Thanks for your message!
We will reach back to you as soon as possible.
Employees in industries such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and hospitality rarely, if ever, work at a desk or in front of a computer. This makes it very difficult for traditional recognition solutions to reach them in any meaningful capacity.
Even now, most modern recognition tools are specifically digital, requiring computer access to login, get communications, and participate. So when 80% of the workforce doesn’t work on a computer, 80% of employees feel underappreciated and overlooked.
This is a huge problem because recognition:
- Boosts engagement by 40%
- Increases productivity by 22%
- Lowers turnover lowers turnover by 31%
- Increases intent to stay by 3x
Through these impacts, recognition has the capacity to save organizations millions of dollars in saved turnover costs, boosted productivity, and more.
How can organizational leaders solve the intrinsic challenges of recognizing, rewarding, and including employees who don’t work in the typical office environment?
Take a look at some common challenges leaders face when trying to recognize offline and deskless employees, along with solutions that Awardco offers.
Challenge #1: Recognizing offline employee in a genuine, time-sensitive way
Whether in healthcare, manufacturing, or hospitality, employees stay busy all day. It’s hard to find time to offer genuine, meaningful appreciation in a way that’s cognizant of HR’s time, too.
Solution #1: Hand out physical AwardCodes™
AwardCodes are fully customizable cards, similar to business cards, that can be handed out on-the-spot to any employee. This quick, high-impact type of appreciation is perfect for busy, on-the-go employees in hectic workplaces.
These cards can include custom branding, a customized message, or space to handwrite your own message, making them much more personal than a cookie-cutter gift card.
AwardCodes can also include points to spend on the Awardco platform, allowing employees to simply scan a QR code and then choose the reward that means the most to them—taking the pressure off HR to try and guess what reward employees will like.
Speaking of HR admins, they can simply order the cards and then hand them out themselves or give them to managers to hand out. No confusing logistics or manual headaches involved, and no paid-for-but-unused gift cards. AwardCodes simplifies the recognition and reward process.
Benefits of AwardCodes™
- Physical thank you cards for on-the-spot recognition
- Customizable branding
- Non-monetary and monetary options
- Simple, hands-free management
Challenge #2: Recognizing employees who mainly interact with outside parties
Many offline and frontline employees don’t have consistent interactions with colleagues or even managers. Unlike in a corporate office, where employees sit near each other each day, these deskless workers may instead work primarily with external parties, such as customers or vendors.
If employees work with customers, patients, clients, or partners more than anyone else, then recognition coming from these parties will be the most meaningful for them as opposed to impersonal recognition from company leaders.
Solution #2: Allow outside parties to recognize employees through External Recognition™
External Recognition™ facilitates outside-in recognition by giving each employee a unique QR code that outside parties can scan, which allows them to submit a personalized recognition for that specific employee. The QR codes can be added to signage, employee name badges, or anywhere outside parties interact with employees.
Visitors, patients, and customers can all quickly send a thank you note to the employee they worked with after a positive experience, reinforcing the value of that employee’s work and strengthening their intrinsic motivation.
Awardco’s AI automatically reviews each submission for sensitive data, offensive language, or similar red flags to ensure security. HR admins can choose to review and approve each recognition, as well.
And the best part is, while admins can also choose to add points to these recognitions, they can also simply add their own kind words, creating a non-monetary source of appreciation that can reach each employee.
Benefits of External Recognition
- Close the loop of recognition from third parties
- AI-driven quality and security reviews
- Personalized recognition channels for each employee
- Allow admins/managers to add their own recognitions
Challenge 3: Driving desired behaviors in frenetic environments
Driving desired behaviors is difficult in any industry, but for deskless and offline employees, it can be even more challenging. For example, how do organizations support and encourage safe and compliant behaviors in manufacturing or construction when each work day is endlessly busy?
Solution #3: Incentivizing behaviors with rewarding recognition
Incentives are a powerful motivator: in fact, incentives lead to a 22% increase in productivity, improve engagement by 89%, and boost retention by 87%.
Not only that, 92% of employees are likely to repeat a specific action after being recognized and rewarded for it.
Whether you’re trying to reinforce safety behaviors, drive training participation, increase customer-focused actions, or simply drive productivity, incentives are a great way to do so.
With Awardco, HR admins can build custom incentives for their entire organization or tailored to separate departments or teams. They can also build custom reward catalogs with specific items (like branded swag, wellness items, etc.) or simply allow participants to spend points on any of the millions of items on the Awardco reward network.
Benefits of incentives
- Drive specific behaviors
- Customizable reward catalogs
- Tailored programs to fit different teams and needs
Challenge #4: Spreading recognition to offline workplaces and technologically sparse employees
Whether the workplace doesn’t have access to technology or the employee isn’t well-versed in tech devices, the challenge is the same: how do you build a culture of appreciation that reaches everyone?
Solution #4: Integrations and mobile capabilities
Awardco’s integration with ScreenCloud is custom-built to solve this problem. It allows organizations to display their recognition feed on screens throughout their work environment.
