Ever feel like your recognition program is running on autopilot? Maybe the same few people are sending recognitions, the messages are starting to sound the same, or employees just aren't engaging the way they used to. You're not alone β it's one of the most common challenges admins face after the initial launch excitement fades.
The good news? A few intentional tweaks can breathe new life into your program and get people excited about recognizing each other again. This week, let's walk through some practical recognition ideas you can put into action right inside Awardco.
Step 1 β Run a Recognition Competition π
One of the fastest ways to spark engagement is a little friendly competition. Here's how to set one up:
- Pick a time frame β a single week works great to start (think "Recognition Week").
- Announce that every recognition sent during that window counts as an entry into a raffle.
- At the end of the time frame, pull a recognition report to see who participated.
- Award points (even a small amount!) to the top recognizers and/or the most-recognized employees.
- Consider giving bonus points to anyone who recognized someone they don't normally work with β it encourages cross-team connection.
Pro tip: You can also layer in a theme. For example, each day of the week could have a different prompt:
- Monday: Recognize a mentor who has guided you.
- Tuesday: Recognize someone who always brings positivity.
- Wednesday: Recognize a coworker who consistently meets deadlines.
- Thursday: Recognize a colleague who brings innovative ideas.
- Friday: Recognize someone who helped you this past week.
Themed prompts lower the "what do I even say?" barrier and make it easy for people to jump in.
Step 2 β Expand How and Where Recognition Happens π£
Sometimes the issue isn't motivation β it's visibility and access. Here are a few quick wins to make recognition easier and more visible:
- Turn on the My Circle widget β it appears on the feed and suggests people to recognize, especially highlighting teammates who haven't been recognized in a while.
- Enable the Team Engagement Widget β this gives managers a real-time view of their team's recognition activity right on the feed and via email.
- Set up or increase your Recognition Reminder frequency β go to your admin settings and choose Monthly, Quarterly, or Semi-Annually. A gentle nudge goes a long way.
- Use integrations to meet people where they work β Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Outlook integrations are all free and self-service. Employees can recognize without ever leaving the tools they already use every day.
- Post flyers with QR codes in breakrooms, bathroom stalls, kiosks, the front desk, or the cafeteria. A simple "Recognize someone today!" message with a QR code linking to your Awardco platform can drive surprising results, especially for deskless workers.
Step 3 β Think Beyond Spot Recognition π‘
If your program is mostly peer-to-peer spot recognition, you're leaving a lot of value on the table. Consider adding one or two of these program types to round things out:
- Life Events β celebrate graduations, marriages, new babies, or adoptions. It shows employees you care about them as people, not just workers.
- Employee of the Month or Presidential Awards β a more formal layer of recognition that gives leadership a visible way to participate.
- Non-monetary recognition programs β expanding nominator eligibility with a non-monetary program means more people can participate, even without a budget.
- External Recognition β let your customers or patients recognize your employees using unique QR codes. This is a powerful differentiator, especially in healthcare and service industries.
- Tie recognition to upcoming holidays β April is Volunteer Recognition Month, Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22, and Mental Health Awareness Month kicks off in May. Use these as natural prompts for themed recognitions.
Pro tip: Even a small holiday award (like a quick points drop for Employee Appreciation Day or a themed recognition week) can re-engage employees who haven't logged in recently.
Quick-Reference: Recognition Ideas at a Glance
Idea | Where to Set It Up | Effort Level |
|---|
Recognition competition / raffle | Announce internally + pull reports after | Low |
Themed recognition week (daily prompts) | Announce internally + use existing programs | Low |
Turn on My Circle widget | Admin β Feed settings | Low |
Enable Team Engagement Widget | Admin β Engagement settings | Low |
Increase recognition reminder frequency | Admin β Email/Reminder settings | Low |
Enable MS Teams / Slack / Outlook integration | Admin β Integrations | LowβMedium |
Post QR code flyers in common areas | Create flyer + link to platform | Low |
Add a Life Events program | Admin β Programs | Medium |
Set up external recognition (QR codes) | Admin β Programs | Medium |
Run a holiday-themed award | Admin β Programs | Medium |
Join the Conversation π¬
I'd love to hear what's working for you β and where you're looking for fresh ideas:
- What's the most creative recognition idea or campaign you've run on your Awardco platform? How did employees respond?
- Have you tried a themed recognition week or competition? Any tips for getting participation off the ground?
- Which Awardco features (My Circle, Team Engagement Widget, integrations, etc.) have made the biggest difference in keeping recognition activity consistent?
- What upcoming holidays or awareness days are you planning to build recognition moments around?
Drop your ideas, questions, or lessons learned in the comments β let's build a playbook together! π
