The Complete Guide to Employee Recognition and Rewards Platforms

Introduction

Employee service awards, also known as milestone or work-anniversary programs, are among the simplest and most proven ways to make employees feel seen and appreciated. 

Unlike day-to-day recognition, this type of employee recognition sits on the more formal end of the spectrum: predictable, consistent, and something employees genuinely look forward to each year. That formality gives the moment weight. It turns a basic “thank you” into a meaningful milestone.

Establishing a quality work anniversary program will lay the foundation for a larger goal: building a culture of appreciation in your workplace.

What is an employee recognition platform

An employee recognition platform is a solution to this problem. It’s a web-based application that brings structure and visibility to workplace appreciation, so organizations can give, track, and sustain meaningful appreciation at scale.

Instead of relying on inconsistent shoutouts or manager habits, the platform creates a centralized hub where employees can recognize each other, redeem rewards, celebrate milestones, and build a culture of appreciation that doesn’t get lost in the daily noise of work. For HR teams, it offers real visibility. HR teams receive participation data and engagement insights that show how appreciation is impacting morale and retention over time.

At Qarrot, we’ve helped countless companies roll out recognition programs that embed appreciation meaningfully into their culture. We’ve seen firsthand how effective recognition and rewards platforms can be when the right structure is in place.

But despite their impact, recognition platforms are still widely misunderstood. Many of the barriers we see aren’t technical at all—they stem from assumptions about what recognition software does, or what workplace appreciation should look like. So before we get into readiness or rollout, let’s clear up a few misconceptions that tend to cloud the picture.

Common Misconceptions About Employee Recognition Platforms

Even though recognition platforms have been around for years, a few sticky misconceptions still get in the way of adopting one. Most of them come from well-meaning leaders who think they understand the category, but are really picturing a 2012-era gift card portal. Let’s clear up a few of the big ones.

Recognition platforms are glorified gift card systems

Not even close. Modern employee recognition platforms are designed to shape culture, not just distribute rewards. For example, most platforms have a social media-style social feed where you can publicly see the recognition messages exchanged between peers.

The real value is in visibility, consistency, and data. It’s not just about the $25 Amazon redemption at the end. Not to mention, many platforms offer gift cards as just one option among a myriad of rewards in an extensive catalogue. So you can provide employees with things like tangible gifts, travel vouchers for “experience” based rewards, and even charitable donations.

Isn’t saying ‘thank you’ in person enough?

Of course, ad-hoc or freestyle recognition is critical. But verbal shoutouts alone don’t scale, they’re not trackable, and they tend to favor the loudest or most visible employees.

Not to mention, receiving a quick “thank you” isn’t the same as receiving a well-thought-out and meaningful written message. A platform ensures recognition reaches everyone, not just the people who happen to speak up. And the recognition message itself is thoughtful, not just a quick “thank you” on the way out the door.

Recognition will feel forced or disengenuous

Recognition feels forced when it’s generic, inconsistent, or done out of obligation. A good platform solves that by guiding people toward specific, meaningful acknowledgments tied to real contributions, not just empty praise. Recognition platforms allow managers to give tailored recognition to each employee, and not the same generic message at the end of every year.

Likewise, employees should never be forced to use the platform either. Of course, participation is encouraged, but it’s not mandatory. There is no “recognition quota” to meet. This approach makes recognition feel more authentic and meaningful because it’s coming from a genuine place.

Recognition programs are only for larger businesses and creative industries

As we will discuss in the next section, this is far from the truth. In reality, smaller and mid-sized companies see the fastest adoption and the clearest ROI. The earlier you introduce structured recognition, the more it compounds over time before cultural cracks start to form.

At the same time, many people assume recognition programs are only suited for more “glamorous” industries—think tech companies with younger, office-based teams. While that belief is common, the reality is almost the opposite. Recognition programs often have the greatest impact in industries like manufacturing, construction, and healthcare, where employees face longer hours, tougher working conditions, and higher physical and mental demands. In these environments, feeling seen and appreciated is essential, and it’s where recognition truly moves the needle.

Managers will see it as extra work

Managers already recognize people; they just do it in fragmented, forgettable ways. A platform actually saves them time by making recognition quick, easy, and part of their workflow. For example, many platforms offer features that let managers automatically reward users upon completing a task or project.

