Did you know that 91% of HR workers agree that recognition and reward positively affect employee retention? If companies want to keep their employees longer and promote a positive workplace environment, employee recognition is the way to go. Finding the right words to show genuine appreciation can be tough, which is why we’ve curated a list of inspirational recognition quotes that you can include in a recognition message. There are different quotes to cover different tones, so let’s dive in.
Tips for Writing Recognition Quotes and Messages
Writing a recognition message doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you get started, you’ll find that writing recognition messages for fellow employees can be rewarding and fun. Here are some tips to help you curate the best recognition messages to help the recipient feel genuinely valued and appreciated.
Read More: How To Write A Shout-Out
Timing Is Everything
The timing of the recognition message matters because it can significantly impact the recipient’s response/effectiveness. Try to send the recognition message soon after you recognize someone’s effort or achievement. Sending it sooner also helps reinforce positive behavior and motivate the recipient. Consistently timely recognition helps foster a culture of appreciation and sets the tone for the rest of the company.
Be Genuine
Imagine working extremely hard on a project and being proud of your work. Soon after, your employer sends an email to you: “Great job on the project! Thanks for your hard work.” While that may be nice, it could be more genuine and specific. Now, imagine that you received the following message:
“Hey [your name here], great work last week on [name of project]; your hard work truly impacted the project’s completion. I noticed you put in extra hours, and we are all so grateful for your dedication to getting the job done.” In the words of Sue Fitzmaurice, “Being told you’re appreciated is one of the simplest and most uplifting things you can hear.” This message helps you know that we truly value your contributions to last week’s project and overall.”
That message is genuine and direct, providing specifics on why the employee was being recognized. This specificity helps the recognition message truly hit home and will make an impact on the recipient.
Find The Right Quote
To make a recognition message personal and impactful, there are many different quotes you could include. Here are some tips to help find the correct quote to use:
- Remember who you’re sending it to. Are you sending it to a peer, manager, or employee? Consider their contributions and the reason why you’re recognizing them.
- What are the recipient’s preferences? Would they prefer a formal quote or something more light-hearted?
- Decide if you want an inspirational quote or one that is specific to the achievement they’ve accomplished.
- Choose a quote you can sincerely stand behind to help the authenticity of your message.
- Add a personal note of why you chose the quote and how it relates to the employee’s efforts.
Personalize It
Finally, make sure you personalize the message by using their name and being specific about what you recognize them for. Generalities make for an ineffective recognition message. Using their name and other details helps to make the message more authentic and resonant.
21 Recognition Quotes to Use at Work
Quotes About Teamwork
- Helen Keller: “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”
- Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.”
- Michael Jordan: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
Quotes About Innovation
- Steve Jobs: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
- Albert Einstein: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
- Tim Cook: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Quotes About Leadership
- John Quincy Adams: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
- Peter Drucker: “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
- John C. Maxwell: “A leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
Quotes About Hard Work
- Vince Lombardi: “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
- Thomas Edison: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just once more.”
Quotes About Achievement
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
- Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Tony Robbins: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”
Quotes About Performance
- Henry Ford: “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”
- Steve Jobs: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
- Aristotle: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Quotes About Positive Attitude
- Dalai Lama: “In order to carry out positive actions, we must develop a positive vision here.”
- John C. Maxwell: “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
- Charles R. Swindoll: “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”
5 Employee Recognition Message Ideas
Finding the right quote is the start of a great recognition message; now, you need to write the message itself to accompany the quote. Here are five messages to get you started.
- “To [manager’s name], you are more than just a manager; you are a mentor, role model, and source of inspiration. We are grateful to have you guiding us toward success and a bright future in our careers. Thank you for all you do.”
- “[Employee name], congratulations on your stellar performance with the [project name/details]. You didn’t give up and showed great initiative through the roadblocks. I appreciate your dedication to the project! You are an invaluable member of [company name].”
- “[Employee name], I want to express my appreciation for your outstanding teamwork skills. Your willingness to go above and beyond to support your colleagues does not go unnoticed. You’re a great example; keep up the outstanding work!”
- “Shoutout to [coworker’s name] for always having a positive attitude no matter what challenges come your way. Your smiles and encouragement have gotten me through many difficult days, and I’m so grateful to have you as a colleague.”
- “Hey, [Boss’s Name], thank you for your exceptional leadership. Your guidance and support have made a huge difference in my transition to this new role. I have appreciated your advice and guidance and am grateful to have you as my manager.”
Read more: How to Write a Peer Recognition Message.
Ways To Use Employee Recognition Quotes
Appreciation quotes are wonderful because the sender can do much more than include one in a handwritten note. Thanks to technology, employees can use many platforms to send a recognition message to thank someone for a valuable workplace contribution. Here are a few ideas:
Kudoboard Group Card
Kudoboard makes giving shoutouts and recognition messages easy and fun. When using Kudoboard, employees and management can create an online group card to send to a fellow employee to show gratitude, say congrats, or share any other message. A Kudoboard is the best option for giving your employees a place to acknowledge and appreciate each other virtually. You can also add images, video clips, or GIFs to your message.
Shout Out In Meetings
An easy way to recognize employees is to simply let them know in a team meeting. Announcing your recognition message in the team meeting gives public praise to the recipient and is free. Giving an employee a shout-out in a team meeting not only helps reinforce positive behavior among other employees but also boosts morale and sets a positive tone for the meeting.
Slack
Companies and teams can create a channel dedicated to shoutouts, or you can give a shoutout to a team member in your team channel or send it directly to them in a personal message. Don’t forget that Kudoboard effortlessly integrates with Slack to help employee shoutouts move even more smoothly.
Another great way to give a recognition message is through LinkedIn, which is the professional side of social media. Companies can provide shoutouts to outstanding employees on their page, or individuals can tag their coworkers or management to give them a shoutout on their page. Recognizing peers on LinkedIn is also great for networking and creating a positive professional persona online.
Many of us open dozens of emails daily, most of which are dull or necessary tasks that can get tedious. Sending a recognition message in an email (a group team email for public praise or an individual email to make it more intimate) is a great way to uplift someone and make their inbox a little brighter.
Company Newsletters
If your company sends out a company newsletter, consider a spot to feature outstanding employees for an exceptional contribution or unwavering commitment to company values. Using the company newsletter to recognize employees is an easy and cost-effective way to boost morale, encourage peer-to-peer recognition, and create a stronger appreciation culture.
Read More: 12 Employee Recognition Boards to Boost Culture
Foster A Culture Of Recognition
Once you start recognizing people regularly, creating a culture of appreciation gets a whole lot easier—and way more rewarding for everyone involved. Teams that celebrate wins (big or small), encourage peer shout-outs, and make space for genuine gratitude tend to thrive. We’re talking better morale, stronger team bonds, higher engagement, and yes—people actually want to stick around.
Looking for a recognition program that’s easy to use, tracks what matters, and makes your team feel valued? Kudoboard’s got you. No matter your company size, there’s a plan that fits.
Power up employee recognition today
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