This episode, Stephen Shao and Taylor Hilton, Client Strategists at O.C. Tanner, share how your organization can engage leaders in your employee recognition practices—now and in the long term.

Takeaways:

1. Communicate the "why" to help leaders view recognition as a core leadership habit that builds trust rather than just another platform to use.
2. Highlight success by identifying leaders who model these behaviors and celebrating them in high-visibility channels like town halls or newsletters.
3. Embed recognition into the daily flow of work by integrating tools into systems like Outlook and Slack to make the process seamless for busy managers.

The Culture by Design podcast is created by O.C. Tanner, the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition.

If you want your organization to become a place where people can’t wait to come to work in the morning, go to octanner.com.

This episode, Daniel Patterson and Dr. Cristen Dalessandro from the O.C. Tanner Institute share the top findings from the latest State of Employee Recognition report.

Many organizations right now are focused on automation and productivity above all else. But, for employees to feel willing to invest their time, efforts, and ideas in your organization, they need to feel your organization is willing to invest in them too.

When it comes to all the ways your organization can signal to your people that you are committed to their growth and development, recognition is a game changer. Employee recognition, when done well, amplifies interpersonal connections that have a profound impact not just on how employees feel at work, but how they work at work.

Takeaways:

1. Social ties determine ROI. If you want to increase employee performance and see production and innovation accelerate, then you must invest in integrated recognition that builds powerful workplace relationships.
2. Peer-to-peer recognition is a team-building strategy. Recognition from leaders to employees has a big impact on things like performance and engagement, but encouraging peer-to-peer recognition practices can also help increase connection, build trust on teams, and ultimately unite your teams to reach important goals.
3. Elevate your employee recognition program with Recognition Champions. Whether you have a new program that you’re trying to get off the ground or a long-running program that you need to energize, employees that embrace, encourage, and champion recognition are one of your greatest assets when it comes to making recognition a part of your company’s way of life.

The Culture by Design podcast is created by O.C. Tanner, the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition.

If you want your organization to become a place where people can’t wait to come to work in the morning, go to octanner.com.

This episode, we're talking with Becca Schweitzer, Client Strategist at O.C. Tanner, about the top three things you should keep in mind when planning for your next company-wide recognition event like Employee Appreciation Day.

Becca partners with our clients to plan successful, meaningful recognition events throughout the year. She also has on-the-ground experience working in HR for a healthcare organization as an employee engagement coordinator, planning (and cleaning up after) these important appreciation moments.

Stick around for the end of the episode where we talk about ideas you can implement at your own workplace.

Takeaways:

1. Start your planning with feedback and lessons learned from previous events. What went well? What was difficult for your HR team? What resonated with employees? This will help you craft your event plan: dates, times, communications, gifts, and experiences.
2. Involve leaders early in the planning process to deliver meaningful, inclusive recognition moments. Your leaders know your people best, and they will be key in delivering this recognition experience—especially for offline or remote teammates.
3. Maximize impact beyond the event. Use this time to showcase your recognition tools, teach your people when and how to use them, and encourage behaviors by rewarding employees who use recognition tools the most.

The Culture by Design podcast is created by O.C. Tanner, the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition.

If you want your organization to become a place where people can’t wait to come to work in the morning, go to octanner.com.