Recognition - the very heartbeat of belonging
If you’ve ever received recognition at work, you’ll know the feeling: a little ping via Teams, a lovely message posted on a shared board and shout out in a team meeting. Maybe it made your day. Maybe you quietly held onto it, smiling politely, going back to emails. But recognition is more than a “feel-good” extra, it’s not a brief moment, forgotten about relatively quickly. Done right, it really hangs around, giving us a boost, and lasting memories. Recognition is one of the most powerful levers we have for making people feel like they truly belong, and, importantly, it can transform how people experience work across each stage of the employee lifecycle.
We’re really passionate about Recognition, but it needs to be done right for us all to reap the rewards from those sending and nominating, to the recepients and the of course the organisation itself. It’s not just a pat on the back, it’s the heartbeat of belonging! So, if you want to build engaged, thriving teams, it’s worth applying a strategy that really works for your business and the people within, then you’ll reap the rewards.
Why recognition matters more than ever
We live in a world where people crave connection and purpose with “70% of employees said their sense of purpose is defined by their work.”
Work isn’t just a salary anymore, it forms a large part of our identity – this is increasingly true when recognition is aligned with values and purpose. Recognition signals, very clearly: “We see you. We see what you stand for, and it matters to us here.” Research has found consitstently that employees who feel recognised for behaviours that reflect company values are more engaged, more likely to stay, and more likely to advocate for their company. 87% of HR leaders say Reward & Recognition has become more important over the past year - proof that recognition isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s a business essential.
We should see Recognition like a social glue our work culture – not just about a “good job,” but reinforcing who you are as an organisation, and who your employees can (and want) to be as they play their part.
From transactional to transformational
We’ve had transactional recognition for decades with the usual “Employee of the Month”, gift cards for hitting targets, or a quick ‘thank you’ that don’t speak to company values or your bigger picture mission. Don’t get us wrong, these things are nice to have - but on their own they’re transactional, whereas the shift occurs far more when recognition is far more aligned with transformational values and behaviours.
Today’s recognition needs soul, purpose and true alignment. If you look at your current Recognition scheme, does it:
- Truly reflect the values that you live by?
- Celebrate behaviours that matter, even if the results aren’t perfectly measurable?
- Make someone feel like they belong, are seen, and are valued for who they are, not just what they produce?
It’s important to reflect on this – there are many missed opportunities if you’re not aligned.
Belonging as the ultimate ROI
In truth the return on recognition isn’t just engagement scores or retention metrics (though those are nice and still a win). The real ROI is belonging, and that feels truely amazing! Belonging is what makes someone go the extra mile, not because they have to, but because they care and genuinely want to. It’s what turns a collection of employees into a community, and a company into a culture that people brag about to their mates. So, how do we drive more belonging?
Recognition does a brilliant job of driving belonging when it’s timely, authentic, and personal. That might mean a manager sending a thoughtful message after a tough week, a team publicly celebrating a small but significant act of kindness, or a company-wide callout for someone who embodies your values. It’s not about grandeur; it’s about meaning and about ensuring your Recognition strategy speaks to this meaning as the very foundation. When we look at creating new Recognition strategy it’s much more than deciding which moments to celebrate, and when. It’s about looking at the structure of an organisation, the teams, the culture, the values, and the heartbeat - the people. Then, coming up with an aligned recognition flow (and process to facilitate this) that works for the uniqueness of the organisation in a timely, authentic, and personal way.
Making recognition purposeful
So how do you make recognition truly purpose-driven?
- Link recognition to values, not just results
Recognise employees not only for what they achieve, but how they achieve it. Did someone go above and beyond to support a colleague? Did they demonstrate curiosity, courage, or collaboration? Celebrate those behaviours in action, following a recognition strategy and flow that works for your organisation and people, and that’s going to really help build purpose and belonging hugely.
- Celebrate the small wins!
Big awards are nice, but small, frequent recognition has big consequential effects on driving belonging and affiliation. Those little moments, the micro recognitions are what really helps make people feel genuinely seen day-to-day. Celebrating big moments of course matters too, but these are less frequent, and consistency is key in building and sustaining belonging.
