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Human Resources
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Welcome to the Employee Recognition Guide!

Employee Recognition Guide

Celebrate What Makes Us Great!

At Ohio University, we believe appreciation is more than words—it is how we make employees feel valued. This guide is designed to help leaders cultivate a culture of recognition that motivates employees, strengthens connections, and celebrates commitment to our core values.

  • Encourage creativity, innovation, and continuous learning
  • Recognize meaningful contributions to students, peers, and the community
  • Celebrate teamwork, project completion, and professional milestones
  • Support work-life balance and spontaneous acts of appreciation
  • Ensure all employees, including student employees, feel connected and appreciated

Recognition is more than saying “thank you”—it is a powerful tool for building engagement, trust, and a sense of belonging. Start recognizing today! Explore ideas, tools, and best practices to make appreciation part of our culture. 

Building the Recognition Experience

Below are suggested components you can include when defining and naming your recognition strategy or program.

  • Behavior-Based Recognition: Celebrate employees who represent Ohio University values.
  • Creativity & Innovation: Recognize those who propose new ideas, improve processes, or take initiative.
  • Customer/Student Experience: Reward those who create responsive and positive experiences.
  • Project Completion: Acknowledge dedication and results when projects are successfully delivered.
  • Teamwork: Celebrate cross-functional collaboration and team achievements.
  • Learning & Development: Recognize those who pursue new skills, mentor others, or lead teach-backs.
  • Spontaneous Recognition: Surprise employees with “just because” thank-yous.
  • Timely & Meaningful Recognition: Make recognition timely, sincere, and earned.
  • Certificates or tangible awards — or themed items such as Bobcat-shaped cutouts or Bobcat plush toys
  • Personalized tokens
  • Virtual celebrations and shout-outs
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Lifestyle-friendly perks (e.g., flexible hours)
  • Thank-you notes or cards
  • Virtual award ceremonies with red carpet moments
  • Coffee chats with leaders, flexible scheduling 

More Ways to Celebrate Your Team!

Compliment Cards

Compliment Cards are a simple way to spread positivity and appreciation. Team members fill out cards with encouraging messages or acknowledgments and distribute them to faculty, staff, and student employees to recognize their efforts and contributions.

Points of Pride

  • An annual presentation on the points of pride throughout the year.
  • Acknowledge contributions of the team that you are proud of during team meetings.
  • Create a webpage to highlight achievements of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Peer-to-Peer Awards

“Great Job” awards are shared by colleagues during staff meetings to celebrate outstanding contributions. Each recipient has the opportunity to nominate and pass the award to another colleague at the next meeting, creating a continuous cycle of appreciation and recognition.

Lunch & Learn Fun

Host a monthly Lunch & Learn with your team to explore a new skill—such as crocheting—or enjoy activities like board games. These sessions create opportunities for colleagues to connect, build relationships, and share personal talents in a relaxed, engaging environment.

Set up simple, consistent steps—like when nominations happen and how decisions are made—so the program stays organized and easy to manage. Consider the following ideas:
  • Form a Recognition Committee: Create a team responsible for overseeing the program.
  • Set Nomination Cycles: Decide whether nominations will occur monthly, quarterly, annually, or on another schedule. Regular cycles help maintain momentum and provide multiple opportunities for recognition throughout the year.
  • Include Peer and Leadership Input: Recognition can come from peers and from leadership.
  • Establish Criteria and Review Process: Make the process simple and clear so everyone feels invited to take part. Share the steps openly and encourage all voices to participate in recognizing great work.
  • Make It Easy for Everyone to Join In: Share simple steps and clear information so everyone knows how to participate. Keep the process visible and accessible, so it feels open and inviting for all.
  • Celebrate Progress and Keep Improving: Keep track of what’s working well by noting nominations, awards, and feedback. Use these insights to make the program even better and ensure everyone feels valued.

Make it easy and exciting for everyone to get involved. Start with a kickoff announcement, share materials that everyone can access, and invite employees to complete a short survey about how they like to be recognized. Keep things simple and aligned with university guidelines.

Review the program annually to ensure it remains effective. Share success stories and highlight the impact to reinforce engagement.

Inspiration Hub

Discover how departments are recognizing employees and gather new ideas!

University Human Resources
#beinspired

#beinspired is a peer-driven recognition program designed to spotlight the contributions of HR colleagues throughout the month. Whether someone went above and beyond, showed kindness, sparked innovation, or simply made someone’s day better—it is the chance to say thank you in a meaningful way. 

How It Works

1. Nominate a Colleague

  • Any HR staff or student employee can nominate a peer at any time during the month.
  • Share why they are being recognized—being specific!
  • Copy the nominee, their supervisor, and the department head on the email.

2. Unlimited Nominations

  • There’s no cap on how many people that can be nominated or how many times someone can be nominated.
  • Exceptional efforts can be recognized multiple times (e.g., 10 entries for a major achievement).
Monthly Celebration Event

Each month, the #beinspired Committee hosts a themed celebration during a department meeting. Everyone contributes to the event—whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch, or snacks—potluck style.

