Awardco, the employee recognition platform trusted by 3,000+ organizations worldwide, today announced the launch of its Return on Recognition™ campaign. This initiative is designed to spotlight the measurable impact of recognition on culture, performance, and loyalty, and showcase the best practices of setting up a truly effective recognition strategy.
Employee engagement is at a 10-year low, and last year alone cost the global economy more than $438 billion dollars. Burnout is up, productivity is down, and turnover remains a constant challenge. While some companies respond with perks or mandates, Awardco is urging a different approach built on recognition, delivered with purpose, and tied to real results.
“Recognition isn’t a bonus—it’s a business strategy,” said Steve Sonnenberg, CEO and co-founder of Awardco. “We’re helping organizations reframe how they see recognition: not as a feel-good gesture, but as a measurable investment in employee performance, engagement, and retention.”
The true ROI of recognition
The Return on Recognition campaign introduces a powerful idea: recognition isn’t soft, it’s scalable, strategic, and essential in today’s workplace. Companies that embed recognition into daily workflows and tie it to core values unlock cultures that thrive and organizations that deliver on bottom-line results.
Neuroscience shows that recognition fuels motivation by satisfying deep needs for belonging and purpose. And the data supports the shift:
- 79% of employees say lack of recognition is a key reason for leaving a job (Gallup)
- Employees are 2x more likely to be highly engaged when they’re recognized regularly
- Recognition programs can reduce turnover by up to 31% and boost productivity by 27% (SHRM)
Recognition without limits
Beyond metrics, Awardco emphasizes accessibility for recognition to see true results. More than 80% of the global workforce is deskless. Yet most recognition programs are built for the office. Awardco’s tools like mobile-friendly interfaces, offline recognition options, and scalable rewards, ensure that recognition reaches every employee, in every location, no matter how they work.
More than a message
The Return on Recognition campaign isn’t just a simple message, it’s the beginning of a movement in the industry.
This summer, Awardco will release impactful white papers, host webinars with industry leaders, and share customer stories that show how recognition drives ROI across industries, use cases, and company sizes. The campaign will culminate with Awardco’s RCGNZ Summit this October in Park City, Utah, the premier event for employee rewards and recognition.
Why now?
As organizations are asked to do more with less, recognition is no longer optional. It’s one of the smartest investments a business can make. Awardco’s platform is uniquely built to power that investment and supports recognition for everyone, in every industry, with measurable outcomes that matter.
Recognition that’s frequent, personalized, and inclusive isn’t just nice to have—it’s how modern work works.
Get involved
Explore the full campaign and start your Return on Recognition journey.
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