Who and what your company celebrates tells your employees a lot about the kind of culture you have — and the type of culture you want. When genuine appreciation is modeled every day from the top down, you’ll create a culture that people want to be a part of and contribute to in every way.
There are plenty benefits of employee recognition, including better retention and morale. The best employee recognition programs also drive people to perform better. And in the workplace, appreciation consistently ranks as one of the strongest drivers of engagement.
5 Companies with Best Employee Recognition Programs
Companies with the best employee recognition programs go beyond tangible benefits to make employees feel appreciated, valued, and motivated. They’re also more likely to stay with your company, significantly impacting employee retention.
Not all employee recognition programs are successful. To be effective, they should align closely with your company’s mission and values. Here, we feature five award-winning Top Workplaces that rank highly for employee recognition and highlight employee rewards and recognition program examples.
CBIZ
CBIZ delivers top-level financial and employee business services to organizations of all sizes and individual clients by providing national-caliber expertise combined with highly personalized service offered at the local level.
The company provides financial services, including accounting, tax, financial advisory, consulting services, risk management, and corporate finance, alongside retirement plan consulting and administration, payroll, HR outsourcing, health care reform consulting, and other employee benefits consulting services.
- Employee recognition programs: Total Rewards Employee Experience
- Standout employee recognition features: Purpose and growth are considered pillars of compensation and the employee experience at CBIZ.
- Employee appreciation goals: To enhance the quality of peer and employee-supervisor relationships, create a sense of purpose in each employee’s work through recognition and appreciation
- What makes employees feel appreciated:
- “I love my team. They’re supportive and make coming to work enjoyable and fun.”
- “Verbal praise of doing a good job. Employees can be nominated for recognition awards when they go above and beyond for our clients and coworkers, both nationally and locally.”
- “My team members make me feel like my work matters, and I contribute to the company’s success.”
- CBIZ’s Top Workplaces profile and featured awards
Greenman-Pedersen
Greenman-Pedersen Inc. (GPI) is a multi-disciplined engineering consulting firm serving public, industrial, and private clients throughout the United States. GPI has maintained a leadership role throughout the engineering industry because of its ability to provide innovative solutions and think differently.
Their visionary philosophy centers around the people who make the company truly unique, focusing on giving back through employee recognition. Greenman-Pedersen believes that a culture of employee appreciation and inclusion — focusing on long-lasting engagement — results in a more connected and fulfilled workforce.
Each year, they outline and measure their progress towards several measurable goals focused on employee health and wellness, career development, and team building.
- Employee appreciation goals: Greenman-Pedersen creates a company culture founded on employee appreciation, fulfillment, and engagement
- What employees say:
- “GPI encourages me to be myself, and therefore I can give my very best to the company.”
- “Knowing that I can speak with supervisors and feel heard. Getting recognition at the end of a difficult assignment.”
- “I am informed of GPI’s decisions for the future.”
- Greenman-Pedersen’s Top Workplaces profile and featured awards
Baldwin Risk Partners
As a company, Baldwin Risk Partners comprises entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to delivering risk management services and insurance solutions tailored to the needs of individuals and businesses around the country.
At Baldwin Risk Partners, it’s not just about what they do for their clients — it’s about how they treat their employees. The company’s ethical approach to risk management results in a warm and welcoming atmosphere for employees when they join the team.
- Employee recognition programs: Equity-based Compensation
- Standout employee recognition features: Employees earn compensation bonuses as a reward for achieving goals in the workplace.
- Employee appreciation goals: Uses an ethical and honest approach to management, making employees feel welcome from the moment they join the company
- What makes employees feel appreciated
- “Great company with access to learning and development and good leaders.”
- “My boss is very open to new ideas, and I feel a great deal of trust and empowerment.”
- “I can speak my mind, offer ideas, and makes suggestions — and I’m heard.”
- Baldwin Risk Partners’ Top Workplaces profile and featured awards
Gorilla Glue Company
The Gorilla Glue Company has a mission: to make a wide range of high-quality, innovative, and affordable products that form a lasting bond between people and the things they build, repair, and create. The Gorilla Glue Company is proud to be based in Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing and distribution sites worldwide.
The Gorilla Glue Company is an industry leader that strives to make premium products and deliver value to its customers. Gorilla Glue Company is built on a foundation of strength, loyalty, and innovation.
- Employee recognition programs: ‘People Committee’
- Standout employee recognition features: Company-wide team-building events, cross-functional outings, ongoing focus groups, and a conversational atmosphere.
- Employee appreciation goals: The ‘People Committee’ is dedicated to creating a workplace with better communication and improved recognition for employees
- What employees say:
- “The ability to have a voice that is heard by all levels of the organization.”
- “The company has gone above and beyond to keep us safe this year.”
- “Leaders take the time to talk to you, and everyone wants to help when they can.”
- Gorilla Glue Company’s Top Workplaces profile and featured awards
KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, offers solutions used by tens of thousands of organizations around the globe. With KnowBe4’s platform, organizations can better manage the ongoing problem of social engineering and these top cybersecurity problems.
The company’s culture is built upon a commitment to its team members and is dedicated to staying true to their core values: integrity, diligence, creativity, fun, and positivity. KnowBe4 focuses on hard work and strives to maintain an atmosphere where employees feel welcome and valued.
- Employee appreciation goals: ‘Fun’ is included in the company’s mission statement, as management strives to create an atmosphere where employees feel welcome and valued.
- What employees say:
- “Leaders make me feel appreciated when they tell me how my contributions are making a positive impact.”
- “There is concern for our well-being from the bottom to the top.”
- “We practice the art of feedback on a constant basis.”
- KnowBe4’s Top Workplaces profile and featured awards
Find a job with companies awarded for appreciation
The Top Workplaces for Appreciation award celebrates high-performing companies that excel at employee recognition. Exploring these award-winning cultures is an excellent place to start if you’re looking for a great workplace and a job you love.
If your company excels at employee recognition, show the world. Nominate your organization for Top Workplaces, the employer recognition program that offers awards in 60+ regional markets as well as national awards for culture and industry excellence.