La reconnaissance façonne la perception que les gens ont de leur travail, de leur équipe et de leur avenir au sein d'une organisation. Elle renforce l'engagement, favorise la rétention, améliore le bien-être et aide les employés à se sentir à leur place.

C'est le message clé d'un récent webinaire d'Awardco mettant en vedette Christi Gilhoi du Centre d'excellence d'Awardco. S'appuyant sur des recherches menées auprès de plus de 2 000 employés aux États-Unis et au Royaume-Uni, la séance a exploré une question pratique pour les leaders en RH : quel type de reconnaissance favorise réellement l'engagement?

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Pourquoi la reconnaissance est importante

Lorsque les employés se sentent reconnus de manière significative, l'impact se fait sentir sur des résultats clés :

• Engagement : la reconnaissance peut accroître l'engagement de 31 %
• Intention de rester : la reconnaissance peut améliorer l'intention de rester de 16 %
• Inclusion : la reconnaissance peut améliorer le sentiment d'appartenance et d'authenticité de 27 %
• Bien-être : la reconnaissance peut améliorer le bien-être de 30 %

L'effet ne se limite pas à un seul type d'employé ou à un seul secteur. Christi a souligné des résultats constants dans tous les secteurs, rôles, niveaux et groupes d'âge. Cela est important pour les organisations qui cherchent à bâtir une culture à grande échelle, surtout dans des environnements distribués ou de première ligne.

La reconnaissance fonctionne parce que la motivation n'est pas unidimensionnelle

L'un des thèmes les plus marquants du webinaire était que la motivation est à la fois intrinsèque et extrinsèque.

Les employés veulent accomplir un travail significatif. Ils recherchent l'autonomie, le sens et la fierté dans ce qu'ils font. Ils réagissent également aux commentaires, à la visibilité, à l'appréciation et aux récompenses.

La reconnaissance fait le pont entre les deux. Elle renforce la satisfaction interne liée à l'accomplissement d'un bon travail tout en offrant aux employés une confirmation externe que leurs efforts comptent.

C'est particulièrement important dans les rôles répétitifs, exigeants ou faciles à négliger. Toutes les tâches ne sont pas passionnantes. La reconnaissance aide les employés à rester connectés à la valeur de leur contribution, même lorsque le travail est routinier.

La reconnaissance non monétaire doit primer

De nombreuses organisations supposent que les récompenses sont le principal moteur de la reconnaissance, mais la recherche a nuancé cette idée.

Lorsque chaque remerciement est lié à une somme d'argent, la reconnaissance peut commencer à sembler transactionnelle. Avec le temps, cela peut affaiblir le comportement qu'une organisation tente d'encourager.

La reconnaissance non monétaire a souvent plus de poids. Les employés se souviennent davantage d'un mot attentionné de la part d'un gestionnaire, d'une appréciation publique pour un travail bien fait ou d'une célébration d'étape importante qui les a fait se sentir valorisés.

Cela ne signifie pas que la reconnaissance monétaire n'a pas sa place. Elle peut ajouter de l'importance à des moments clés, des jalons et des réalisations. Mais les programmes les plus efficaces bâtissent d'abord une base d'appréciation authentique et spécifique.

La manière dont la reconnaissance est transmise est importante

La recherche du Centre d'excellence a révélé que le mode de reconnaissance explique une part significative de l'évolution de l'engagement. Certains formats ont systématiquement obtenu de meilleurs résultats que d'autres.

The strongest options included manager emails, company awards, and one-on-one recognition. These approaches had the clearest positive connection to engagement.

One of the most useful takeaways was what didn’t impact engagement—a quick message in Slack or Teams, on its own, showed no measurable impact. That does not make those tools useless, but it does mean they should support a broader recognition strategy, not replace one.

For HR teams, the lesson is that convenience is not the same as impact.

Frequency matters even more

If mode tells you how recognition lands, frequency tells you whether it lands often enough to matter.

According to the research, frequency had an even greater effect than mode. More recognition led to better outcomes across engagement, inclusion, retention, and wellbeing.

