state of Employee Recognition 2025

What people want from a recognition program in the age of AI

Get the full report to Learn how to help your teams:

Increase program adoption

Make each recognition moment meaningful

Deliver impactful awards

Integrate AI without undermining your efforts

Download Now

In workplaces dominated by tech and productivity apps, employees want human connection more than ever.

How can we use recognition to connect people and improve the employee experience?

We turned to employees to find out.

Researchers at the O.C. Tanner Institute surveyed

2,815

individuals in five countries

United States

Canada

Australia

India

United Kingdom

plus Focus groups of employees, leaders, and HR professionals across the U.S.

What employees said:

The most meaningful recognition enhances human connection without replacing it.

As AI becomes more pervasive, people are missing in-person interactions.

Employees want recognition that is authentic and personalized.

Integrated recognition strengthens engagement, retention, and wellbeing.

Get the full report.

Download Now

Theme 1

The most impactful recognition is integrated

Sadly, only 21% of organizations worldwide practice it.

Integrated recognition is commonplace, visible, frequent, and available to everyone in the flow of work.

Workplace cultures with integrated recognition are 5x more likely to help employees feel connected to their organization and 12x more likely to thrive when employees feel connected.

Companies with integrated recognition have 81% decreased odds
of employee burnout

Theme 2

One powerful component of integrated recognition: Symbolism

Awards with symbolic value directly amplify the impact of recognition. When a symbolic award communicates a company’s purpose, its meaningfulness to the employee increases 10x. When it shares how the employee made a difference at work, meaningfulness rises 11x. And when an award conveys that an employee’s contributions are valued, meaningfulness jumps 12x.

In-person recognition is also key

Our research shows 70% of employees believe technology is important to the success of their company’s recognition program, but 74% see a future where in-person recognition becomes the dominant practice.

Millennial and Gen Z workers are 3x more likely to say that receiving a symbolic award is a career highlight

Theme 3

Employees are optimistic and nervous about AI

According to our studies, 55% of workers say AI can improve the recognition experience and nearly 60% believe AI can help them create better recognition messages.

That said, nearly two-thirds fear AI will make recognition less personal. AI will serve organizations best when it supports, rather than replaces, authentic human connection.

of employees fear AI will make recognition less personal

What’s next?

The full State of Employee Recognition report contains a wealth of additional details and recommendations. Of course, leveraging any insights requires a good plan. And we’re ready to help with that, too.

Download the Report

Industries