Employee recognition examples (with writing prompts)

Writing a note of appreciation is hard. Even more so when it feels formalized through an employee recognition platform. While a simple "thank you" is always better than none, adding specific details creates a lasting impact. 

Recognizing an employee or coworker for a job well done goes beyond a compliment. Appreciation builds bonds, makes teams feel seen and increases employee engagement. Better engagement leads to stronger retention, lower absenteeism and stronger performance. 

Thanks to built-in employee engagement platform features like AI and tools like the TIPS method, more employers can help their teams in sending personalized recognitions that feel rewarding and encouraging. 

Here are writing prompts you can share with your team on setting a standard within your employee recognition program. 

How to write a meaningful recognition beyond “great job!”  

Effective recognition should be timely, show impact, feel personal and get specific—otherwise known as TIPS. It’s a handy guide to help you gather your thoughts and write something meaningful. 

If you're not sure where to start, ask yourself, "what do you really mean when you say, 'good job'?" Answering that question can help you better prompt AI. 

Enable AI assistance on your employee engagement platform 

Many recognition tools, like ITA Group's employee engagement platform, offer AI assistance capabilities to help team members develop recognitions with TIPS in mind. If you're using your favorite AI tool like ChatGPT or Copilot, use these as a guide for what to include in your recognition. 

Being recognized should feel special, and that starts by writing beyond a general note of thanks. To make it easier, here are examples of how to elevate different types of recognition with the right prompting. 

Related: How AI helps teams make employee recognition more meaningful 

Using the TIPS method to write employee recognitions 

TIPS is shorthand to help us write meaningful recognitions. It ensures we stick to the details that make recognition more memorable to the receiver: 

Timely: Recognize the team member soon after they exemplify a behavior. Seeing that immediate feedback helps them feel seen. If you send a recognition later, allude to the moment—why were their actions so important or memorable at that time? 

Impact: Highlight the effect that the employee’s behavior had on the company, the project or even just your approach or attitude. Yes, recognize the big wins, but also give a shoutout to those smaller achievements. Small acts often have rippling effects that lead to big wins. 

Personal: Appreciation is a very human feeling, so sending out a thank you should feel genuine. Bring your perspective and explain why that action or behavior stood out for you. 

Specific: Details matter. They make the individual receiving the recognition feel special and seen. Spotlighting what they bring to their responsibilities or tasks tells them you see what they uniquely bring to the table.  

The TIPS structure serves as a jumping-off point that helps you gather your ideas and add notable details specific to the receiver, so your recognition feels empowering and encouraging. 

You can also take your recognition to the next level by understanding the different types. Whether it’s a work anniversary or a core value, knowing the type of recognition and using TIPS as a guide will help you focus on the most important aspects of a team member’s action or behavior. 

Values-based recognition examples 

A values-based recognition ties back to the organization's core values, mission and goals. As an example, a manager might recognize an employee for delivering a huge campaign before a big deadline. That means the team member was very organized with project management, communicated with collaborators to bring it all together, and exemplified values like "Act Like Owners"—yes, this is one of ITA Group's values. 

• If you're writing: "Thank you for working so hard on that project!" 

• Instead, use TIPS to add detail: Be timely. Values-based recognition can happen at any time, so it's important to recognize someone as close to the achievement as possible to reinforce the effort. 

• Prompts to ask yourself: Why was this work, reaction or behavior impactful today? When did it happen? Why did it stay with you as the one recognizing? 

You can issue a values-based recognition any time you see your company's core values in action. It not only encourages the behavior but also gives other employees an example of how that value shows up in their everyday work. 

Related: 10 ways to promote core values in the workplace 

Manager-to-employee recognition examples 

Manager recognition can increase employee engagement by 40%—which also increases their team's confidence and retention. However, since managers oversee entire departments, sometimes smaller wins, like ongoing skill development, can be overlooked compared to results-based achievements, like sales or customer satisfaction scores. 

• If you're writing: "Thank you for knocking it out of the park!" 

• Instead, use TIPS to add detail: Consider impact and be specific. Connect the recognition to a person’s overall effort to the result or meaningful outcome. 

• Prompts to ask yourself: Why is this behavior or action so important to highlight as an example for the team? How did this impact my team or our goals? Why did it have such an influence on XYZ? 

When used effectively, managers can use recognition to nurture growth, encourage development and re-engage their employees. 

Peer-to-peer recognition examples 

We rely on our peers every day. We build connections with jokes during downtime and get support when we're stressed or have questions. When we recognize our coworkers and collaborators, we build bonds, instilling a deeper sense of camaraderie and trust. 

• If you're writing: "Thanks for the help!" 
• Instead, use TIPS to add detail: Personalize your recognition. Connect the recognition to their effort and how it resulted in a meaningful outcome for you. 
• Prompts to ask yourself: Was there an important memory attached to this support? How did you feel when your coworker offered help? What did it mean to you when your peer offered guidance? 

We chat with our peers regularly and they often know us best. Personalizing our peer recognitions helps us build team bonds and reinforces positive company culture. 

Milestone recognition examples 

Work anniversary awards or milestone recognitions acknowledge an employee's contributions to an organization. This form of recognition shows your employees that you're invested in their professional growth, along with how they feel at work. Go beyond a simple acknowledgement of X number of years and get into those big wins or milestones during their tenure. Remember, their development coincides with the growth and changes of your organization too. 

• If you're writing: "Thank you for your service!" 
• Instead, use TIPS to add detail: Get specific anecdotes and wins. Highlight wins, reflect on where they started and acknowledge what progress they’ve made. 
• Prompts to ask yourself: What has changed since this employee first started? What have they achieved (big or small) in the time they've been with your organization? How has it impacted the overall team? 

Tenure says a lot about your employer brand and work environment. By being specific with employee recognition, you highlight the impact one employee can have on your team or company, showing how your organization values its people. 

Related: How to meaningfully celebrate employee work anniversaries 

Get started with meaningful employee recognition and AI 

Employee recognition is a powerful tool. Expressing gratitude shows you're aware of that team member's skill, hard work and efforts. Yet in the moment, it can be difficult to know what to write to express meaningful appreciation. 

Crafting effective recognition starts with our personal experience in our organizations, our relationships with our peers and our knowledge of our day-to-day. Tools like AI shouldn’t replace our important connections, but they can enhance how we consolidate all of that information so we can recognize each other more meaningfully and often. 

Want to see how technology and AI can transform employee engagement across your organization? Check out our five-step road map to create a culture of recognition.