‘Shoot for the Stars’: best ways to embed employee recognition in your organisation

Today, most companies have employee recognition programs, but not all are equal. The strongest ones align with values, deliver tangible results, connect to career development, and foster engagement. However, creating such programs often involves trial and error, as I've experienced firsthand at my current company.

In my time at ADP, from Consultant to CIO for the regions Europe, Middle-Est & Africa (EMEA) and Latin America, one thing has always stood out: everyone loves this company. But what makes it special? It's the empathy, positive culture, innovative tech, exciting ideas, commitment to customers and ample resources that attract people. Everyone wants to be part of our success story.

What truly sets us apart, though, is our dedication to employee recognition. We move mountains to acknowledge our team's efforts because we know it fuels growth – for both colleagues and the company.

Continuing the topics from the first part here are the solutions which your organisation can also implement, to transform employee recognition from a nice-to-have to just the way you do business.

Recognise contributions from all levels. 

Shed light on the efforts of associates, often those tackling the toughest tasks. This ensures fairness and inclusivity. Be sure to include people with diverse abilities and backgrounds, too. Recognition doesn't always need to flow from leaders to associates. Peer-to-peer recognition is equally impactful. When your colleagues acknowledge your work, it holds significant meaning.

In addition to recognising individual contributors, it's important to acknowledge the managers. As we emphasise the value of every individual, team leaders should not be excluded in recognition programs and nominations. We ensure that they are also considered as candidates for recognition.

Connect the (career) dots.

Explore ways to link recognition with career development. That means giving associates opportunities to work on interesting, noticeable projects and linking recognition with chances to learn new skills and move up in their careers. For example, if someone is recognised for their tech skills, they could perhaps lead a training session to help others out. Or if someone is recognised for their leadership skills, maybe they could step up as a mentor, a manager or in a program management role. We’ve also created the new title of “Distinguished Engineer” for someone who stands out from the crows with outstanding achievement. These opportunities not only recognise achievements but also facilitate skill development and career growth through knowledge sharing and coaching.

Celebrate across channels. 

Acknowledge achievements promptly and through diverse channels to emphasise the attributes or behaviours you're promoting. To be effective, recognition can be visible to all stakeholders. This might include public recognition at internal Town Halls, digital shout-outs, or personalised gestures such as gift cards. While public recognition can amplify positive impact and inspire others, it's important to be mindful of individual preferences to avoid causing embarrassment and undermining the intended purpose.

Enjoy the journey.

Recognition programs shouldn't feel like extra work or add to anyone's load. Instead, they're a chance to celebrate, so embrace the fun side of things. Think about adding a bit of competition with prizes or sharing successful ideas with the executive team. On occasion, we invite high-performing associates or managers to a meeting with senior leadership members (terrific game-changer in terms of exposure) to present an idea or solution that adds value to the business. Whenever it’s possible, this could include meeting in person, dinners, coffee breaks… to add to the excitement. When work feels positive and enjoyable, it boosts engagement and motivation.

Embrace the long game.

Make recognition a natural part of your daily operations, encouraging enthusiasm and excellence as standard practice. Try things out, learn as you go and remember, there's no one right way to do it. Experimentation is key to finding what works best for your team or departments. Establish feedback mechanisms to continuously improve recognition efforts and gauge satisfaction. It’s vital we don’t neglect the efforts and time spent on our superstars’ associates, they deserve it, and this investment will yield long-term value.

Employee recognition isn't just nice—it gets real results and keeps everyone on the same page. Those who make it a priority will excel in the long run. Building a great recognition program takes work, a continuous improvement journey, mixing structured plans with spontaneous gestures, and refining along the way. By celebrating wins through various channels and listening to feedback, companies of all sizes can ramp up engagement and drive better business outcomes.

Erik Palvadeau, VP Chief Information Officer, ADP EMEA & LatAm