Not to mention, managers are also employees! They should receive recognition from their employees and from the leaders above them. Most recognition platforms support top-down and bottom-up recognition. So employees can give shout-outs to their leaders, too.

Clearing up these misconceptions makes it much easier to see recognition platforms for what they really are: cultural infrastructure. They help your good intentions become habits that actually stick.

Is Your Business Ready for a Recognition Platform?

You might be considering implementing a more formal recognition program in your company and wondering if it’s the right time. The SMB stage is often the ideal time to introduce a recognition program. Any company can implement one, of course, but the distinction we’re drawing is about complexity.

As organizations mature, this often comes with more layers, more stakeholders, and more cultural habits to unwind, which means even simple changes can turn into slow, political, months-long projects.

In contrast, in an SMB or even an early-stage startup, the culture is still taking shape. New initiatives land more easily, change moves faster, and people are more open to trying something new. That makes this stage a decisive moment to embed the habits and systems that will define your future culture. The program grows as the company grows, and the spirit of appreciation becomes part of the culture rather than bolted on later.

Companies in the SMB stage are ideal candidates for recognition platforms because:

• It’s easier to secure executive buy-in
• Rollout moves faster
• Training and onboarding require less time
• Employees adopt the platform more quickly
• The impact shows up almost immediately

Building a recognition program early is a lot like starting your retirement savings in your 20s. The earlier you invest, the more compounding benefits you see over time. Benefits like engagement, trust, and belonging all quietly accumulate in the background.

Wait too long, and you’re taking on cultural debt. Just like late investors scrambling to catch up, more mature companies often launch recognition programs into unsteady cultures, already strained by burnout, silos, or disengagement. Recognition can strengthen a healthy culture, but it can’t single-handedly revive a broken one.

5 signs your company is ready for a formal recognition program

Even the most well-intentioned cultures hit a point where appreciation starts slipping through the cracks. Managers get busy, recognition feels inconsistent, and the same few “visible” roles get praised while quiet performers go unnoticed. In the worse case, HR starts hearing the same feedback in employee surveys and exit interviews: “I don’t feel appreciated.”

If any of this feels familiar, it’s usually a sign that the company has outgrown informal, ad hoc appreciation-sharing methods and it’s time to introduce a more automated, structured approach to rewards and recognition.

You’ve reached the “people inflection point”

• Headcount has grown beyond the point where you personally know everyone’s contributions.
• The company is large enough that informal peer-to-peer recognition happens less naturally.
• Early cultural practices are beginning to be diluted across teams and offices.‍

‍Why this matters: Recognition programs preserve that early startup energy. It keeps the flame of the tight-knit team mentality burning.

You’re scaling faster than your internal communication

• Wins and milestones get lost in the noise of Slack, email, and meetings.
• Only the loudest or most visible achievements (or teams) get noticed.
• Leadership recognition feels inconsistent or ad hoc.‍

‍Why this matters: A platform helps institutionalize visibility, so appreciation keeps pace with growth. All teams get recognized, no matter how “glamorous” their roles are.

You’re trying to build a competitive employer brand

• Your employee experience is becoming part of your employer brand story.
• You’re trying to retain key people after a growth spurt or funding round.
• Engagement surveys or exit interviews mention feeling undervalued.

Why this matters: Recognition is one of the simplest cultural investments that directly impacts retention and employer reputation.

Your HR department is becoming more data-driven

• You’re starting to track engagement, turnover, or culture metrics.
• HR wants measurable levers beyond salary and perks.
• You’re already using HRIS tools like BambooHR.
  

Why this matters: Recognition platforms plug directly into that data ecosystem and show ROI you can actually measure.

You’re still small enough to move fast

• You can get buy-in from leadership without layers of red tape.
• Change management is manageable; employees can be onboarded in weeks, not quarters.
• You still have the agility to shape the program before scale locks in bad habits.

Why this matters: Once you cross into enterprise territory, rolling out recognition is like turning a cargo ship.

The sweet spot for implementing recognition isn’t when your culture starts to crack. When growth is stretching communication, visibility, and connection, but before those cracks harden into habits. That’s when a recognition system becomes a force multiplier, rather than a rescue mission.