Event Highlights:

  • Nomination Sharing: Nominations are read aloud to celebrate the employee’s impact.
  • Virtual & In-Person Friendly: Hybrid format ensures everyone can participate.
  • Virtual Wheel Spin: All nominees are entered into a digital wheel. More nominations = more entries!
  • Prize Wheel Spin: The winner gets to spin a physical prize wheel with rewards like:
    • Gift cards (contributed by leadership)
    • Token of appreciation
    • Flexible schedule day
    • Lunch
    • “Spin again”
    • A Human-sized Rufus in their workspace (or a mini cutout mailed to remote employees for virtual meetings)
Monthly Activities (Optional & Fun)

Some months include themed activities that bring us together while giving back:

  • Friendly donation drive competition for Cats' Cupboard—two teams, one cause, and a surprise twist: Cats' Cupboard always wins.
  • Holiday Cheer: Create cards for local nursing homes or collect blankets for shelters.
Annual Recognition Awards

At the end of the year, we celebrate standout contributors with special recognition and prizes:

  • Most Nominations Received
  • Kindness Champion
  • Team Engagement Leader
  • Embodiment of HR Excellence

Note: All monetary rewards are processed in accordance with university taxation and gift policies.

Why It Matters

The #beinspired program is more than a celebration—it’s a reflection of who we are as a team. It’s about:

  • Recognizing effort, creativity, and care.
  • Building a culture of appreciation.
  • Making sure every voice and contribution is seen and valued. 
Division of Student Affairs
Staff Awards

Ohio University's Division of Student Affairs hosts an annual year-end celebration to recognize exceptional contributions to student affairs by colleagues in the division and across the University. While some awards recognized professional milestones, others highlighted the collaboration that is integral to OHIO's collective success and the vibrant community we foster at Ohio University. 

Awards:
  • Mentor of the Year
  • Lasting Action Award
  • New Professional Award
  • Mid-Career Professional Award
  • Intersectional Collaboration Award
  • Outstanding Contributions for Customer Service Award
  • Faculty Staff Contribution Award

In addition to this recognition of contributions to the Division of Student Affairs, there is a fun series of Superlative Awards. These lighthearted awards celebrate the unique personalities and everyday contributions of staff members.

 
 
Superlative Awards:
  • Best Jokes - the most likely to make you laugh in a meeting
  • Early Bird - the employee who is always first at a meeting
  • Social Butterfly - the employee who is always positively engaging with students, faculty and staff
  • Coffeepot's Best Friend - someone who always has a cup of coffee in their hand
  • Silver Lining Award - someone who always keeps things positive
  • Helping Hand Award - the employee who is always lending a helping hand
Write-in Awards:
  • Fix-It Felix
  • Best Listening
  • Most Likely to Work During a University Closure
OHIO Business Service Center
Friday "Shout Outs"
Each week, the Executive Director initiates a virtual appreciation session via Microsoft Teams, encouraging participation from all staff members. Typically, 10–20 employees join to share acknowledgments, ranging from quick wins—such as quickly picking up live chats—to larger, public acknowledgements.
Supervisors contribute their observations, but the true impact comes when staff members thank and celebrate one another. These sessions strengthen team connections and promote a positive, collaborative work environment.
Culinary Services
Student Awards

Each month, Culinary Services honors two outstanding student employees through two awards:

  • Student Leader of the Month
  • Student Worker of the Month

The student employees are recognized and featured in the monthly newsletter and receive $25 Bobcat Cash as a token of appreciation for their contributions. 

Showcase How Your Department Recognizes Employees—Inspire Others with Your Success.
Share a recognition plan that is already in action and making an impact. Submit the details of your implemented program, highlight what worked, and help other teams celebrate their people.

Guiding Practices

  • Recognition is timely and tied to meaningful contributions.
  • Offers both formal and informal opportunities.
  • Encourages peer-to-peer and leadership-driven appreciation.

Optional Recognition Profile for Employees

Below is a template survey designed to gather employee feedback on how they prefer to be recognized.

  1. I like to be recognized for (check all that apply):

    ☐ Projects/tasks completed

    ☐ Creativity/Innovation

    ☐ Team effort

    ☐ Adopting new behaviors

    ☐ Reliability

    ☐ Student experience/service

    ☐ Dedication

    ☐ Learning and development

    ☐ Professional milestones

    ☐ Just because recognition

    ☐ Overall effort

    ☐ Other: ___________________________ 

  2. I prefer these forms of recognition (check all that apply): 

    ☐ Verbal/in-person acknowledgement

    ☐ Written acknowledgement (email, card, note)

    ☐ Virtual award ceremony

    ☐ Flexible scheduling

    ☐ Coffee chat with a leader

    ☐ Being asked for input or new responsibilities

    ☐ Opportunities to learn or teach

    ☐ Other: ___________________________ 

  3. I prefer to receive recognition (check all that apply): 

    ☐ In private

    ☐ In small groups

    ☐ In formal ceremonies

    ☐ Virtually

    ☐ Other: ___________________________ 

  4. Which qualities or actions are you personally most proud of?
    (Open-ended response)
  5. Share a few personal details to help colleagues get to know you better (optional):
    (Examples: hobbies, interests, fun facts)