Why Some Employee Recognition Works (and some doesn’t)
What pops to mind when we say employee recognition?
Maybe you started thinking about your 5, 10, 15 year service awards or perhaps you are picturing an Employee of the Month poster on the lunchroom wall. Your company may even have ways to recognize your team members throughout the year like thank you notes or team luncheons.
While most organizations want to recognize employees, you may be wondering why the feedback you’re still getting on employee engagement surveys is showing:
“I don’t feel valued.”
“I don’t see myself working here long-term.”
“I don’t see how my work contributes to the larger organizational goals.”
That disconnect usually isn’t about effort — it’s about how recognition is delivered. When recognition feels off, it can come across as awkward, forced, or even demotivating. Let’s talk about why some types of recognition works and why some seem to flop.
TL;DR
Most organizations do employee recognition — but many employees still don’t feel valued. Recognition isn’t broken — how we do it is. When appreciation feels generic, delayed, or disconnected from real effort, employees don’t feel valued. Recognition is more meaningful when it’s specific, timely, personal, and proportional. It’s not about doing more — it’s about doing it better.
Why Recognition Doesn’t Always Work
1. It Feels Inauthentic or Not Personalized
Generic recognition like “Great job, team!” or mass emails thanking everyone at the same time often fail to resonate. Employees can usually tell when recognition is formality rather than a genuine acknowledgment of their individual contribution.
When recognition isn’t personal, it doesn’t feel meaningful — even if the intention is good.
Example:
An employee stays late multiple evenings to support a challenging project in order to meet the rollout deadline. At the end of the month, they receive the same generic thank-you message as everyone else. The effort they put in feels invisible.
2. It Isn’t Consistent
Inconsistent recognition on a team can create confusion and resentment. When some teams or individuals are regularly acknowledged and others rarely are, employees start questioning what actually gets noticed.
Consistency doesn’t mean recognizing everyone the same way — it means applying the same intentionality across the organization.
3. It Doesn’t Align with Personal or Company Values
Recognition is most effective when it reinforces what the organization truly values. If employees are recognized for behaviours that contradict stated values, trust quickly goes away. This can hit extra hard when you hire employees who share the same values as your company (which should be all of them!).
Example:
A company promotes collaboration as a core value, but recognition consistently rewards individual results achieved at the expense of team dynamics. The message becomes unclear — and credibility is lost.
4. It Isn’t Timely
Delayed recognition often loses its impact. When weeks or months pass, the connection between the behaviour and the acknowledgment weakens.
Timely recognition shows employees that their efforts are noticed in real time, not only during annual reviews or formal service award celebrations.
5. It Doesn’t Match the Contribution
One of the fastest ways to undermine recognition is when the reward doesn’t match the effort. Making sure how you recognize your employee matches the contribution they are making demonstrates that you understand, respect, and appreciate the effort instead of minimizing it.
Example:
If someone puts in 10 hours of overtime and receives a $10 gift card in return, the recognition can feel dismissive rather than appreciative. The issue isn’t the dollar amount — it’s the mismatch between impact and acknowledgment.
The good news? Small shifts in approach can dramatically improve how recognition is received.
1. Be Specific
Effective recognition clearly explains what the employee did and why it mattered. Specificity reinforces desired behaviours and makes appreciation feel earned.
Instead of:
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Try:
“Thank you for how you handled that client escalation — your preparation and calm communication protected the relationship and the team.”
2. Do It Right Away
Recognition doesn’t need to be formal or perfectly worded. A timely acknowledgment — even a quick message or conversation — often has more impact than something delayed but polished.
3. Personalize It to the Individual
Some employees value public recognition; others prefer a private thank-you or meaningful note. Taking the time to understand preferences shows respect and builds trust.
A simple question like “How do you like to be recognized?” can go a long way.
4. Match the Recognition to the Effort
Recognition should feel proportional to the contribution. That doesn’t always mean money — but it does mean thoughtfulness.
Example: A major business win may open up more professional development opportunities, or a meaningful bonus, while day-to-day contributions may be best recognized through timely verbal appreciation.
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