What to Look for in an Employee Recognition Platform

If you’re evaluating recognition platforms right now, there’s a good chance you’re feeling uncertain about what your business actually needs.

Most HR leaders reach this stage and feel overwhelmed. It’s kind of like standing in the toothpaste aisle, staring at over twenty versions of the practically same product and wondering if you’re supposed to care about “extra whitening” or “gum protection.”

Between points systems, employee surveys, rewards catalogs, analytics dashboards, and a myriad of different features, it’s hard to know which direction to go.

Understanding the major platform categories and the key decision points helps cut through that noise. Once you have a clear sense of what matters most for your organization, the vendor landscape becomes far less overwhelming—and you’ll know exactly which questions to ask and which platforms to rule out.

What type of platform do you actually want?

Recognition platforms vary widely in their core focus. Some are “pure” recognition tools; others offer an all-in-one employee experience suite that includes pulse surveys, performance features, or engagement analytics.

Think about whether you want a Swiss-army-knife platform or a tool that stays tightly focused on recognition. Getting clear on this helps you narrow your shortlist and equips you for more productive vendor conversations.

What kind of rewards motivate your people?

Reward offerings differ significantly from provider to provider. Some platforms offer global rewards catalogs; others focus on cash-based rewards, gift cards, or no-cost social recognition only. Consider which rewards resonate with your team. Would they prefer gift cards, tangible gifts, or both? This alone can eliminate a large portion of vendors that don’t match your needs.

How important is integration and ease of use?

Look at your existing workflows and tools. Do you want recognition to live where your people already are, like Slack, Teams, or your HRIS? Or do you have a large frontline workforce that relies mostly on mobile access?

If half your staff works on a factory floor, a strong mobile app may matter far more than a Slack integration. Match the platform’s strengths to your team’s day-to-day reality.

What kind of data or reporting do you need?

Think ahead to your renewal meeting. What will leadership expect to see? Do you just need basic usage metrics, or deeper insights such as departmental participation, recognition trends, or ROI indicators? Platforms vary widely in their reporting capabilities, so clarity here will save you time and headaches later.

What level of support and partnership are you looking for?

Launching and sustaining a recognition program takes real effort, especially if you want broad adoption across all teams. Many providers offer onboarding support, best-practice playbooks, engagement strategies, and dedicated customer success managers.

Ask about the level of guidance included in the base package, and whether you’ll have a real person you can lean on, not just a help center.

How future-proof is the platform?

Finally, consider whether the platform can grow with you. Can it support international teams if you expand? Does it offer multiple languages? Can it evolve with hybrid or distributed work?

The recognition system you choose today should still feel relevant and functional two years from now, not like something you’ve outgrown.

Building a Business Case for Employee Recognition

1. Identify a clear business problem

Executives don’t invest in a piece of software; they invest in solutions that fix real and tangible issues in their business. Before discussing features or vendor shortlists, build a business case or recognition. In short, clearly define the business problem that recognition will solve.

Examples:

• Engagement/survey scores or eNPS have dropped.
• Exit interviews mention “feeling undervalued” or “lack of recognition.”
• Employee turnover is increasing, especially among high performers.
• Culture feels fragmented after hybrid or remote growth.

Use internal data or anecdotal evidence from surveys and 1:1s. Frame recognition as a solution that addresses tangible issues, not just a “nice-to-have” culture perk that looks good on paper.

2. Quantify the cost of doing nothing

Employee engagement issues, such as low productivity, low morale, and turnover, have real costs for businesses. Your business case for recognition will be solidified if you can put a dollar amount on the cost of inaction.

Examples:

• Cost of disengagement: Gallup found that an actively disengaged employee costs their organization $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary, or 34 percent. So an employee who makes $60,000 a year costs their company $20,400 a year.
• Turnover cost: Use the industry average (30–50% of annual salary) to estimate the cost of replacing just a few employees.
• Productivity loss: Unengaged employees are ~18% less productive (Gallup).

Missed employer branding opportunity: Difficulties in attracting top talent due to weaker culture signals.

This doesn’t need to be set in stone; even a rough estimate can be a powerful way to show just how steep the cost of doing nothing to address the issue is.

3. Translate recognition into business outcomes

Connect the dots between recognition and metrics leadership cares about: lower turnover, higher productivity, stronger engagement, and a stronger employer brand that attracts more talent at lower recruiting costs.

