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If you lead a team or manage a business like ours here at Berry Insurance you know this: good work doesn’t always speak for itself. Recognition must be built into your culture. When employees feel seen, appreciated, and connected to the organization’s success, they’re more engaged, productive, and likely to stick around.
If you also value the importance of recognition but need a little inspiration, keep reading to learn about several ways you can recognize employees, showing what each method looks like in practice and why it matters.
Table of contents:
Verbal praise
Sometimes the simplest thing is the most powerful. A genuine “thank you” or “nice work” delivered in the moment can make a big difference.
Did an employee meet a goal, reach a milestone, go above and beyond, or experience a personal success? Providing verbal recognition is a timely and personal way to recognize their success. It reinforces efforts you want to see and strengthens the connection between individual actions and the company’s mission.
This can be done in a team huddle, a 1:1 meeting or performance review, on the spot after a specific accomplishment, or really at any time!
It’s not about a rehearsed script – make it specific, make it personal, and make it timely.
Written praise
For a more tangible special touch, you can consider offering praise through writing, whether it be a card, email, or Teams/Slack message.
Written recognition has the extra bonus of having a digital/physical footprint. It can be quoted, forwarded, or saved, and it builds a visible culture of appreciation.
Another advantage of written recognition is that it encourages specificity. When you take the time to write something down, you’re more likely to explain exactly what the employee did and why it mattered.
That level of detail makes the recognition more meaningful. Instead of a quick “great job,” the employee sees the real impact of their work: how it helped a client, supported a teammate, or moved the business forward.
Bonuses or awards
Sometimes recognition needs to carry a little extra weight. A small bonus or formal award can show that you don’t just say thank you, you invest in your people.
Financial or symbolic rewards elevate the act of recognition, showing that outstanding performance has real value in your organization.
Gifts
While it is by no means required to shower your employees with gifts, sometimes a specially-selected gift can make all the difference in making someone feel special and appreciated.
Unlike a bonus, which feels transactional, a gift can feel intentional. It really shows that you pay attention to your employees’ interests, hobbies, needs, and preferences. And that kind of recognition builds a connection that lasts longer than the gift itself.
Just ask our owner Kaitlyn - this is her favorite way of showing recognition.
Experiential recognition
Not all recognition needs to come in the form of words or money. Sometimes the most meaningful way to show appreciation is by creating a memorable experience. Experiential recognition gives employees something they can enjoy, remember, and associate with their success.
This could include an extra day off, an employee lunch, event tickets and more.
Experiential recognition creates shared memories and positive associations with achievement. It breaks up routine, prevents burnout, and reminds employees that their work is seen and celebrated in meaningful ways.
Peer recognition
Recognition shouldn’t only come from leadership. Some of the most meaningful appreciation comes from the people working alongside you every day.
This type of recognition can be through an internal recognition channel through Teams or Slack, where team members can publicly thank or commend each other, quarterly or annual awards where employees nominate coworkers who exemplify company values, or simply through shout outs during team meetings.
Here at Berry Insurance, we use a peer to peer recognition software called Bucketlist, where employees can send one another points to celebrate their achievements. Those points can then be redeemed for rewards like gift cards, experiences, or charitable donations. It creates an easy, consistent way for teammates to recognize everyday wins.
Make recognition part of your culture
Employee recognition doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive to be effective. Often, the most meaningful recognition comes from simply paying attention and taking the time to acknowledge someone’s effort.
No single method works for every situation – some moments call for a quick word of praise, while others deserve a more formal reward or celebration. Sometimes the situation may call for a mix of approaches!
Either way, whether it’s a quick “thank you” in a meeting, a thoughtful note, a small gift, or a team-wide celebration, the goal is the same: to make employees feel that their work matters and that their contributions are noticed.