- Consistency and timing Consistency counts for a lot, so celebrate moments in a regular rhythm ensuring they’re authentic (not a box ticker for the sake of maintaining rhythms). Timing is super important too – so have the means to mark the moment as close to when it occurred so that it’s relevant to a close moment in time and the behaviour that you’re celebrating.
- Make it personal
Not generic! Personalised recognition can reference a specific behaviour in action, or wider impacts that spotlight on someone’s contribution towards a business goal – an ESG aim or new framework around customer centricity for example. Recognition needs to feel and be relevant, so there’s that true sense of alignment with what that person brings and that ladders up to the wider business vision or mission.
- Peer to peer routes
Peer-to-peer recognition is where belonging really flourishes as people trust and relate to colleagues in ways they often don’t with leadership. Encouraging peer recognition spreads gratitude, encourages collaboration and reinforces culture. There remains relevance and power in top-down recognition in driving purpose and belonging, but this can be less frequent.
- Tie recognition to broader purpose
Link recognition to bigger things, company mission, social impact, sustainability, inclusion. When people see that their contributions reflect a higher purpose, the effect multiplies and then we can leverage that as a ripple effect for others to want to be included and recognised for these things too
- Consider AI Smart little nudges from AI can help us spot the moments that matter, reminding us to recognise contributions that align with purpose - without ever replacing the human heart behind the message. Or you could consider using sentiment analysis tools to save time on bigger recognition nomination criteria
Be human
Recognition doesn’t have to be formal or serious, when it’s authentic it’s more emotive and therefore more memorable, unexpected, and human. At the end of the day, belonging is built through human connection, and human connection thrives on authenticity, warmth, and light-hearted interactions.
Recognition works best when it’s not stiff, or corporate. The moments people remember most are usually real, personal, and unexpected. Authentic recognition carries emotion, making it stick in both our memories and in our hearts. A cheeky note, a playful shout-out on a platform, or a genuine “thank you” shows people they’re seen and valued as humans (as opposed to a job titles), and that’s how belonging grows.
Culture thrives on authenticity, warmth, and fun too. Those human connections are the glue that make recognition matter. Ultimately, it’s this that has positive ripple effects on both performance and retention as key measurables in belonging.
Studies show that employees who receive meaningful recognition are 45% less likely to leave their jobs, highlighting the significant impact of genuine appreciation on retention. Additionally, organizations that prioritize employee recognition see higher performance levels, reduced turnover, and enhanced employee loyalty, underscoring the importance of recognition in fostering a strong workplace culture.
The long game: culture and retention
Recognition isn’t a one-off exercise, it’s a longer game, and an investment in culture. Appreciating people needs to have consistency and be inked to a wider communications strategy where stories can be shared around it. If you get it right, you’ll start to see:
- Reduced turnover - employees stay where they feel valued
- Improved collaboration - when people appreciate and acknowledge one another for what they bring
- Strengthened identity - as company values are lived, and celebrated
- Driven performance - as people naturally go the extra mile when they feel seen
Great recognition is a cultural accelerant, the best programs aren’t just about mechanics or points; they’re centred around stories, relationships, and real human impacts.
In summary
So what are the key Recognition take-aways? Recognition is a lot more than a box ticker, more than a badge, pat on the back, brief moment in time. Done well, it’s a powerful tool for belonging, purpose, and human connection. The next evolution of recognition is about showing employees they belong, their work matters, their values align with the organisation’s purpose, and therefore their affiliation with the brand and what it stands for increases.
So, whether you’re a manager, a leader, or someone quietly nudging your company to be better at celebrating people, ask yourself:
- Are my recognition efforts reinforcing the culture I want?
- Are we celebrating the behaviours that matter and the people behind them?
- Are we creating moments that make people feel like they belong?
At its core, recognition isn’t just about gestures, it’s about showing people they’re seen, valued, and truly matter. Done right, recognition becomes the heartbeat of belonging. It sparks connection, reinforces values, and turns teams into communities where people genuinely want to show up.
That’s the everyday workplace magic worth the investment.