The idea here is to focus on results, not activities. It’s not about pitching a “new fun app,” but rather about tying recognition to the business outcomes that leadership cares most about.

4. Estimate a realistic budget

Arriving at this conversation with a rough estimate of the budget required to implement a recognition system is important. Be ready to show cost ranges and cost breakdowns.

• Platform cost: per-user or monthly fee
• Reward budget: e.g., $100–$200 per employee per year ‍
• Implementation costs: (if any) for setup or integrations

Pro Tip: HR experts estimate that 0.5%-1% of payroll is the ideal budget for recognition and rewards.

Use simple scenarios (“For 200 employees, total annual cost ≈ $20,000–$30,000”). It doesn’t have to be absolutely precise. Leadership just needs to get an idea of the general cost associated with the initiative.

5. Present recognition as a phased investment

Sometimes the best way to get leadership on board is to just get your foot in the door. Don’t ask for everything at once. Start small. Executives love a low-risk pilot because it shows fiscal responsibility and confidence.

For example, you can propose a pilot program:

• 3–6 months in one department or region.
• Clear success metrics (participation, engagement, retention trends).
• Plan to expand company-wide after proving ROI.

6. Anticipate common leadership objections and answer with data

When proposing a structured recognition solution to executives, common objections may arise.

Here are a few you can prepare for:

• “We already say thank you in meetings.”
  
  • Ad-hoc recognition doesn’t scale or reach everyone equally. A system ensures fairness and visibility.
• “Can we do this manually?”
  
  • Manual recognition breaks down past 50 people. It becomes difficult for managers to consistently and systematically recognize their teams, so they don’t do it, and morale suffers. A recognition tool makes it consistent, measurable, and scalable.
• “We don’t have the budget.”
  
  • Even small budgets can have a measurable impact paired with authentic appreciations.

7. End with a clear next step

Always close your presentation with a concrete proposal:

• Approve pilot for X months with Y department.
• Allocate preliminary budget of $Z
• Review results at next quarterly meeting
  

Don’t leave it vague (“We’ll explore options”). Make it easy for leadership to say yes.

Best Recognition Platforms and Technologies

Now it’s time to get into the practical details of choosing a peer-to-peer recognition platform. With so many providers in the market, it’s easy to feel lost in a sea of options.

Each provider tends to bring its own blend of features, from user-friendly interfaces and mobile access to rewards catalogs, automation tools, and advanced analytics. Understanding how these elements differ across providers makes it easier to identify what actually matters to your organization.

Understanding these differences helps you make confident, well-informed decisions that align with your organization’s culture, goals, and budget. Whether you’re supporting a growing startup or a more established company, this clarity makes it far easier to identify the tools that truly fit your business.

Qarrot

Core Features: Some of Qarrot's core features include peer-to-peer recognition with badges, recognition points, incentive campaigns, and a rewards catalog. The platform supports both manager-to-peer and peer-to-peer recognition, with a points-based rewards system. It's equipped with analytics for tracking recognition and engagement and integrates seamlessly with HRIS systems, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. 

‍Unique Aspects: Qarrot stands out for its recognition-focused approach. Unlike platforms that bundle recognition with employee surveys, performance features, or broader engagement suites, Qarrot keeps recognition at the center. Its incentive campaign feature is a notable differentiator; it enables organizations to set clear objectives and automatically reward employees when they are achieved. With Qarrot you can customize your rewards and recognition process. Administrators can tailor reward badges to reflect company values and even add custom rewards with products, services, or benefits your company wishes to offer. For example, days off and company swag are common options.

Award Co.

Core Features: Award Co’s platform core features include peer-to-peer recognition, recognition points, service awards and milestones, and incentive campaigns. As Amazon's only featured rewards and recognition partner, Awardco offers a large selection of rewards across various categories, ensuring employees have the power of choice with zero markups and free shipping.

Unique Aspects: Awardco's unique selling proposition is its status as Amazon's exclusive rewards and recognition partner, offering a vast and varied rewards catalog. This integration provides employees with a wide array of reward options, making the recognition experience more personalized and appreciated​.

Bonusly

Core Features: The Bonusly platform's core features include peer-to-peer recognition, a points-based recognition system, a rewards catalog, automated milestone awards, and incentive campaigns. 