Not only does this make recognitions more visible and able to be celebrated, it’s a totally free way of connecting employees in different locations and making remote workers feel included.
For employees who aren’t technologically inclined, Awardco’s mobile capabilities are key. Not only will each employee be notified of recognitions through their email, they can also turn on SMS notifications.
Plus, Awardco’s Progressive Web App (PWA) allows employees to quickly and easily login to the platform, recognize peers, view their own recognitions, and redeem points for rewards.
Benefits of integrations and mobile capabilities
- Spread recognitions to workspace screens
- Increase engagement and adoption
- Build a culture of collaborative appreciation without budget
- Reach any employee with a phone
Challenge #5: Offering rewards employees will actually appreciate
Whether for birthdays, service anniversaries, special achievements, or holidays, employee rewards can be tricky. And in an offline, deskless, or remote environment, it can be even harder to get rewards right.
Solution #5: Use A-Pay™ to offer unlimited reward flexibility
Why bother agonizing over a specific reward when you can simply provide points that spend like cash? That’s what A-Pay cards do—employees can use their physical or digital A-Pay card anywhere that accepts card payments, spending their points like cash almost anywhere they want.
No annoying fulfillment, no guessing on gift cards, no product storage headaches. Simply reward employees with points through physical AwardCodes or digital recognitions, then watch as they spend their points in ways that are meaningful to them.
If desired, HR admins can also configure spending rules for A-Pay cards, such as daily point limits and approved reward categories, shaping rewards in ways that fit your budget and culture.
Admins also get immediate access to reward spend, budgetary health, and other financial reports to track usage, participation, and cashflow.
Benefits of A-Pay
- Unlimited reward flexibility
- Hands-free administration
- No reward guesswork
- No item storage, unused gift cards, or unwanted rewards
Manufacturing use case
Company: Lineage Logistics
About: Lineage Logistics is a global leader in cold storage and supply chain logistics. They operate more than 400 facilities in 20 countries and employ over 26K people.
Case study: Lineage Logistics wanted to spread recognition to their workforce, but they work in warehouses, on loading docks, and in transit. Traditional recognition programs wouldn’t cut it.
They rolled out Awardco to a single location first with a leadership-led approach, including a raffle to reward logins, lunch-and-learns to explain the platform, and one-on-one coaching to help team members get started.
Combined with offline recognition tools, engagement has been off the charts.
Results:
- Lineage saw 100% login rate at launch
- Attrition dropped 30% among reduction in attrition for employees recognized in their first three months
- YoY recognitions increased 133%
Quote:
“We launched the pilot to a group within the U.S. From there, we expanded all the way across the U.S., and then into Canada, and now Australia. We’re seeing more and more engagement in places we didn’t expect. People are using the platform in ways that feel natural to them—and that’s the win.” - LeAnn Woody, HR Lead
Manufacturing use case
Company: Pilot Company
About: Pilot Company is a leader in energy and experiences, and it employs 30,000 people across their transportation, gas station, warehouse, and corporate teams all across North America.
Case study: Pilot Company wanted to spread their culture of appreciation equally to all their employees, whether they ran retail stores, drove trucks, or worked in corporate offices—but they didn’t want to increase the workload for HR.
To build excitement, Pilot Company gave points to every employee during implementation. After that, they created multiple custom programs to meet employees where they were at, including a wellness program, a manager-led program with a budget for each leader, and various contests.
Results:
- 960% increase in recognitions over 5 months
- 96% engagement rate company wide
Quote:
“It has been exciting to see the increased engagement around recognition, and how the platform has encouraged team members to support each other in new ways.” - Deanna Dennis, Sr. Manager, Team Member Experience
Healthcare use case
Company: Children’s Nebraska
About: Children’s Nebraska is a nationally recognized leader in specialized pediatric care, with over 4,000 employees across three states.
Case study: In 2023, Children’s Nebraska’s annual survey revealed that only 63% of employees felt valued. In addition to the demanding roles, high patient volume, and burnout their people dealt with, Children’s Nebraska knew they needed a change.
With Awardco’s help, Children’s Nebraska launched their recognition program in two phases: first, with a universal recognition program and a service anniversary program to set the foundation. Later, they launched more specialized programs like AwardCodes™ and nomination awards to empower consistent and sustainable appreciation.
Results:
- Recognition scores were the most improved category in 2024
- Survey scores for recognition exceed industry benchmark by 11.4 points
- Turnover is 20% lower for employees recognized in their first three months
Quote:
“One year into having our recognition [platform], feeling like we’re recognized went up 10%. I think that’s a true testament of how much it means to us. We do have those hard days, and Sunshine Recognition Hub empowers our nurses and team members. It’s given us a platform to recognize moments of excellence.” - Mellisa Renter, Director of Professional Nursing Practice
Healthcare use case
Company: ARUP Laboratories
About: ARUP Laboratories is a national nonprofit and academic reference laboratory at the forefront of diagnostic medicine. Founded in 1984, ARUP has grown to over 4,000 specialists, consultants, and technicians.