There was also a practical takeaway for managers. Recognition loses power when too much time passes between moments of appreciation.

Manager recognition showed a clear decline in impact when employees had not received it within the last three months. Senior leader recognition had a longer shelf life, but still dropped off sharply when it happened less than once a year.

That means recognition cannot be seasonal or occasional. It needs rhythm.

Manager and senior leader recognition have different roles

Not all recognition has the same impact depending on who delivers it.

Recognition from senior leaders showed the strongest overall effect on engagement. Recognition from managers also mattered, though at a lower level. Peer recognition played a different role. On its own, it did not strongly affect engagement or intent to stay, but it did support wellbeing.

This gives HR leaders a more practical way to design programs.

If the goal is stronger engagement and retention, senior leader and manager touchpoints need to be built into the system. If the goal is supporting employee wellbeing and reducing burnout, peer recognition deserves more attention.

Different sources of recognition lead to different outcomes, and each has their own place.

Everyone needs recognition, not just top performers

One of the most valuable points shared in the webinar was also one of the simplest: recognition should not be reserved for a small group of standouts.

High performers deserve recognition, but so do the consistent contributors, the quiet problem-solvers, and the employees who remove friction behind the scenes. These are often the people holding teams together without drawing attention to themselves.

When leaders only celebrate the obvious wins, they miss an opportunity to shape behavior across the broader workforce. Recognition helps define what success looks like. It shows employees what the organization values, not just who gets the spotlight.

That makes recognition a culture tool, not just a reward tool.

Rewards still matter, but not in the way many companies expect

Christi also shared what kinds of rewards employees prefer and which options actually correlate with stronger outcomes.

Gift cards were the most commonly requested option, but they did not produce the strongest results. In fact, they showed a slight negative relationship with engagement.

The highest-impact options were more personal and focused on building culture. Company-branded items performed best, followed by team experiences and more curated rewards.

That finding is useful for HR leaders trying to balance employee preference with program effectiveness. What employees ask for in the moment is not always what creates the strongest connection over time.

A strong rewards strategy should support pride, connection, and shared experience, not just convenience.

Recognition is especially important for remote and frontline employees

Remote employees can be overlooked when visibility is limited. Frontline and deskless workers can miss out when communication depends on company email or office-based systems. In both cases, recognition can help employees feel connected to the larger organization.

That takes intentional design. Managers need tools that work in the flow of work, and leaders need ways to recognize employees they may not see every day. Programs need to reach employees regardless of location, device access, or job type because appreciation shouldn’t depend on proximity.

What HR leaders should do next

The strongest recognition strategies that actually drive engagement are not complicated, but they are intentional. Here are the strategies you need to build intentional recognition strategies that move the engagement needle.

Build manager accountability

Managers should be trained to recognize employees well and often. Recognition should be treated like a core leadership behavior, not a soft skill, and optional extra, or something managers should learn how to do on their own.

Create a consistent cadence

Recognition should happen often enough to stay meaningful. Weekly or monthly touchpoints are far more effective than waiting for annual moments.

Use multiple forms of recognition

One-on-one appreciation, company awards, leader recognition, and peer support all play different roles. The best programs combine these methods in a seamless way that empowers recognition from any party at any time.

Prioritize meaning over transaction

Rewards can add value, but they should not replace thoughtful appreciation. Specific, personal recognition is what makes employees feel seen. Organizations should save their budget to emphasize impactful or important recognition milestones.

Design for every employee

Recognition should work for remote, frontline, deskless, and in-office teams alike. Equity matters as much as frequency.

Recognition is a business strategy

Christi ended the webinar on a simple truth: People want to know how they are doing. They want to know their work matters.

That need doesn’t disappear with job title, age, or experience.

For HR leaders, that makes recognition more than a nice gesture. It is a practical way to strengthen culture, improve employee outcomes, and create a better workplace at every level.

For more research from Awardco’s COE, check out our State of Recognition 2026 report.

See how Awardco can help you build an intentional recognition strategy that reaches each employee and drives real results.