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A longer version of this article first appeared on motivosity.com.
With Return to Office (RTO) policies in full swing, organizations face a balancing act: how do you make employees feel valued when many are reluctantly swapping sweatpants for slacks? The secret lies in recognizing the trends that shape workplace culture — and using them to create meaningful, impactful employee experiences. Here are some recognition trends we're watching:
1. Personalized Rewards: No More One-Size-Fits All
Personalized rewards work so well to motivate employees because they're tailored to specific employee preferences. They're about understanding each employee and their individual preferences and providing meaningful recognition for their work.
Your recognition platforms may focus on curating specific perks and benefits based on your knowledge of your employees. Desk upgrades, one-on-one mentoring sessions, early finishes on Fridays, and so much more can become personalized rewards. Don't limit yourself to company swag and gift cards. (Although those can be great, too!)
2. Real-Time and Frequent Recognition
Sometimes, it's not the lack of recognition at all that's the challenge - it's the delay in its delivery. An employee achieves something important and may not receive recognition for their hard work for weeks — or even months. This delay can diminish the impact of the recognition and leave employees feeling undervalued. However, it's an issue you could solve with employee recognition software capable of delivering automated recognition to your employees.
The stats support this, too. Deloitte found that 85% of employees want to hear the words "thank you" on a day-to-day basis. It's a small thing, but it's the immediacy of this type of recognition that reinforces an employee's sense of their own value to your organization.
3. Tailored Recognitions for Remote Employees
There's a trend for remote work that's ongoing and unlikely to change. But here’s the challenge — research indicates that many remote employees feel unrecognized, often without their managers even realizing it.
Personalized recognition in the form of virtual rewards is key to closing that divide for those who work from home and feel like they're being left out in the cold.
4. Technology to Better Serve the 'Deskless' Workforce
While the spotlight often shines on office workers, a huge portion of the workforce — think retail staff, healthcare workers, delivery drivers, manufacturing teams — aren’t online during the work day, and may have little to no access to workplace technologies for recognition. These workers are often the backbone of the economy, yet computer-based recognition programs still tend to overlook them.
In 2025, the most forward-thinking organizations are doubling down on recognition for deskless employees. Whether it’s shift-specific rewards, team recognition events on-site, or digital tools designed for mobile access, employers are finally making recognition more inclusive.
5. Encouraging Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Like any other form of employee recognition, peer-to-peer recognition is the act of acknowledging an employee's talents and contributions. The difference between this and other forms of employee recognition is that peer-to-peer recognition comes from other team members and peers.
Often, employees see acknowledgment from their peers as more meaningful recognition than that received from managers or leaders elsewhere in their company. That's because peers work with one another on a daily basis. That's one of the benefits of peer-to-peer recognition — it enables you to motivate employees indirectly and get your entire company involved in your employee recognition initiative.
6. Value-Based Recognition Programs
One of the key recognition trends of 2025 is linking your recognition methods to the brand you've created. This means that employee rewards and recognition should be tied to actions and behaviors that reinforce your company's brand values.
Start by clearly defining what your company's values are and the specific employee actions that align with those values. This tells employees what they need to do to get recognition messages — and the more tangible rewards that may come with them - in the first place. Once employees demonstrate behavior that aligns with your company's values, reward them. Clarity on your part is key, and a digital recognition platform can be a valuable tool. It can reinforce company values, highlight examples of value-aligned behavior, and streamline the recognition process.
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7. Recognition Focused on Sustainability
In 2023, Deloitte found that 69% of employees want their companies to invest and be engaged in sustainability efforts. The numbers were even higher among younger employees, signaling the importance of environmental responsibility for both current and future employees.
As a business, you can show your commitment to sustainability through various initiatives, such as reducing waste and carbon emissions and utilizing renewable energy sources. These actions are all key to creating an attractive corporate social responsibility policy.
8. Wellness and Mental Health-Centric Recognition
The U.K.-based ACAS found that 89% of the employees surveyed wanted their workplaces to prioritize their mental health in 2024. That alone should indicate that wellness programs can help you stand apart in a competitive job market.
What many don't realize is that these programs can also be used to motivate employees. For instance, you could operate a smoking cessation program, with rewards tied to the number of days or months an employee has avoided smoking.
Choosing to implement recognition and rewards to your employees dedicated to health and wellness will improve your employee satisfaction scores, and could also help decrease your insurance premiums...which means more money saved in the long-run.
People-first recognition programs aren't just a trend. They're here to stay as your employees want you to tailor your recognition to their individual needs and preferences.
Motivosity’s recognition and rewards solution helps you to drive engagement and reduce employee turnover by centralizing your recognition programs in one place. Speak to the Motivosity team today to find out more.
