The Key to Building a Culture of Recognition

Golden Hippo is an employee-owned, vertically-integrated, highly profitable direct-to-consumer marketer of health, beauty, and pet care brands. As leaders in the holistic wellness space, one of our key company values is creating space for each employee’s unique contribution and voice. Respect and gratitude doesn’t just come from bestowing compliments; understanding how individuals best respond to recognition is key to effective delivery. 

What are a few ways you or the other leaders on your team recognize employees for their hard work?

First off, it’s important to understand that recognition comes in many forms.  I see recognition as both: 1) a way to appreciate, acknowledge and offer gratitude for work done and/or how the work gets done, and 2) also offering respect, consideration, and an opportunity for employees to be heard and offer input, ultimately recognizing their voice - that they have great and unique value to offer the company and we need to make sure we create that space for it.  

With that said, first and foremost, recognition does not need to be overly complicated.  It needs to be genuine and timely.  While Golden Hippo offers a variety of ways to recognize one another, I find the simple Slacks, emails, our quick but sincere shout outs at the end of a one on one meeting or team meeting thanking the employee or team for both what they’ve accomplished and how they went about accomplishing it goes very far.  It’s not hard to do and it’s certainly not rocket science, but in today’s rapid paced, meeting heavy, and meeting hopping environment, we simply just don’t make the time for it or don’t remember to.  I don’t think its anything malicious, but some are just not wired this way nor do all company cultures cultivate the importance of a culture of appreciation and recognition.  And I don’t care what level you’re at, all people like recognition.  Personally, it is such appreciation that fuels my tank – knowing that I or my team are helping others, contributing value, driving the culture, moving the business forward.  If it does not come natural to you, build it into your agenda, your daily calendar, whatever…, until the practice becomes natural and organic.  The team loyalty and commitment, effort and productivity that comes from this simple, timely, and again authentic practice cannot be underscored enough.

In addition to this practice, creating the space for others to be heard, to recognize their voice, their input, their ideas, etc. is extremely important.  People want to feel like they are contributing, that they are making a difference, that their thoughts and ideas matter – and they do.  So carving out the space in one on one meetings, team meetings, and in larger scale initiatives, like quick pulse checks or employee engagement and experience surveys, are various methods I use and we at Golden Hippo offer to our employees to ensure all voices have the opportunity to be heard.  

I look to my employees to drive the agenda in one on one meetings.  I carve out time in team meetings to solicit input.  And at the company level, we practice regular surveying.  And if you allow that space and ask questions in a survey, you better be prepared to acknowledge, to share your understanding of the findings, and to act on them.  And we do.  And employees play a critical role in the shaping and evolution of our company culture.  On a micro level – my team does as well with how HR is experienced and runs at Golden Hippo.

 As a leader, what have you done to encourage a culture of recognition throughout the entire company and/or your team?

As a leader, we need to recognize that we play a critical role in setting up the expectations for others.  We’re always in the limelight.  So, it starts with example I attempt to make in trying to be the best version of myself.  I take my role that I’m so privileged to be in and have made a career of very seriously.  As the head of HR, I believe it’s my responsibility to model and exemplify the behaviors and values we expect of all our employees (aka Hippos).  This has been true at every company I’ve been blessed to work at.  I don’t care what your title is or what level you’re at, we are all humans.  As humans, we all deserve respect, appreciation, acknowledgement, and recognition.  I strive to offer this in my proactive outreach, my regular interactions with others, and in trying to stay close to employees, making myself accessible and available to all.

I’m generous in showering those deserving of recognition whether it’s a shout out to an employee in our weekly All Hands, in the Comments box over a Google Meetup or Zoom, and in casual conversation as well… with just about anyone where I see the opportunity.  And it’s important that it is genuine and appropriate for it to hold value.  In doing so, I hope I contribute to setting the tone and example for a culture of regular, timely, and sincere recognition.  If I can impact one person almost every day or at minimum every week, I hope to set them on a course to share such consideration and appreciation to others.  It’s a domino effect.  Step by step, day by day, little nudges and sometimes big ones to shape the culture where we can all celebrate and be celebrated.

It’s a much better workplace and on a more macro level, a much better world if we can all be generous with expressing and sharing our kindness, and encouraging others to do the same.  Even a sincere smile, rapt attention given, engagement in dialogue, and the like shows your recognition and appreciation of others.

It’s not hard to do, it’s just not often or regularly practiced.  I think sometimes people feel to survive and move up in the modern workplace, one needs to be viewed as tough, unemotional, carry an all-about-business attitude, and philosophy of not offering too much recognition so people work harder – keep holding that carrot out farther and farther.  Screw that rat-race mentality and attitude!  If we haven’t learned anything during our year plus of COVID that life is precious and there’s so much more meaning to it, then you likely don’t have all the right people in your company and certainly not the right leadership.  

It takes courage to be vulnerable, to express and share emotion and feelings, to be the “nice guy”, to be attuned to feelings of others, to stand up for how decisions impact the treatment and morale of people who do the work – that I see as real strength.  And that has led me on a successful career path.  Not always easy, but I’m true to my nature, my values, and I whole-heartedly believe in the spirit of giving.  That, in great part, is what drives me to encourage a culture of recognition starting with my own actions and to make good use of the grand stage I’m afforded in my role.

When it comes to giving meaningful employee recognition, what is the most important best practice you follow?

If I’ve not made it clear enough, let me spell it out: 1) keep it simple, 2) be timely, 3) be sincere, and 4) what I haven’t spoken about yet is make it meaningful to the recipient.  This means getting to know what matters most to the individual.  Not all people want to be called out in a group setting, while others bask in such a setting.  You need to get to know the individual, not just as your Engineer, your Digital Marketer, your HR Generalist, or your AP Specialist – you need to get to know the person behind the title.  What makes them tick?  What motivates them?  What are their aspirations?  What keeps them up at night?  Who are they at home, and what does home look like?  If you don’t know, just ask.  Learning what is meaningful to your employees helps you determine what form or type of recognition and appreciation moves them and what does not.  

This means building an authentic relationship with those around you, and establishing trust and psychological safety.  This means having compassion and interest for those around you.  This means recognizing the time and importance to achieve this.  As a leader, we don’t always recognize this is part of what we signed up for and what embodies or is at least part of what makes good leadership, real leadership. This is what I continually strive to achieve, and like in any relationship – you can’t take it for granted.  All relationships, at work or outside of work, require constant attention and effort.  Over time, as real trust, sense of safety, and relationships form the amount of effort becomes less, but one should never become complacent.

 I’ve been in my field for roughly 20 years, and I still work on being my best, on growing, on learning, on building relationships, and putting forth the effort to be the best version of myself, to be the best leader I can be and the best caretaker of my company culture and the people I serve and partner with.  And remember… what you put out, you often get back in dividends!  Recognize and appreciate others, and that same kindness comes back to you and I have been blessed with much of it.   

Thank you for your time in hearing me out and reading this piece.  Remember to smile and be generous in your appreciation to those around you, and contribute to making your workplace and our world a better place.