioritize specificity. Generic praise like "good job" doesn't have the same impact as, "I appreciated how you caught that licensing issue before it hit the client's renewal deadline." We added a simple weekly "shout-out" section during our Monday huddle. It's only a few minutes long, but it has made a huge difference in morale and accountability.
I remember recognizing one of our team members for noticing a misconfigured DNS setting during a server migration — something that could have caused major downtime. He told me later that just being acknowledged for that attention to detail gave him a boost that lasted all week. Recognition doesn't have to cost anything, but it needs to be intentional and tied to the impact. That's what resonates with employees.

Garrett Lehman · Answer

When revamping an employee recognition program, prioritize authenticity and alignment with company values. Recognition works best when it's meaningful, timely, and tied to behaviors that support your organization's mission. Avoid generic "one-size-fits-all" rewards — different employees are motivated by different things. Instead, create a mix of public appreciation, personalized rewards, and growth opportunities.
Also, make recognition consistent, not occasional. Integrating it into everyday culture — through peer-to-peer shoutouts, real-time feedback, and transparent acknowledgment — builds stronger engagement and retention. Employees should feel seen and valued not just during annual reviews, but throughout the year.

Gianluca Ferruggia · Answer

I recommend placing an emphasis on timeliness and consistency in recognition. Far too many companies miss recognizing several opportunities, and even when they do recognize an employee, it often appears to be an afterthought rather than a priority. Instead of waiting for a quarterly meeting or an annual review, the skill that I want to demonstrate is recognizing contributions as they happen. A timely and consistent moment of recognition equates to a much more genuine and impactful moment.
While timing is obviously important, consistency is equally important. Consistency provides employees with an assurance that they are welcome and valued members of the team, apart from completely separate factors such as formal role and/or tenure. A company that only recognizes high performers or highly visible team members will likely miss the opportunity to engage a good majority of their team. Timely, consistent recognition, big or small, is a big piece of the morale puzzle. Timeliness and consistency also create engagement.
You do not have to do something extravagant each and every time. Small acknowledgments, even small shout-outs in meetings, a personalized message, or a public thank you, show that you are recognizing employees' daily work. These small interactions count and build up to show that an organization values recognition for the effort that employees are making on an everyday basis. This makes recognition more of a dialogue rather than a previously typically planned engagement or event that occurs a couple of times a year. They range from called-out recognition in meetings to simply thanking an individual publicly or privately.
In summary, going through a recognition program overhaul does not have to be all about programs to reward formally. Instead, it should be a wide-scale cultural movement with recognition at its core on an everyday basis. Recognizing people in a timely way for the differences they make consistently keeps the employees motivated to continue making those differences.

Bradford Glaser · Answer

Rebuilding an employee recognition system begins with a focus on behaviors that align with your company's goals. Recognition should focus on actions leading to success and the values of your business. By rewarding these actions, staff understand what is valued and are motivated to repeat them. Purposeless recognition does not have the intended impact and fails to inspire people.
Timing matters. Praise should come soon after the achievement and clearly state what was done well. Immediate, specific feedback triggers repeat behavior and builds momentum. Late or generalized praise reduces the value of recognition and its effect on performance.
Create a system that is easy to use and transparent. Allow recognition by peers and managers in various forms, such as brief notes or informal acknowledgments. Provide this flexibility to stimulate more participation and create a culture where recognition is a natural aspect of work life. When it becomes a habit, it creates connections and trust among teams.

Anupa Rongala · Answer

To any company aiming to invigorate its employee recognition program, my top advice would be to prioritize personalization and genuine appreciation. It's not just about flashy awards or annual bonuses; it's about understanding what truly motivates individual employees and then acknowledging their contributions in a way that resonates with them. This means moving beyond generic gestures and instead focusing on timely, specific, and meaningful recognition that ties back to the company's values and goals. When recognition feels authentic and tailored, it fosters a stronger sense of belonging and significantly boosts engagement and retention. We've seen remarkable results by empowering team leaders to implement personalized recognition within their departments, leading to a more vibrant and productive work environment.

Christopher Pappas · Answer

Shift from achievement-based recognition to effort-based acknowledgment. We discovered that traditional programs only rewarded successful outcomes, ignoring valuable attempts that did not produce perfect results. This approach discouraged risk-taking and innovation because people feared trying challenging projects that might not succeed.
Our workforce management software tracks both successful projects and worthy failures that provided learning value. Now we recognize employees who tackle difficult problems, support struggling teammates, or propose creative solutions regardless of outcomes. This effort-focused recognition encourages initiative and collaboration because people know their contributions matter even when the results are not perfect. This cultural shift promoted innovation and mutual support throughout our organization.

Jonathan Palley · Answer

Focus on employee input. One of the most toxic things that can happen to a company's culture is when the real contributors go unrecognized while the people who are good at appearing important get all the credit. Allowing employees to nominate and vote on people who deserve recognition is an effective way to remove favoritism from the equation.

Revamping Employee Recognition: Expert Advice and Top Priorities

Revamping Employee Recognition: Expert Advice and Top Priorities

Focus on Meaning Over Rewards

Create Personal Value-Driven Recognition

Prioritize Sincere Peer-Powered Appreciation

Keep Recognition Real and Immediate

Tailor Recognition to Individual Preferences

Make Recognition Authentic and Timely

Emphasize Specific Praise for Impact

Align Recognition with Company Values

Implement Timely and Consistent Acknowledgment

Reward Behaviors Aligned with Company Goals

Personalize Recognition for Genuine Appreciation

Recognize Effort Beyond Successful Outcomes

Empower Employees to Nominate Deserving Colleagues

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