One month later, when we received the High Flyer, it was such a nice feeling—a true appreciation of our work. It felt good to be recognized.

People are busy. It's hard. We have our highest volumes we've ever had with patients. But when people take the time to celebrate one another, then we can really see that hope and that goodness beyond that. And so I really think that why we're successful is because our team cares about one another, and they take the time to recognize one another.

Since joining, I’ve found myKudos [Awardco] posts to be a great way to learn what others are doing across the agency. I’ve even picked up ideas from shoutouts that I’ve been able to implement on my own accounts. It’s more than recognition—it’s a source of inspiration.

The High Flyer program has created a culture where contributions—big or small—are celebrated. Everyone feels seen and valued, reinforcing our belief that success is a shared journey and that we grow together.

It's really a cultural shift that has been positive for us.

What we found most that sold us on Awardco over everyone else, not only was the platform very easy to use, but that partnership with Amazon is phenomenal.

There are so many [reward] options, and everyone is already used to Amazon and knows what they can get. In the past, we had a catalog of items, and it didn't feel like it would fit with our new demographic.

We recently pulled an in-platform report to check on usage, and then we reached out to people individually to improve adoption—especially managers. Since then, engagement has been significantly higher, and our culture of recognition is growing—even our executives are recognizing.

Anybody who is partaking in this program actually gets noticed and is brought to our attention...and I think that's wonderful.

Working with Awardco’s Center of Excellence was an incredibly valuable part of shaping our recognition strategy. Katie brought a depth of real-world, enterprise experience that helped us think more holistically about what we were building and how it would scale over time. She guided us through key considerations, from award values and program structure to governance and budget, in a way that felt both practical and aligned with our organizational goals. What stood out most was her ability to help us strike the right balance between meaningful guidelines and employee autonomy. We wanted to create a program that maintained consistency and oversight, while still empowering employees to recognize one another in ways that feel genuine and personal. Katie provided thoughtful, practical recommendations that made that balance feel achievable. As a result, we're starting with a high level of confidence in the recognition strategy we’re building at Pennrose.

After implementing Awardco we saw a huge influx [of recognitions]… we were riding a tidal wave. Now it’s at a sustainable level, but still significantly higher than before.

From a business perspective, we use Awardco data to publicly highlight our people across internal platforms and LinkedIn. Most importantly, we accept nominations year-round for our big State of the Companies meeting, ensuring no standout moment goes unnoticed.

I'd like for others to look at Hertz and say ‘they're doing something right’. They're listening to employees, taking that feedback and continuing to build upon their recognition programs. Just to let them know that it is part of our culture and it's not just a platform.

As I’ve transitioned contractors into full-time roles, I’ve used myKudos [Awardco] as an incentive to help them engage with PMG’s culture. It may take time to fully understand all the offerings, but seeing kudos in action helps new team members recognize the value of the platform.

It feels very good to get recognized. You put in so much hard work, and when someone acknowledges it, you feel appreciated and valued. I think that’s the key.