5 Ways to Make Employee Recognition Fun and Straightforward

Employee recognition often gets brought up in a connotation of something that could be a neat add-on to the existing internal...

April 29, 2021
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Employee recognition often gets brought up in a connotation of something that could be a neat add-on to the existing internal culture. The pros for doing it are that it is a great way to show value and appreciation for the employees, boost internal morale, and be a differentiator when hiring. The cons are the costs, the challenge of onboarding and implementing a new tool, and the stickiness of the program, aka how likely are employees to still use it in 6 months. 

Don’t fret! Employee recognition doesn’t need to be daunting or challenging. Let’s look at 5 common objections and discover ways to make the program fun, exciting, and internally sticky. 

  1. “I do not want to spend time on learning how this works.”

    There is an abundance of tools out there aiming to make the employees’ lives and experience better. Plenty of companies go through short trials and onboarding to realize that their employee stops using the tool within the next few months. The reason for the drop-off is quite simple - stickiness and ease of use. This is especially true for employee recognition software. If the employee experience is not seamless or familiar, they will not use it long term.

    We’ve all had the experience with tools that are very beautiful but do not become second nature.

    At Assembly, we’ve kept this in mind with the new recognition flow look. It has a very familiar process (there is most likely a tool with the same format that you use already), fun that doesn’t feel forced, making it stickier with employees, and close to no learning curve.
  2. “One size does not fit all.”

    The concept of employee recognition is not new. It is a known fact that people like to feel valued and appreciated, leading to better employees. What is a newer concept is going beyond kudos or cash rewards as a way to show appreciation. Cash might still be king, but it is not one solution for all situations. Allowing employees to pick a reward the resonates the most with them is a beautiful gift any organization can give.

    For this reason, Assembly has an entire catalog of rewards - raging from cultural like getting an extra day off or having lunch with an executive of your choice to gift cards, swag, and charity donations. Assembly encourages the continuous recognition loop by giving people an opportunity to pick something they care about having.
  3. “Don’t make me use another tool.”

    Do you roll your eyes when you get an email that says the company is implementing another tool? Tool fatigue is absolutely real. With the variety of options available, it can be tough to switch between solutions on even branch out. The best tools are the ones that do not require extra effort. They become a part of your already existing routine, thus saving you additional steps.

    When it comes to employee recognition, to truly make it a part of the routine, it needs to seamlessly integrate with the existing tools that employees use - like Slack and MS Teams. Assembly lets you recognize and show appreciation for your peers in any Slack or Teams channel for the most convenience and simplicity. No tool fatigue here!
  4. “Don’t put me in a silo“

    Appreciation and recognition are very satisfying but amplifying it and making it public can be genuinely motivating. One of the problems with bonuses and performance review kudos is that they are siloed and outside of the manager, and the employee knows one knows about it. More often than not, the manager is not the one who has the most contact with an employee and might not have visibility into some of the work that gets done.

    Assembly’s goal is to empower teams to show appreciation for each other more and share it publicly. There is a sense of unity in knowing how hard everyone is working and having visibility into achievements. It makes getting to the goals feel like a team sport rather than an individual battle.
  5. “So what”

    Employee recognition is great, but so what. What does it actually do that is so valuable? The workplace environment is full of relationships, and any good relationship is based on mutual respect and appreciation. Assembly makes employee recognition into the workplace version of the catalog of love languages. It allows employees to show and celebrate their achievements in the way that speaks the most to them. Happy people make happy employees, and they do successful businesses.

Assembly is focused on opening the door to what recognition could look like, and the new recognition flow is just a first step. Check out below:


Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

Explore Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

Is there a free version of Assembly?

Yes. We offer a completely free plan for up to 50 team members. This plan is intended for teams or organizations that are looking to get started with an employee engagement tool. Keep in mind, this plan is limited in features.

All customers can open an Assembly account for free and get started without a credit card. Then you can change plans as necessary.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

Could find the answer you are looking for?

Please schedule time with an expert and we will help you to get all your questions answered