The State of Recognition

Employee recognition has been around for centuries, with examples dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans who rewarded their soldiers for their bravery in battle. In the United Stated and for nearly a century employee recognition was mainly comprised of service awards and “Employee of the Month” committees because real-time and performance-based recognition was not possible en masse. It evolved as women entered into the workplace post World War II. Around the turn of the millennium new software-based platforms allowed for streamlined recognition capabilities that optimized the workflow. The shift to technology was on including the move from on premise to cloud. Today, employee recognition has become an integral part of many companies’ cultures, with programs that are designed to boost engagement, motivation, and retention. These programs can take many forms, from traditional awards and incentives to more modern approaches such as gamification and social recognition platforms. However, over the last 25 years, these platforms have changed only incrementally and at a disappointingly slow rate. Join us and witness what the future of this category looks like. As trends in personalization, culture, technology and well-being evolve, so will recognition. Major innovations based on new technological advancements and different ways of thinking about what success looks like for your organization’s employee recognition strategy. How will the future of employee recognition be driven by creating a positive employee experience, engaging employees, and fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation.