Recognition is most effective when it's timely, specific, and visible. The goal isn't to say "good job," it's to make sure exceptional work gets seen by the right people, and that the person understands the impact of what they did.
1. Recognize the person directly
Tell them, as close to the moment as possible, what they did, why it was exceptional, the impact it had, and why you appreciate it. Generic praise ("great job") is forgettable, specific praise is not.
2. Tell their manager
If you're not their direct manager, don't assume their manager already knows. Send the name, what they did, the impact, and why it deserves recognition, it gives their manager a chance to fold it into future performance conversations.
3. Recognize them with the team
If it's appropriate to share publicly, recognize them in the team or department channel. Be specific about what happened, not just that something good happened.
4. Recognize them across the organization
For contributions that benefited people outside their immediate team, take it beyond the team, department meeting, newsletter, or wider channel. Answer three things: what did they do, why did it matter, what can others learn from it.
5. Recognize them company-wide, when it's earned
Don't reserve company-wide recognition for executives or headline projects. If someone did exceptional work, make sure the organization knows, this builds visibility for people outside their immediate team and shows what the organization actually values.
6. Send a formal recognition email for the big ones
CC the relevant leaders and stakeholders so the person can see their work has visibility at the leadership level.
Recognition email template
Subject: Recognizing [Employee Name] for exceptional work
Team,
I want to recognize [Employee Name] for the outstanding work they recently did on [project, customer issue, or initiative].
[Employee Name] [specific description of what they did]. Their work resulted in [specific impact or outcome].
What stood out most was [ownership, initiative, collaboration, problem solving, etc.].
Thank you, [Employee Name], for the work you put into this and the impact you made. Please join me in recognizing them for a job well done.
Team,
I want to recognize [Employee Name] for the outstanding work they recently did on [project, customer issue, or initiative].
[Employee Name] [specific description of what they did]. Their work resulted in [specific impact or outcome].
What stood out most was [ownership, initiative, collaboration, problem solving, etc.].
Thank you, [Employee Name], for the work you put into this and the impact you made. Please join me in recognizing them for a job well done.
7. Make it specific
Avoid "great job," "thanks for your hard work," or "awesome, team." Instead, follow the formula: Action + Impact + Leadership Principle. "You did X, which resulted in Y, and it demonstrated Z."
8. Recognition checklist
☐ Tell the employee directly
☐ Tell their manager
☐ Recognize them with their team
☐ Recognize them within the department
☐ Recognize them across the organization, when it's earned
☐ Recognize them company-wide, when it's earned
☐ Send a formal recognition email for significant accomplishments
☐ CC the appropriate leaders and stakeholders
☐ Be specific about what they did and why it mattered
☐ Connect it to the behaviors and values the organization wants to encourage
☐ Tell their manager
☐ Recognize them with their team
☐ Recognize them within the department
☐ Recognize them across the organization, when it's earned
☐ Recognize them company-wide, when it's earned
☐ Send a formal recognition email for significant accomplishments
☐ CC the appropriate leaders and stakeholders
☐ Be specific about what they did and why it mattered
☐ Connect it to the behaviors and values the organization wants to encourage
Don't let great work stay invisible. The bigger the contribution, the wider the recognition should travel: person → manager → team → department → organization → company.