A wonderful way to make everyone at work feel liked is by putting together an employee spotlight program. You want to show the great things that your team members are doing and help people get to know each other better. The best part is it doesn’t have to be tough at all. You can make it easy by featuring different employees in your company newsletter on social media. You can also give them a shout-out at your regular team meetings.
One thing is you have to be real and show voices from every corner of your organization. That’s what makes your spotlight program successful. Suddenly people who maybe felt a little ignored are recognized for the things they bring to the table. That’s how you build a culture where everyone feels appreciated.
First off you should think about the things that count for your company and use those to help you pick who to feature. Then have people tell their stories in a way that’s engaging and finally remember to be welcoming! Make sure everyone has a chance to be their best.
If you keep those things in mind then you’ll be well on your way to creating a recognition program. It’ll bring out the best in your team. It’ll be a real improvement. Let’s make it happen together!
Diversify Representation And Roles
It paints a more accurate picture of who you are as a company. You might want to make sure that you’re featuring people from all backgrounds of experience. Your spotlights should be a true reflection of the diversity in your organization. The spotlights that people can’t get enough of are the ones that strike a balance.
They talk about someone’s job and share their personal story too. Don’t be afraid to ask about their hobbies, the volunteer work they do or fun facts about their life outside of the office. Those personal tidbits are what make profiles more relatable to read.
You might just be surprised by what talents are hidden in your team. The format of your spotlights is as real as what’s actually in them.
Some people could be at their best in a video interview. However, others are more comfortable with a written Q&A. You should give your team a few different formats to choose from. That way, even the more introverted members of your team won’t feel too stressed about participating. Oh, and one more thing – never try to force someone to be in the spotlight if they don’t want to.
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Some people just value their privacy and like working behind the scenes. Always get permission before featuring an employee in any kind of company communication. Respecting people’s boundaries goes a long way in building trust in your program. If you want your spotlight program to get results, consistency matters. Pick a schedule and follow it, whether it’s every week or every month.
But if you’re inconsistent (or just stop doing them altogether), it sends the message that recognizing your team isn’t a big part of this for you. And finally, don’t underestimate the power of a good distribution strategy. The more places you share those spotlights, the better. Think about posting them on your intranet when you send them out in a company newsletter or even featuring them on your social media channels so different people can get their information in different ways. Sharing in multiple places helps to make sure everyone gets a chance to see each feature.
Use Different Formats
You can make your employee spotlight program more fun by switching up the formats you use. If you always do things the same way the people reading the spotlights and the employees being featured will probably get bored fast. An idea is to alternate between things like written interviews, videos and social media shout-outs as your program goes on. Change things up like this and you connect better with different people in your company who like to get content in their own ways.
Videos are a great way to show off someone’s personality that might not come through as well in text. On the other hand, written profiles give you the chance to learn about someone’s backstory and accomplishments on a deeper level. They’re also good for letting more introverted team members take the spotlight in a way that feels comfortable for them. Spotlights on social media are perfect for generating quick engagement and eyes on your content. Even just posting a photo with an interesting fact or quote can get people talking all across the company. These quick shout-outs work especially well for recognizing smaller wins or celebrating work anniversaries. They invite people to interact by leaving comments and sharing the post.
Before you pick your formats, take a second to remember which places your employees actually visit. There’s no point in writing up profiles on the company intranet if barely anyone checks it. Instead, match your content to the places where your people already hang out. That could mean making posts for Slack, Teams, or even that bulletin board in the break room. Always ask the employees being featured which format they like best because some people freeze up when a camera is pointed at them. They’re eloquent writers when talking about their experiences.
Others may have a harder time expressing themselves in writing, but they light up in a conversation. Letting people have a say in how they’re showcased shows that you respect their comfort levels. Don’t feel like every spotlight has to be the same length or style. A senior leader deserves a profile, while a brand-new hire gets just a shout-out. Someone who’s led the charge on a big project should get more coverage than a quick shout-out to the team. Always customize your strategy to the situation and the person you’re featuring.
Reflect Company Culture
You want your employee spotlights to feel real, not forced. I learned that the hard way at my old job. The company tried doing employee features. But you could tell they were just going through the motions. It felt so staged that it actually made people feel worse, not better.
A good way to design questions for these spotlights is by remembering the things your company cares about.
Let’s say being innovative is part of your culture. You’d want to ask people things like how they come up with ideas or about a time they took a chance on something new. If your spotlights don’t match what everyone feels at work every day, people will pick up on that.
