Thoughtful Employee Recognition & Appreciation Ideas for 2019 Part - 1

1. Use a public recognition feed (with points!)

Claiming the #1 spot on this list is Kazoo with their Recognition & Rewards platform! Kazoo’s social-media inspired recognition feed puts appreciation front and center, with employees recognizing one another for the whole company to see and engage with in real time.

On top of the joy of being appreciated, employees also earn points for each piece of recognition they receive. Team members can cash in their points for fun and meaningful rewards and experiences — like donating money to their favorite charity, gift cards, or buying more points to send to their peers (one of the most redeemed rewards at Kazoo!).

“Public recognition feels incredible — and it lets employees know they’re contributing to the bigger picture at their company — especially since Kazoo allows employees to tie a core value to their posts. With the platform, employees feel connected to their team and the business, and no achievement goes unnoticed — big, small, and everything in between.“

2. Make it personal…and your recognition will become memorable

Employee recognition should be personal, shareable – and above all memorable. HR rewards and recognition leader Blueboardprovides hand-curated, personalized experiences to companies of all sizes, in all parts of the globe. Unlike points-based rewards or gift cards, unparalleled experiences – from a custom, high-end facial to running with the bulls in Spain – mean much more to the employee.

The best part? Employees don’t have to lift a finger. They simply choose their desired experience and Blueboard’s world-class concierge team takes care of all the logistical details.

After their experience, employees return knowing they’ve been authentically appreciated, with stories and memories that are comfortable and exciting to share with friends and coworkers. And guess what: whenever they talk about their memories they associate strongly positive feelings with the company they work for, extending their engagement even further! 

4. Test recognition ideas by surveying your employees

The company behind the real-world treasure hunt app, Geocaching knows how to treat it’s employees like treasures too. HR Manager, Laura Hughes explains her appreciation ideas for employees:

“Find out what forms of recognition resonate most with staff members. Often times, we equate a streamlined process with effectiveness– with recognition, this couldn’t be further from the truth. If we’re taking only one approach to recognition and thereby missing the mark in how we recognize others, it can be equivalent to not recognizing them at all. Encourage managers to ask employees how they most like to be recognized— you might be surprised at the answers that surface!”

5. Create a “Go The Extra Mile” Program

The transport staff at the Staten Island University Hospital Radiology Lab has the tough and tiring job of wheeling patients around for testing. When they were falling short of their goal number of moves per hour, the recognition experts at Michael C. Fina came up with an employee appreciation idea that got the hospital results: the Go the Extra Mile or GEM program.

When an employee witnessed another going the extra mile, they would nominate them for a GEM certificate. The program was simple, but gave the staffers recognition they could hold in their hands, which went far towards making them feel truly appreciated.