Unique Aspects: Bonusly is primarily a recognition platform, and it stands out for its extensive catalog of digital rewards, including gift cards to popular brands, cash options, and charity donations. This flexibility ensures employees receive meaningful recognition. Its custom rewards feature also lets employers add unique rewards, creating a tailored experience for their teams. Popular custom rewards include company-branded swag, subscription services, and charitable giving options.

WorkTango

Core Features: WorkTango’s core features include peer-to-peer recognition, recognition points systems, a rewards catalog, incentives, and award nominations. It also has a surveys and insights module, so you can conduct various types of employee surveys and view results on dashboards for insights and action planning. 

Unique Aspects: WorkTango offers a more robust, holistic employee experience platform. It combines recognition and rewards, engagement surveys and insights, and goals and feedback into a single platform, offering HR professionals a suite of employee engagement tools rather than several.

Kudos

Core Features: The Kudos platform includes peer-to-peer recognition, a recognition points system, a reward catalog, awards and nominations, milestone awards, people analytics dashboards, and pulse surveys.

Unique Aspects: The Kudos platform takes a more holistic approach, incorporating employee engagement features such as pulse surveys and analytics dashboards. All these engagement tools are combined into a single platform, giving HR professionals a centralized tool to drive employee engagement and cultural efforts. 

Nectar

Core Features: The Nectar platform offers a suite of core features, including peer-to-peer recognition, service and milestone awards, and the “challenges” module. Through its Amazon Business integration, it also offers an extensive rewards catalog.

Unique Aspects: Nectar is primarily focused on employee recognition. It differentiates itself through its integration with Amazon Business and a significantly expanded rewards catalog, providing a variety of redemption options. Additionally, Nectar stands out for its ease of use, sleek design, and user-friendly interface.

Motivosity

Core Features: The Motivosity platform's core features include peer-to-peer recognition, manager development and 1:1s tools, and employee insights and surveys.

Unique Aspects: Motivosity's approach is unique from other platforms in that it doesn’t use a recognition points system. Instead, its recognition system operates with a “ThanksMatter” card. Employees earn and accumulate cash rewards on their ThanksMatter Visa card, giving them the flexibility to spend their rewards however they want! 

Guusto

Core Features: Guusto’s core features include peer-to-peer recognition, milestones, and service awards, along with a wide range of reward options, including gift cards, company swag, charity donations, and custom rewards. 

Unique Aspects: Guusto is distinct for its inclusivity and flexibility, catering not only to office employees but also to frontline workers across industries such as healthcare, retail, and hospitality. Recognition can be delivered by SMS, TV display, or even physically printed out. Printed shoutouts and rewards can be delivered in person. The recipient can use the QR code or link to redeem the reward for their merchant of choice. The platform also eliminates the need for recognition point systems, allowing rewards to be sent to anyone without requiring all employees to create accounts.

Vantage Circle

Core Features: The Vantage Circle platform includes Vantage Rewards for recognition, Vantage Pulse for employee feedback, Vantage Perks for corporate discounts, and Vantage Fit for wellness.

Unique Aspect: The platform offers an all-in-one suite for holistic employee engagement. It is one of the few recognition platforms that includes an employee wellness module called “Vantage Fit.” This module helps motivate employees with easy-to-use wellness challenges and actionable health insights.

Achievers

Core Features: The Achievers platform offers an entire suite of employee engagement features. These core modules include peer-to-peer recognition, points-based recognition, a reward catalog, employee listening tools, a connect module to facilitate “water cooler moments,” and service award programs.

Unique Features: Achievers is known for its comprehensive employee recognition software that empowers employees to live out shared core values every day. Achievers enable easy recognition through a desktop platform or mobile app, integrating with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams for convenient appreciation in the flow of work. It offers a points-based recognition system that allows employees to redeem points in a global rewards marketplace. The platform supports meaningful rewards aligned with company values, underscoring its unique ability to foster a culture of recognition.​ 

HeyTaco

Core features: HeyTaco is, first and foremost, an employee recognition tool. It integrates with work tools like Slack and allows employees to offer each other fun, unique “kindness currency” – tacos – that help build stronger connections, boost morale, and increase overall team happiness. The tool also offers a custom rewards catalog where admins can add items, such as company swag, that employees can trade for their earned Tacos. HeyTaco also offers a feedback survey module, so you can send employees quick employee surveys and gather information on employee sentiment. 

