Practice knowledge base
Recognition Programs (Kudos)
Recognition programs help you regularly notice employee contributions and make appreciation visible to the team or the entire organization.
Documentation sections
What it is
This is an organizational practice in which employees and managers publicly or semi-publicly thank each other for specific contributions. It usually works through a kudos channel, a recognition board, a regular segment in an all-hands meeting, or an internal tool. The practice addresses the problem of work going unnoticed, especially when helping colleagues, mentoring, and contributing to team results are not visible in formal metrics.
When it helps
- Employees say their efforts are noticed only when there are mistakes or major releases.
- Helping colleagues and contributing to shared tasks is rarely reflected in performance evaluation.
- There are few occasions for appreciation across departments and roles.
- Managers recognize contributions irregularly and inconsistently.
- After an intense period, it is important to acknowledge specific contributions, not just the final result.
How to start
- 1 Choose one simple format: a kudos channel, a segment in an all-hands meeting, or an appreciation form in an existing tool.
- 2 Set clear rules: the appreciation should name the person, the specific action, and the work result for the team or client.
- 3 Assign an owner who reminds people about the format once a week and makes sure recognition does not turn into a formality.
- 4 Ask managers to share a few examples of recognition first, focused on help, initiative, and reliably following through on commitments.
- 5 After a month, review which types of contributions still go unnoticed and add them to the examples for participants.
Expected effect
The team gets more specific signals about which contributions are valued at work. It becomes easier for managers to notice not only visible achievements, but also help, reliability, and initiative that support the overall result.
Common pitfalls
- Appreciation is too general: it does not mention the action, the contribution, or the result for the team.
- Only the most visible roles receive recognition, while support work remains invisible.
- The format is used as a competition for scores, which makes appreciation look insincere.
- Managers delegate the practice to HR and do not lead by example themselves.
- A public format is imposed on everyone, even though some employees are more comfortable with semi-public or private recognition.
Further reading
- Book: Gary Chapman, Paul White, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
- Research: Gallup, materials on employee recognition and its connection to the work experience
- Book: Daniel H. Pink, Drive
FAQ
Who should own the recognition program?
The format is usually supported by HR or the People team, but managers set the tone in practice. If managers themselves do not thank people for specific contributions, employees quickly read the practice as a formality.
Do you need to launch a separate platform right away?
No. To get started, a channel, a form, or a short segment in a regular meeting is enough. A separate tool makes sense once the rules, owners, and frequency of use are clear.
How can you tell whether the practice is working?
Do not look only at the number of thank-yous. What matters is whether they have become more specific, whether they cover different roles, and whether they recognize contributions that previously stayed behind the scenes.
What should you do if employees feel awkward about thanking others publicly?
Start with a semi-public format within the team or with examples from managers. Do not force people to speak publicly if that gets in the way of sincerity.