How to plan an employee rewards program that lasts

There’s nothing quite like that sense of joy from being recognized for a job well done. Most of us get that first recognition in kindergarten with a gold star on an art project or an A on a spelling test. We take that love of being recognized with us through school and into our careers.

Recognition in the workplace has always been an essential part of a company’s culture, but recognizing employees for their outstanding work can be more difficult with the rise of hybrid and remote work environments.

An employee recognition program is one way to recognize your employees and inspire them to recognize each other. In this post, we’re going to break down what it takes to start an employee recognition program that lasts, including:

• What questions to ask before you begin your employee recognition program.

• What types of recognition to consider.

• How to design your employee recognition program.

• What you can do to make your program last.

What questions to ask before you begin your employee recognition program

Being intentional with your employee recognition program is crucial to making it successful. These are the questions you and your team need to answer before you start to look at tools and platforms.

Who owns your employee recognition program? Before you book a meeting room or set up a Zoom, define the team that will own your program from creation through day-to-day operation. Programs without ownership and accountability often fade into the background. Your program should have a dedicated team that will help define your objectives, choose the tools, and guide the program through its lifetime.

Why are you launching your program? Recognition programs support a variety of HR and culture objectives. They can improve retention, amplify your employer brand, and help build stronger bonds between employees—no matter where they work. Defining your objectives from the outset enables you to set meaningful success metrics.

Who is your program for? It’s essential to define your audience. If you’re running a peer-to-peer program, will it include leadership? Will contractors be eligible? Clarifying these points ensures that everyone knows how they can participate.

What are your employee recognition objectives?

• Retain employees: Engaged and recognized employees are more likely to stay.

• Build and scale culture: With hybrid work, culture is built through shared values and recognition—not just perks.

• Strengthen employer brand: Recognition often gets shared externally, showcasing what makes your workplace special.

What type of recognition do you want to give?

Once you know your audience and goals, it’s time to choose the type of program.

• Monetary. Used to motivate performance and reach milestones. These can include sales targets, project completions, or other KPI-based rewards.

• Swag. Branded gifts are common, but ask yourself: is it meaningful? Personalized gifts often resonate more deeply than generic swag.

• Social and peer-to-peer. These programs are a powerful way to promote connection. Platforms like Achievers, Assembly, Bonusly, and newer players like Cooleaf and Guusto offer scalable options.

Peer-to-peer programs let employees highlight the contributions their managers might miss. These daily moments of appreciation build trust and connection across teams.

5 tips to make your employee recognition program last

1. Get leadership buy-in. Your program needs champions. Leaders must participate and model the behaviour they want to see.

2. Engage employees from the start. Make it easy to participate. Set clear expectations and gather regular feedback.

3. Align with your values. Use your core values as a compass. Offer examples of recognition tied to those values to help guide behaviour.

4. Recognize frequently and authentically. Avoid over-engineering it. Encourage natural recognition of meaningful moments rather than enforcing quotas.

5. Reinforce the right behaviours. Keep an eye on trends in recognition. Use your insights to nudge the program forward and celebrate the behaviours that align with your goals.

Chocolate Soup

At Chocolate Soup, we love point-based recognition programs—but we also know they’re just one piece of a broader culture strategy.

The best recognition programs go beyond work anniversaries and project wins. Birthdays, new pets, first apartments—these life moments matter, too. When employees feel seen as whole people, the entire team becomes stronger.

Contact us today to learn how Chocolate Soup can help you build a recognition program that lasts into 2025 and beyond.