10 Companies With The Best Employee Recognition Programs

Employee recognition is an excellent way to foster a positive work culture, boost employee happiness, and enhance employee engagement. When employees are recognized and appreciated for their hard work, there are many benefits—not only for employees, but for companies as well.

Recognizing employees doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive; companies can acknowledge their employees’ efforts in various ways. Having a strong employee recognition program in place is a great way to ensure that all deserving team members have a chance to be recognized and feel valued. An employee recognition program also gives companies a more streamlined approach to employee recognition. 

Over the years, several companies have become known for having excellent employee recognition programs that prioritize acknowledging and appreciating their employees’ hard work. These companies are household names, and because of the positive work culture that their employee recognition programs create, they have become an example to others and attracting top talent.

10 Companies With The Best Employee Recognition Programs 

The Disney Company

Not only are Disneyland and Disneyworld magical places to visit, but they are also magical places to work. There are several components to their strong employee recognition program, including different awards/rewards for various occasions. Some of the awards include: 

• Milestone Award: Disney offers this award to cast members who have been with the company for an extended period of time. It is often given to encourage employees and recognize their dedication to the company. 
• Legacy Award: They give this annual award to outstanding cast members. The prizes include spending the night in Cinderella’s castle, a free Disney vacation, participating in a parade, and more. 

The Disney Company also has annual pay increases and a variety of informal individual awards such as plaques. 

Apple

Many people love Apple devices, and their employees enjoy working at Apple as well (they have over 150,000 employees). For employee recognition, Apple believes in offering rewards for independent thinking. Apple also gives a discount on their products to boost motivation further. Additionally, Apple rewards volunteering and has a donation-matching program available to all employees. 

Costco

This exclusive wholesale retailer is well known for its excellent employee benefits. It is no surprise that Costco’s employee recognition program is fantastic as well. They have several employee recognition tactics that include: 

• Employee of the Month (displayed in the food court for customers to see)
• Extra Mile Award
• Above and Beyond Award
• President’s Award

Read More: 15 Inspiring and Meaningful Employee Recognition Awards

Southwest Airlines

This airline company has built a strong culture of appreciation and recognition over the years. Southwest truly understands the employee experience and how recognition plays a part in its success. The Southwest company culture encourages putting employees first, allowing employees to be themselves, and letting their employees know that all roles are important. Here are some ways that Southwest utilizes employee recognition: 

• SWAG (Southwest Airlines Gratitude) Program: This program allows all employees to recognize and thank one another. Employees are encouraged to use SWAG awards early and often, and the recognition comes from both leaders and peers.
• Winning Spirit Award: Awards employees for extraordinary acts of service on or off the clock. 
• President’s Award: Recognizes employees who excel and consistently embody company values.

DHL

This famous shipment company has a strong appreciation for their employees. DHL’s recognition culture is built on the sincerity and timeliness of its recognition.

“Our culture and everyday life at DHL are defined and powered by two key things: our people and the values we share.”

DHL Careers

There are several awards that employees can receive, starting with simple day-to-day recognition: 

• “I’m on it” awards: These are given to employees (from either leadership or another employee) who have gone above and beyond regarding quality of work, customer satisfaction, or corporate citizenship. 
• Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards: Each award comes with its level of merchandise and travel rewards, which employees can choose for themselves online. 

Asana

At Asana, they believe that every day is Employee Appreciation Day. Culture plays a significant role at Asana, especially in terms of their culture of recognition. Here are some ways that Asana recognize their employees:

• Celebrating as teams: Asana encourages teams to choose various ways to recognize their colleagues. One team might offer a quick message on the gratitude Kudoboard while another wraps up each meeting by verbally thanking each other. 
• Cross-company appreciation: Asana encourages all types of recognition, not only top-down. They do this by passing around the “Asana flag,” which is passed around based on recent achievements. Additionally, Asana has a few stuffed narwhals and whales that are given to a new recipient every two weeks as a sign of gratitude. 

Burton

Burton is a famous snowboarding company that is very generous to its employees. The organization’s employees can access all sorts of perks, such as free snowboarding lessons, a 50% discount on all Burton gear, and free season passes. Additionally, the office is automatically closed for the day when it snows two feet or more. 

Google

Everyone uses Google nearly daily. Not only is it a top-rated company among its users, but it is also a great place to work. Google has really set itself apart as a company with a strong culture. Part of this culture comes from meaningfully recognizing employees.

• Spot bonus program: This program recognizes employees for a particular behavior or achievement; it is usually a one-time monetary award or other reward such as dinner. 
• Peer bonuses: Employees can recognize each other’s work for monetary rewards. 
• gThanks notes: This peer-to-peer recognition program allows employees to send online thank-you notes to coworkers without going through an approval process. 

Salesforce 

In 2021, a survey by Great Place To Work said that 90% of Salesforce’s employees said it was a great place to work. Many employees recognize it as a great place to work because of the excellent employee recognition. Here are some ways that Salesforce stands out with employee recognition: 

• Regular shoutouts and badges on Slack. 
• V2MOM Awards: Allows employees to nominate colleagues for going above and beyond in the following categories: value, vision, methods, obstacles, and measures. Winners receive a trophy, and their accomplishments are celebrated at an annual company-wide event. 

Adobe

This tech company has implemented an excellent employee recognition program that has had a significant impact on employee engagement. Through its efforts in recognition, Adobe has seen an above average 86% employee engagement. Their recognition program involves a few different methods of recognition: 

•  “Adobe Bravo”. Bravos can be sent online or via an app, and the recognition is publicized to the entire company. 
• Monetary rewards for outstanding performance. 
• Other perks such as gift cards and extra vacation days. 

Microsoft 

According to Microsoft, they have a culture grounded in growth mindset. The Microsoft team has many employee benefits such as frequent employee training, promotion opportunities, coaching options, and more. Their rewards program is said to reinforce the company’s culture and values. Similar to Google, they have a program called “Thanks” that allows employees to send personalized notes of appreciation to peers. 

Benefits of Strong Employee Recognition

There are several benefits of employee recognition for both employees and companies. According to the Employee Happiness Trends Report, 98% say that people would work harder and be happier if they were recognized at work. Effective employee recognition can also impact the following: 

• Increased Employee Engagement: When employees are recognized consistently and authentically, they are more likely to repeat that work and work harder to receive more recognition. 
• Improved Employee Retention: Employees recognized at work are less likely to leave. This reduces regrettable attrition rates overall.
• Boosted Employee Satisfaction: Employees who are recognized at work are more satisfied in their roles and environment. Employee satisfaction plays a significant role in the overall employee experience and recognition.
• Higher Positivity in the Workplace: Recognition inherently creates a culture of appreciation. This culture encourages gratitude and appreciation for leadership, colleagues, and employees.

How to Create Your Employee Recognition Program

By following a few steps, companies can make their own employee recognition programs that will match their culture. If implemented correctly, an employee recognition program can help create meaningful and impactful ways to recognize employees.

When crafting an employee recognition program, you include a variety of recognition types like public/private, peer-to-peer/top-down, expensive/inexpensive options etc. 

Here’s how to develop your own employee recognition program worthy of our top 10:

Determine Your “Why”. 

Start by determining what benefits you looking for in a recognition program. The “why” could be anything from improving employee retention to creating a culture of appreciation. Mapping out your “why” is essential because it provides direction and helps inform the metrics needed to gauge the program’s progress. 

Decide Best Practices For Giving Recognition 

To ensure that a program will work with your company’s needs and culture, setting the best practices for the program will help. These best practices are helpful because they keep all leadership on the same page and can build the recognition program more quickly. Some best practices for recognition could include keeping the program: 

• Personal 
• Tangible
• Prompt 
• Consistent 
• Values-Based 

Establish a Budget

Every company is different and has different monetary needs. Budget is an essential component in employee recognition programs. Small budgets are excellent, as many recognition ideas don’t require a lot of money. 

Choose Recognition Methods

Select appropriate methods for recognition, including peer-to-peer, manager-led, spot awards, appreciation events, or formal ceremonies. Determine how often recognition should occur and utilize a variety of awards and appreciation ideas. There are many ways to recognize employees, and various types of employee rewards. 

Read more: 94 Amazing Employee Reward Ideas

Give Employees A Voice 

Involve employees in building the recognition program; this program is meant to benefit them. Creating a survey is an excellent way to get employee feedback, and involve them in the recognition and awards offered. Once companies have developed a few recognition methods/ideas, companies can send out a survey to employees to narrow down or create a few other ideas. 

Implement the Program 

After choosing recognition methods and establishing a program, it is time to implement the program. To ensure success, start by making a company-wide announcement using multiple communication modes. If recognition software is attached, film a quick video to show employees and leadership how to use the software. Some platforms may include white-glove onboarding to help train your team and ensure success.

Measure Effectiveness  

Companies should measure the effectiveness of their recognition programs through surveys and other forms of feedback. If you are using employee recognition software like Kudoboard, you can track analytics and data from the first few months. Kudoboard tracks recognition and engagement metrics like accountability, visibility, budget, and other progress. 

Employee Recognition Works 

There is no doubt that effective employee recognition significantly impacts the employee experience as a whole, as well as helping companies by increasing employee engagement and reducing turnover.

To get started, work with a partner with an employee recognition platform that’s easy, accessible, and fun. Kudoboard empowers teams to celebrate special occasions, recognize hard work, and shout out teammates with group cards. Admins create cards, invite team members to contribute with messages, memes, videos, GIFs, and more, and the cards send automatically to the recipient on a chosen day. The platform makes employe recognition scalable, equitable, and engaging.

But, it’s simple: investing in employee recognition is the best way to improve employee satisfaction. Model your plan after one of the best employee recognition programs or create your own, and you’ll take your business to the next level.