Recognition is the cornerstone of a thriving workplace | Swati Sharma | Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer | Thriwe
In today’s fast-paced and competitive professional landscape, employees constantly strive to deliver excellence. Giving them validation and acknowledgement for their hard work is a rightfully earned right of theirs, which they shouldn’t be deprived of. Recognition, therefore, becomes the fuel that drives engagement, loyalty, and innovation. It fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, empowering individuals to rise above challenges and exceed expectations. Without it, even the most talented professionals can feel unappreciated, leading to burnout, dissatisfaction, and eventually attrition.
In these demanding times, the role of HR in fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation has become the need of the hour. It goes beyond introducing recognition programs or rolling out policies; it demands a thoughtful and human-centric approach to understanding what truly motivates individuals. Personalized rewards, peer-to-peer appreciation platforms, transparent and frequent feedback systems, and public acknowledgement of achievements are some of the powerful tools HRs can employ to build this culture. Moreover, recognizing efforts consistently ensures that employees feel valued every step of the way—not just during annual appraisals.
A culture of recognition must also be inclusive. This means acknowledging contributions at all levels and ensuring that recognition isn’t limited to a select few. When employees know their unique efforts are appreciated—regardless of their position or tenure— it builds a trusting and animosity-free environment within teams.
At Thriwe we formally acknowledge and appreciate employees during monthly town halls, where team members can praise each other through an internal HRIS platform where we conduct regular employee engagement surveys along with monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the recognition program.
As a leader, I firmly believe that recognition is the cornerstone of a thriving workplace. Also, organizational culture is not driven only by HR but by the top management too. They need to lead it from the front and embody the processes and initiatives established by HR for it to truly take root and have authenticity and a large-scale impact on the team. It transforms ordinary tasks into extraordinary contributions, inspires people to innovate, and creates a ripple effect of positivity that elevates the entire organization.
HR professionals hold the key to embedding recognition programs into the organizational DNA, not as an afterthought but as a continuous, intentional practice. When done right, it doesn’t just empower individuals, it fuels the company culture resulting in greater success.