Case study: After decades of the same, stale service award program, ARUP decided that it was time to do away with the limited rewards and large markups. They wanted a modern solution to enhance their culture of appreciation.
By forming a task force to distill employee needs and research the right solution, ARUP settled on Awardco and built out a new service award program and peer-to-peer recognition program that has led to a big jump in engagement.
Results:
- 18% jump in employee satisfaction with managers
- 363% increase in recognitions given
- 3x increase in program adoption
Quote:
“Awardco has given us incredible power and flexibility with our recognition programs because of the millions of options to choose from…We know what we’re getting, we know we’re getting the best price, and our employees couldn’t be happier.“ - Cheryl Vincent, Talent Development Manager
Service Industry use case
Company: Quick Quack Car Wash
About: Quick Quack operates over 290 car wash locations across the western US, and they live by their mission to Change Lives for the Better—including for their employees.
Case study: The car wash industry isn’t easy to work in, and Quick Quack noticed that turnover was becoming a problem. Instead of accepting it as normal, they turned to employee recognition to change the status quo.
After designing and implementing targeted recognition programs to boost retention, including a six-month celebration, generous service awards, and MemoryBooks™, Quick Quack saw rapid results.
Results:
- 20% drop in turnover
- Stronger inter-location collaboration
- Leadership buy-in
Quote:
Awardco has made employees’ lives easier. Working outside in the elements with the customers can be tough, but being recognized, seen, heard, and valued makes it easier.” - Christina Castro, Training leader
Service Industry use case
Company: Texas Roadhouse
About: Texas Roadhouse has expanded over their 35+ years into nearly 800 locations across 11 different countries, and they continue to grow. As of last count, they employ 95,000 workers and that number continues to grow.
Case study: In food service, stress and turnover can be high, and Texas Roadhouse knew building a strong culture of appreciation and engagement was key to combatting those challenges.
Using Awardco, Texas Roadhouse built meaningful service awards, spot recognition programs for managers, and peer recognition programs to allow employees to recognize each other. This has strengthened their culture across the globe, regardless of location.
Results:
- 209% increase in recognitions
- 96K recognitions sent since program start
Quote:
“Awardco’s fast, compassionate service ensured an employee received a much-needed gift card in time for an urgent personal purchase. It wasn’t just a reward—it was a meaningful act of support when it mattered most.” - Storey O’Barr, Recognition and Communication Specialist
Retail use case
Company: WOW! mobile boutique
About: WOW! mobile boutique is a Canadian wireless retailer with over 80 locations. With over 500 employees, they specialize in low-pressure, flexible mobile options to ensure customers get the right plans for them.
Case study: After a robust survey, WOW! uncovered two critical gaps in their employee experience: people wanted more personalized recognition, and they wanted greater compensation.
WOW! turned to Awardco to build out a comprehensive recognition system, with multiple custom programs tied to their company values. They also restructured their compensation model to focus on performance-based incentives through Awardco, giving employees more opportunities to earn more based on their work.
Results:
- 120% YoY increase in performance
- 30% decrease in attrition
- 50% YoY increase in productivity
Quote:
“Awardco actually costs us less than what we were doing in the past, and it’s had a bigger impact on our ROI and employee engagement.” - Jay Adhvaryu, Director, Finance and Compliance
Retail use case
Company: Visionworks
About: A leading eye-care service provider in the US, Visionworks has over 770 retail locations and employs over 8,000 people.
Case study: Visionworks needed a way to tailor their recognition programs across their 770+ different retail locations. Each location had different people, different needs, and a different culture, so a one-size-fits-all solution wouldn’t cut it.
Leadership made the brilliant decision to put the power into their regional leaders’ hands. With Awardco’s unmatched flexibility, Visionworks regional leaders could create their own recognition programs, tailored to their specific locations, creating a culture of personalized, meaningful appreciation in every store.
Results:
- Lower turnover
- Greater engagement with company culture
Quote:
“Awardco is just so easy to use. At the beginning, our support rep would do everything for us, but I was able to quickly learn the platform and become more self-sufficient.” - Maria Mayo, Director of Payroll
Reach every employee with intentional, solution-driven recognition
Spreading offline, frontline, deskless, and remote recognition can be difficult, but with the right tools, it becomes simple to build a culture of appreciation that reaches everyone.
By handing out physical cards, empowering outside-in recognition from customers, incentivizing behaviors with amazing rewards, and integrating mobile capabilities, you can transform your workplace, regardless of where employees work or who they interact with.
Add on A-Pay™, which is unlimited reward flexibility, and doesn’t add any work to HR’s plate, and you’ll have a workforce where employees, HR, and leaders are all satisfied with the culture, budget, and ROI.
Contact Awardco to learn more about our purpose-built solutions for your industry.
