Social Ties Lead to ROI: The State of Employee Recognition in 2026

Welcome to O.C. Tanner's Culture by Design podcast, where we discuss the research, practices, and strategies that help employees thrive at work.

This episode, Daniel Patterson and Dr. Cristen Dalessandro from the O.C. Tanner Institute share the top findings from the latest State of Employee Recognition report.  

Many organisations right now are focused on automation and productivity above all else. But, for employees to feel willing to invest their time, efforts, and ideas in your organisation, they need to feel your organisation is willing to invest in them too.

When it comes to all the ways your organisation can signal to your people that you are committed to their growth and development, recognition is a game changer. Employee recognition, when done well, amplifies interpersonal connections that have a profound impact not just on how employees feel at work, but how they work at work. ‍

Takeaways

1. Social ties determine ROI. If you want to increase employee performance and see production and innovation accelerate, then you must invest in integrated recognition that builds powerful workplace relationships.

2. Peer-to-peer recognition is a team-building strategy. Recognition from leaders to employees has a big impact on things like performance and engagement, but encouraging peer-to-peer recognition practices can also help increase connection, build trust on teams, and ultimately unite your teams to reach important goals.

3. Elevate your employee recognition programme with Recognition Champions. Whether you have a new programme that you’re trying to get off the ground or a long-running programme that you need to energise, employees that embrace, encourage, and champion recognition are one of your greatest assets when it comes to making recognition a part of your company’s way of life.

The Culture by Design podcast is created by O.C. Tanner, the global leader in software and services that improve workplace culture through meaningful employee recognition.  

If you want your organisation to become a place where people can’t wait to come to work in the morning, go to octanner.com.