Unique Aspects: One of HeyTaco’s main differentiating factors is that, instead of a recognition points system, they use Tacos as “kindness currency.” The tool is also designed to integrate with work tools like Slack, so employees don’t have to switch platforms to exchange recognition and appreciation.

Tracking Success and ROI of Your Recognition Platform

After launching a recognition program, it’s completely normal to feel a wave of dread when it's time to demonstrate ROI. For many HR leaders, this is the part that feels the most intimidating. Not because it’s technically complex, but because it’s tedious, manual work that often lands on a very small HR team.

And yes, gathering your initial metrics takes some effort. There’s no getting around that. But once you establish your baseline, maintaining your data becomes surprisingly easy. 

Quarterly updates take only a few minutes, and you don’t need advanced analytics tools or elaborate dashboards. A simple, repeatable measurement framework is more than enough.

Focus on a few “good enough” metrics

Skip the complex KPIs. For SMBs, the most critical signals fall into three buckets:

1. Participation & Activity

• Monthly program participation rate (% of employees who participated)
• Frequency of recognition per employee
• Simple qualitative indicators (snippets of meaningful recognition)
  

2. Culture & Engagement Signals

• A 2–3 question pulse check (“I feel valued for my work,” “I feel connected to my team”)
• Anecdotes from managers around morale and team collaboration
  

3. Retention & Productivity Indicators

• Voluntary turnover (compared to your baseline)
• Absenteeism trends
• Basic productivity markers (on-time project delivery, service metrics)

Use a simple, phased measurement plan

You don’t need weekly reporting. A quarterly cadence is enough to understand trends and demonstrate ROI. And you don’t need any fancy reporting software to track basic success metrics; a simple spreadsheet is enough to get you started. 

Establish Your Baseline

• Capture pre-launch metrics: turnover, absenteeism, team sentiment
• Define the outcomes you want to influence (e.g., reduce turnover, increase cross-team collaboration)
  

1 Month Check-In

• Measure participation and activity
• Run a 2–3 question pulse survey
• Confirm employees understand how to use the program
  

3 Month Check-In

• Compare usage to month one
• Gather qualitative stories from employees or managers
• Identify areas where you need to re-energize the program
  

6 Month ROI Snapshot

• Compare turnover and absenteeism to your baseline
• Summarize participation trends (steady, rising, or dipping)
• Highlight results from pulse checks (e.g., +12% lift in “I feel valued”)
• Include one or two concrete impact stories
  

Every 3 Months - Ongoing

• Review the same metrics
• Adjust or refresh the program based on trends
• Share wins and usage highlights with leadership

Pull it all into a one-page leadership update

Your executives don’t need a 12-page deck. A simple slide or one-page summary is enough for them to get a snapshot of the success of your program:

• 3–4 key metrics
• One chart (participation or sentiment trend)
• A short employee or manager quote
• A recommendation for what you’ll do next quarter
  

This keeps the program visible internally and reinforces the ROI story over time.

Managing leadership expectations

Executives are hungry for results. In an ideal world, they’d want to see immediate improvements in morale, productivity, or even turnover within the first few weeks of launching a program. But recognition doesn’t work like a light switch. It’s a long game.

In reality, it’s completely normal not to see dramatic shifts in the first month or even the first quarter. That doesn’t mean the program isn’t working. 

In our experience at Qarrot, recognition itself has an immediate impact; employees feel seen, valued, and appreciated as soon as the program is rolled out. But translating those emotional shifts into measurable business outcomes takes time, consistency, and repetition.

The key is making sure leadership understands this trajectory upfront. By setting this expectation early, you prevent the program from being judged too quickly and you give yourself room to build the habits and consistency required for true, lasting impact.

Common Challenges with Employee Recognition Programs

Launching a recognition program is exciting, but it rarely unfolds without a few bumps along the way. Any new initiative takes time to take root, and it’s normal to run into predictable obstacles during the rollout.

Most organizations encounter similar challenges as they get started. The good news is that these issues are both common and entirely manageable once you know what to look out for. Your recognition program is not doomed to fall flat. With the proper preparation and support, each one becomes much easier to anticipate, navigate, and overcome.