Studies have shown that when a company’s culture lines up with its values, the people who work there are more satisfied with their jobs. It’s a big boost for your team to see their coworkers living out the principles your company stands for. One thing you want to watch out for is trying too hard to make these spotlights into some branding thing. Nothing will kill the realness faster than making people talk in corporate language or twisting their stories into some kind of ad.
The spotlights that hit home the most are the ones where people get to speak in their own voice about things they’ve actually gone through. Real beats polished every time. Mix it up in terms of who you feature. Get people from different teams and levels – the whole deal. It’ll show your values run deep in every corner of the company.
The newer people have a fresh take on things that can get everyone thinking about the culture in a new way. Then you have the people who’ve been around forever. They can tell you about how the values have stayed strong even as the company has changed. Don’t be afraid to let people get personal and tell you about how the values connect to their own lives. Those human moments are the ones that stick with you the most. They take these big ideas and turn them into real examples your team can relate to and shoot for in their own way.
Promote Inclusive Participation
You can get your employees to volunteer for your spotlight program. But it could be tough because some people love the center of attention. Others would probably hide under their desks rather than share personal stories. Remember that you might have shy team members or ones who treasure their privacy, and you don’t want them to feel pressured or ignored.
The best way to create a safe environment is by communicating. Make sure you tell your employees what the spotlight means and how you’ll be sharing their stories. Let them review and approve the content before it goes public so they feel respected.
Another good idea is to offer different ways to participate that work with their comfort levels. For example, they can do written profiles, video interviews, or spotlight whole teams instead of individuals. I should also point out that giving people choices that match their personality matters.
A nomination process instead of just asking for volunteers could help because your talented employees often downplay their achievements and never put themselves forward. When peers nominate each other, it shows those hidden gems that make your company special and gets rid of the awkwardness of self-promotion. Sharing success stories can help – when employees see the positive results from past spotlights, they’re more likely to participate themselves. I was terrified of being featured until I saw how my colleague’s spotlight improved her confidence and helped her make connections across departments.
Remember that consent has to be real, and employees should never feel that their job security or team standing depends on their participation. Make it clear that declining won’t affect their performance reviews or advancement. True consent only exists when people feel like saying no is a real option and incentives can help.
But you have to choose incentives wisely. Instead of material rewards, think about benefits like making a donation to their favorite charity. This approach doesn’t feel like bribing and extends their results. Cultural backgrounds can greatly affect how comfortable people are with sharing personal facts, as some cultures put a higher emphasis on modesty than others. Be sensitive to these differences and avoid assumptions because what feels comfortable to you might feel very invasive to someone else.
Level Up Your Incentives and Rewards
Looking at ways to make your workplace better shows that the little things can be the most impactful. I’ve seen it happen lots of times. A recognition program can change how a team works together and give everyone’s morale a boost. People just light up when they feel like their work is being seen and liked.
If you look closely, celebrating different types of talent in your team can be wonderful. I read about a company that started putting a spotlight on their behind-the-scenes team. The response they got was great! People from every department started to gain a new level of appreciation for coworkers they’d barely even seen before. Your team might get more out of celebrations of big wins or might respond better to stories of performers who are resolving problems.
The nice thing is you have the freedom to try out different ideas and see what strikes a chord with your team’s culture. The tough part is striking the right balance – you want to have enough structure to keep things fair. But you also want to leave room for recognition that feels authentic. If things go right these programs almost take on a life of their own. Everyone is excited to participate and learn about the people they work with.
And if you’re looking for ways to take your business to the next level, that’s what we specialize in at Level 6. We have experience in helping businesses improve their sales team’s performance and keeping their employees happy.
We offer services like branded debit cards, employee rewards programs, and custom-built incentive programs. We can put together a package that’s just right for your business needs. Our whole focus is on creating programs that deliver real results and get you the good results you’re looking for. If you’re interested in seeing how we help you boost your ROI and sales, just reach out to us. We’ll set you up with a free demo!
Claudine is the Chief Relationship Officer at Level 6. She holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology. Her experience includes working as a certified conflict mediator for the United States Postal Service, a human performance analyst for Accenture, an Academic Dean, and a College Director. She is currently an adjunct Professor of Psychology at Southern New Hampshire University. With over 20 years of experience, she joined Level 6 to guide clients seeking effective ways to change behavior and, ultimately, their bottom line.
