100+ Effective Employee Recognition Words and Appreciation Messages in 2025
Coming up with the right phrasing is often difficult. Here are 101 words to use in recognition when you’re trying to inspire.
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DJ
Darcy Jacobsen
6 Famous Thank You Letters: Creating a Culture of Language Appreciation
Creating a culture of appreciation in any workplace is important. Here are six famous letters showcasing the beauty of giving thanks.
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Beyond Compliance: How HR Can Help Build a Best-in-Class Safety Culture
Outstanding safety organizations create true commitment among employees and generate a real passion for a culture of safety.
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6 Big Mergers That Were Killed by Culture (And How to Stop it from Killing Yours)
Many mergers have failed due to work culture. Here’s how to avoid this fate for your own company.
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Recognizing Across Cultures: Scandinavia
Do you know the Law of Jante? Are you schooled on lingonberries and lagom? Do you know how recognition is unique in Scandinavia?
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Boundary Theory, Work/Life Balance and Mindfulness
Boundary theory tells us that employees often need help drawing a line between work and life. Mindfulness can help to reduce employee stress.
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Social Capital: What It Is & Why Your Employees Need It
Higher social capital results in more access to the resources we need to feel supported, be productive and to have better flow in our work lives.
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The Dangers of Employee Silence
Are quiet employees happy employees? Or is employee silence a dangerous sign? How to encourage employees' voices in your culture.
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The Advent of the “Social Workplace”
Social platforms are no longer a novelty or distraction in the workplace. They are becoming fundamental to building organizational excellence.
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Recognizing Across Cultures: India
How can we recognize and motivate employees most effectively in India?
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Recognizing Across Cultures: China
How can we recognize employees most effectively in China?
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Is Your Culture Holistic, Monochronic or Collectivist?
Critical things to know about managing employees globally: Are you holistic, specific, monochronic, polychronic, individualistic or collectivist?
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10 Questions to Ask Before Building a Recognition Program
Key questions to ask when you are deciding whether to use a recognition vendor or build a DIY recognition solution for your company.
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5 Ways to Turn Employee Conflict into a Good Thing
When managed well, the inevitable workplace conflict can be a good thing for an organization and a source of creativity and growth.
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The Secret to Respect in the Workplace
Respect is top of mind for today’s workers. Everyone is looking to be recognized and respected for their individual contribution.
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Why the Future Isn’t as Scary as You May Think
The future of talent management, and performance reviews in particular, lies the awesome power of crowdsourcing.
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Self-Efficacy, Optimism, Resilience and Hope
Self-Efficacy, Optimism, Resilience and Hope are proven drivers of success. What are you doing to build them in your company?
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5 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction through Recognition
Reasons that the pursuit of excellence in patient satisfaction has become one of the top goals for hospitals, and employee recognition can help.
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I am a Special Snowflake
We are all unique, so a one-size-fits-all approach to recognition is rarely effective.
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How to Create a Positive Service Climate for Customer Satisfaction
Creating a positive service climate through enablement, training and reward will result in higher employee engagement and boost business results.
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Negative and Positive: Finding The Right Balance
Good management will employ negative reinforcement when circumstances are right, and negative feedback when it becomes necessary.
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How Written Words Drive Behavior
A look at the history of the written word and how it affects us more than face-to-face communication.
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Firing Employees to Improve Culture
Zappos hires for cultural fit. No matter how great candidates are or how much of an impact they might make—if they don’t fit, they’re out.
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The Science of Gratitude and Well-Being
Regularly expressing gratitude is demonstrably good for us—and by extension our colleagues— in more ways than you might realize.
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Protecting Employees From Organizational Trauma
How to avoid organizational trauma caused by layoffs, mergers and acquisitions, major reorganizations, turnover and more.
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8 Cognitive Biases That Will Make or Break Your Culture
Cognitive biases that affect perceptions, affect objectivity, and affect relationships in both positive and negative ways.
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How Bad Performance Management Killed Microsoft’s Edge
We review a recent Vanity Fair piece examining Microsoft's failed performance management processes and how it led to the decline of the company.
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5 Famously Awful Bosses and Where They Really Went Wrong
We review some of history's worst bosses and how they were brought down. Avoid these pitfalls and keep your employees engaged.
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