Bridging the Deskless Divide: Practical Recognition Strategies That Drive Retention

Deskless employees power our organizations—and yet they’re often the farthest from the recognition, communication, and culture-building moments that drive engagement and retention. In this webinar, Katie Bundy (Awardco) and Sierra Capone (McCormick & Company) share practical frameworks and real-world tactics for building recognition strategies that truly work for offline and frontline populations.

You’ll learn why the “80/80 problem” matters (deskless workers make up a large portion of the workforce and a disproportionate share of engagement challenges), and how to design recognition programs that meet emotional needs like feeling valued, respected, and connected—needs that are strongly tied to retention. Katie and Sierra will walk through a step-by-step approach you can apply immediately: defining employee personas beyond job titles, building a “core + more” program structure that balances consistency with local relevance, and making recognition visible and frictionless through the channels your people already use.

The session also explores high-impact tactics for deskless teams—like leadership modeling, physical recognition moments, kiosks or shared devices, and digital signage to extend visibility across shifts and locations. Finally, you’ll hear how recognition champion networks can activate culture at scale, create two-way feedback loops, and reduce the burden on small admin teams. Leave with actionable ideas to bridge the gap and create a culture where every employee feels seen.