A lot of admins read a white paper like The State of Recognition 2026 and think, “This is helpful…but what should I actually do in my Awardco platform because of it?” That is the right question.
One of the biggest takeaways for me is that recognition is not just a nice extra. The research found that employees who feel meaningfully recognized are 2.3x more likely to be engaged and 1.7x more likely to want to stay. That is why small admin decisions around consistency, visibility, and ease of use matter so much for day-to-day platform usage and long-term adoption.
Step 1 – Use reminders to make recognition more consistent 💬One of the clearest themes in the white paper is that frequency matters. In fact, recognition frequency had the strongest effect on engagement in the study, explaining 15% of the variance in engagement scores. The research also found that manager recognition needs to happen at least quarterly to maintain engagement, and if employees go longer than three months without recognition, engagement drops sharply.
Here’s a simple place to start:
- Go to Admin → Platform → Notifications → Email Templates.
- Create or review your Recognition Reminder email template.
- Then go to Admin → Platform → Notifications → Reminders.
- Under Recognition Reminder, choose a cadence like Monthly or Quarterly.
- Attach your template and save your changes.
- Send yourself a test first so you can make sure the wording feels natural and points people to the right behavior.
A few things to watch for:
- This reminder is broad. It goes to users who are eligible to recognize, not to one specific program.
- If no template is selected, the reminder will not be very useful.
- If your platform already feels quiet, I would start with Monthly instead of waiting too long between nudges.
Pro tip: Keep the email short and practical. A simple prompt like “Recognize someone who helped your team this week” lowers the barrier and gets better participation than a generic reminder.
Why this helps adoption: when recognition becomes part of the normal rhythm, the platform stops feeling like a once-a-quarter tool and starts feeling like part of everyday culture.
Step 2 – Tighten up milestone recognition so no easy wins are getting missed 🎉Another big takeaway from the research is that milestone moments carry more weight than many teams realize. Employees who received service anniversary recognition saw a 22-point boost in engagement, and those who received birthday recognition saw an even bigger 25-point boost.
If you have not reviewed your milestone setup in a while, this is a great week to do it. I’m using birthdays as the example below, but you can use a very similar process to review and update your Service Awards and Onboarding milestones too.
- Go to Admin → Recognition → Programs → Recognition Programs.
- Make sure you have a dedicated automated program for birthdays so reporting stays clean.
- Then go to Admin → Recognition → Programs → Birthday Awards.
- Open Default Settings and review the basics:
- who the recognition comes from
- whether it is public or private
- whether employee and manager notifications are turned on
- which program name is attached
- Add or review your rules for amount and eligible metadata.
- Save your changes and use Launch Now or schedule the automation if needed.
A few common pitfalls here:
- Birthday automation depends on the right data being in your user file.
- If you are using a budget or program name, the names need to match exactly.
- If you keep all milestone recognitions private, employees may miss some of the visibility that makes these moments feel special.
Pro tip: Even a 0-point birthday message is better than silence. If budget is tight, you can still create a strong employee experience with a thoughtful message and consistent delivery.
Quick win: If you already use Birthday Awards, review whether the manager notification is turned on. That small touch can help managers add a more personal follow-up instead of relying only on automation.
Step 3 – Make leader recognition easier, not more complicated 🌟The white paper also reinforces something many admins already feel: who recognition comes from matters, not just how often it happens. The research found that senior leader recognition has about twice the positive effect on engagement and other outcomes as manager recognition. It also found that recognition from senior leaders is a little “stickier,” with effects that can support engagement for up to a year.
This is where admins can make a big difference.
- Go to Admin → Recognition → Programs → Recognition Programs.
- Review your active recognition programs and ask: Is there a simple, obvious path for leaders or managers to recognize people?
- If not, clean up or create a dedicated recognition option that leaders can use consistently.
- Make sure the program has clear eligibility, the right budget, and a name that makes sense right away.
- Give leaders a simple message framework to follow: what happened, why it mattered, and which value it connects to.
- Encourage a steady rhythm instead of a huge one-time push.
A few things to watch for:
- Too many overlapping programs can confuse people and slow adoption.
- Heavy approval steps can make recognition feel delayed and less meaningful.
- If leaders only recognize during major events, employees miss the ongoing reinforcement that builds engagement over time.
Pro tip: Pair formal Awardco recognition with other channels leaders already use well, like email or team meeting shout-outs. Awardco gives you the visibility, reporting, and consistency. The other touchpoints can add a personal layer.
Quick Check ✅
What to review | Where to go | What to confirm |
|---|
Recognition reminders | Admin → Platform → Notifications → Reminders | Cadence is active and the correct template is selected |
Reminder email copy | Admin → Platform → Notifications → Email Templates | Message is short, clear, and action-oriented |
Birthday automation | Admin → Recognition → Programs → Birthday Awards | Default settings, rules, notifications, and launch status are correct |
Recognition program lineup | Admin → Recognition → Programs → Recognition Programs | Programs are clear, active, and not overly cluttered |
Leader recognition path | Recognition Programs + internal rollout habits | Leaders have an easy, repeatable way to recognize people |
I’d love to hear how you’re putting these ideas into practice in your own platform.
- Which finding from The State of Recognition 2026 stood out most to you?
- Have you found a good way to make recognition more consistent without creating extra admin work?
- How are you encouraging managers or senior leaders to recognize more regularly in Awardco?
- Are there any milestone, reminder, or program settings you are still trying to fine-tune and would love ideas from other admins on?
