Making recognition a reflection of company culture

Learn how to align reward programs with company values to reinforce the behaviors and attitudes that drive success.

Ask most leaders if they recognise their people and they’ll say yes, but is it having the intended impact of driving success?

Many rewards programs feel out-of-step with the culture they’re meant to represent. This creates a significant disconnect between what the company says it values and what it actually rewards.

It's where good intentions go out the window. When employee recognition doesn’t reflect the culture, it leads to widespread consequences like decreased morale, increased turnover, and an erosion of trust.

True recognition isn’t just perks and applause - it’s about reinforcing how your organisation succeeds, not only celebrating what it achieves. When recognition reflects company values, it becomes a powerful cultural signal. When it doesn’t, it risks feeling empty - or worse, hypocritical.

Why recognition needs a cultural anchor

Recognition tells employees what the organisation truly values. If the same people are repeatedly rewarded for hitting targets but never for collaboration or innovation, it’s clear what’s really prized.

Recognition needs to reflect the positive behaviours that an organisation wants repeated. When applied consistently and authentically, recognition builds trust and belonging - and engagement and productivity naturally follow.

Unfortunately, many U.K. employees are feeling underappreciated and want their employers to do more to motivate them - but it has to align to their employee experience. Currently, just over half (53%) feel that recognition or celebrations strongly represent their company’s culture. The space between intention and experience is where culture will thrive or fray.

The lesson for HR leaders is this: recognition that fails to mirror company culture risks rewarding the wrong things and can subtly reshape behaviours in negative ways.

How to make recognition truly reflect your culture

Here’s how to get recognition right by ensuring it mirrors company values and is clearly articulated.

Start with clarity: You can’t recognise what you can’t communicate. Get specific about your core values - what are the behaviours that bring them to life? If one of your values is putting customers first, celebrate people who go the extra mile for clients. If it’s innovation, highlight those who suggest smart improvements or challenge the status quo. Be sure to be concrete. Values only live when employees can see them modelled in daily actions. So when giving recognition, connect the dots by describing what they did, why it’s important, and which company value it ladders up to.
Design recognition around values: Make sure every gesture of appreciation links back to values, but don’t over-complicate it. Recognition shouldn’t feel like a chore or laborious exercise. A simple “thank you” from a leader can be as powerful as a formal award if it’s timely, specific, and rooted in your culture. When leaders model this, it cascades throughout the organisation.
Make it part of everyday work: A once-a-year thank-you won’t build culture. Recognition should be woven into daily rhythms - mentioned in team meetings, shared across digital channels, or incorporated into one-on-ones. Make recognition a living, breathing part of your company’s daily life by encouraging managers and peers to call out great work in real time.
Keep it fresh: Culture evolves - so should recognition. Review uptake regularly, ask employees what feels meaningful, and adapt. A static recognition and rewards program will quickly become background noise. You might notice that some employees value public praise or development opportunities over monetary gifts. Others may prefer private thanks from a manager. Flexibility ensures your recognition approach remains inclusive and relevant across different generations and working styles.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Recognition falters when it’s owned solely by HR or when rewards overshadow the message. If employees focus on what’s received rather than the value demonstrated, the programme loses its purpose. Inconsistent leadership behaviours also erode credibility - recognition has to start at the top.

And don’t underestimate simplicity. If the process feels clunky or time-consuming, participation drops fast. Seamless technology helps but so does creating a social norm where saying “thank you” is simply part of how people work.

It’s also easy to place more value on quantity than quality, but if you recognise everyone for everything, it dilutes the impact. Instead, focus on recognising the moments that truly reflect your values. The more intentional and value-aligned recognition feels, the more powerful it becomes.

Oh, and don’t forget about fairness. If recognition feels biased or inconsistent, it can do more harm than good. Be transparent about how recognition decisions are made, encourage diverse nominations, and ensure all parts of the business are equally visible.

When you get it right, good things follow

Recognition that reflects culture does more than boost morale. It drives engagement, strengthens retention, and makes culture tangible.

A UK study found that employees who rate their recognition programmes as “very good or excellent” are 2.5 times more likely to be engaged, and organisations with solid recognition programmes reported a 33% reduction in employee turnover.

Beyond the numbers, aligned recognition builds emotional connection. Employees who feel seen for living the company’s values are more likely to take ownership, speak positively about the organisation, and go the extra mile. They understand not only what is expected but also why it matters.

Recognition can even bridge divides in hybrid or dispersed teams. In remote environments, informal visibility is limited - people can’t rely on being “seen” by managers. Thoughtful recognition helps make invisible effort visible, reinforcing inclusion and fairness.

When leaders commit to a recognition culture, the benefits ripple outward. Teams communicate better, performance conversations become more constructive, and the overall atmosphere shifts from compliance to commitment.

The takeaway

Ultimately, recognition isn’t a perk - it’s a powerful cultural tool. It tells your people, “This is who we are and what we stand for.”

So instead of asking how much is being spent on recognition, leaders should reflect, “Does our recognition truly reflect who we want to be?” When the answer is yes, you’ll find it drives not just appreciation - but performance, pride, and belonging too.

Because in the end, a culture of recognition isn’t built through rewards - it’s built through relationships. And when those relationships are grounded in shared values, recognition becomes more than a gesture, it’s the heartbeat of the organisation.