Lack of participation or enthusiasm

Participation is one of the most common concerns when launching a recognition program. You’re investing real time and budget into this initiative, so it can feel discouraging when early engagement is slower than expected. Employees don’t always share the same level of excitement right away, and it often takes a bit of momentum before the program becomes part of everyday culture.

The good news: a few simple strategies can dramatically increase participation and help the program gain traction.

Create a strong internal promotion‍

Building buzz is essential. This is where the HR role shifts into marketer mode. People rarely internalize something after a single announcement, so repetition is your friend. Plan a short, intentional rollout campaign across multiple channels: email, manager meetings, team standups, intranet posts, or in-person announcements. The more touchpoints, the faster the program sticks.

Ensure senior leadership stands behind it‍

Rewards and recognition programs are more successful when employees see that the company's senior leadership, including executives, supports them. This encourages employees to get involved and participate. 

Leadership doesn’t need to run the program, but their visible participation—sending recognition, referencing the program in meetings, or simply expressing enthusiasm—signals that this initiative matters.

Training and empowering managers

‍Managers set the tone for the company and employees; if managers don't initiate recognition, neither will employees. So, it's critical to get their buy-in and properly train and educate them on the program's components. When management stands behind your program, you'll have the best chances of widespread adoption and long-term success.

Ensuring fairness and avoiding biases

A common worry when launching a recognition program is that employees will get jealous of each other's recognition or feel it’s unfair.

In practice, this type of “backfiring” is far less common than people expect. When recognition is earned, specific, and sincerely delivered, most employees don’t resent it. They understand the effort that goes into it and often cheer their peers on. Fairness issues tend to surface only when recognition feels generic, inconsistent, or disconnected from real work.

In other words, here are a few ways to ensure fairness and avoid bias in recognition-giving.

• Train managers on what deserves recognition: Clear guidance helps ensure everyone gets opportunities to be acknowledged, not just the most vocal or visible employees.
• Encourage personalized messages: Specific examples and details make recognition feel meaningful and grounded in real contributions, which reduces perceptions of favoritism.
• Empower peers to recognize each other: When everyone can participate, recognition becomes more democratic and less dependent on a single person’s perspective.

If jealousy or tension does appear, it usually signals a deeper cultural issue that predated the program. In those situations, recognition isn’t causing new problems; it’s simply revealing patterns that may need attention.

Sustaining program momentum

Even the most successful recognition programs eventually experience a dip in enthusiasm. Initial excitement naturally fades; that’s human behavior, not a sign the program is failing. A slowdown in participation is normal. With a few simple adjustments, it’s easy to bring the energy back.

These strategies help keep recognition fresh for both long-time employees and new hires:

Monitor participation‍

First, make sure you’re monitoring program participation. If you use a recognition tool like Qarrot, these analytics features are integrated into the platform. This way, you’ll always have your finger on the pulse of program involvement.

Give a refresher‍

When new employees or managers join, they may hear about the program once and then never see it modeled in practice. Brief refresher sessions during onboarding or quarterly manager meetings help reinforce expectations and keep recognition visible.

Take steps to embed appreciation deeper into your work culture

If recognition becomes part of the company’s broader cultural fabric, it won’t depend solely on novelty or initial excitement. Consider incorporating appreciation into your core values, and ensure that leaders consistently model it. Make recognition visible across the organization, for example, in company-wide meetings, on internal channels, on your website, or even in physical office spaces.

When employees see that recognition reflects who the company is, not just a standalone initiative, they’re far more likely to build lasting habits around it.

Is Your Organization Ready for Formal Recognition?

It’s natural to have concerns before committing to a formal recognition program.

Will employees even use it? Will leadership see the value? Will it be manageable to run? These are all common concerns—and they tend to fade quickly once the program is in motion.

You’ll see how quickly (and positively) employees respond when their work is acknowledged, and how much easier it becomes for managers to give recognition when they have the right tools and space to do it. As activity builds, leadership also becomes more confident, especially when they see early feedback and a clear plan for tracking impact over time.

If your company is reaching the point where culture, connection, and retention matter more than ever, a recognition program can be a highly effective lever. And if you’re already researching platforms, outlining goals, and thinking through your rollout, you’re likely more ready than you realize.