Employee Recognition Moves From Transactional Rewards To Human-Centered Connection

Many organizations still treat employee recognition as a system of transactional perks and programs, but a more human-centered approach redefines it as something simpler: the empathetic practice of noticing people. True recognition, then, is observing when a colleague’s workload is too much, when they are experiencing loneliness, or when something at home is influencing how they show up at work. In this view, recognition is not merely an HR function, but a deeply human act.

Bridgette McCullough, MPH, is a leading voice putting this new philosophy into practice. As the Director of Employee Experience at Cityblock Health, a company in the top 5% of healthcare organizations for DEIB and wellbeing, her unique lens comes from a background in public health. She makes the case that the way leaders show appreciation impacts not only productivity but also employee retention and, just as importantly, how their work affects them when they go home at the end of the day.

“Meaningful recognition shows someone that they matter, not just that their work matters. It shows the impact they are having and it connects that to what comes next,” says McCullough. But good intentions aren’t enough; leaders need a method. Cityblock’s playbook has three core rules that make recognition more meaningful.

• See the whole person: “This is about recognizing each other for not just the work that we do, but also the people that we are,” she says. When recognition includes emotional load, personal context, and moments of strain, it signals that employees are seen as humans first, not just contributors.

• Show the impact: Making invisible work visible helps teams in support functions understand how their contributions move the organization forward, even when the results aren’t immediate or public. “It matters especially when you think about certain roles where they might not be seeing the impact outright,” McCullough explains.

• Focus on forward: The message should be future-focused, explaining how a contribution will have a lasting positive effect on the organization, a project, or even a colleague personally. “If you can work in how this is going to have a positive impact moving forward, it becomes much more meaningful,” she continues.

What makes this approach so powerful is that it’s accessible to any leader because, as McCullough notes, tweaking the way we say things doesn’t cost anything. But she warns that a generic one-size-fits-all approach can backfire, as preferences can vary widely. A more effective approach involves building systems that make personalization a core part of the company culture from day one.

• One size fits one: McCullough knows this firsthand, noting that while she loves public shout-outs, her direct report does not share that sentiment. To ensure recognition is well-received, she advises employers to simply ask. “We have a document for our new hires called ‘Working With Me,’ where we ask about how they like to receive recognition. They share this with their leader, and that establishes the norm right from the beginning.”

To make recognition a cultural norm, McCullough’s team launched a campaign called Light Up The Block, a pass-it-on recognition initiative designed to spark everyday moments of appreciation. The most distinctive element was the collective reward: if the organization reached 50% participation, everyone received limited-edition swag, regardless of whether they took part. By removing individual competition, the campaign reframed recognition as a shared responsibility rather than a personal achievement. It also helped the behavior sustain itself because, as McCullough notes, “recognition doesn’t just benefit the person receiving it. It’s powerful for the person giving it, too.” It’s that positive feedback loop that keeps people engaged.

• The empathy dividend: The focus on culture isn’t just a feel-good strategy; it has a direct impact on the bottom line. By making the case that empathy and productivity are directly connected, McCullough shows how investing in the employee experience can be one of the most effective financial decisions a company can make. “We actually measured it. We looked at retention and productivity, and we saw a $1,200,000 annual ROI for what we were investing. And we’re not investing a lot; a lot of these efforts are not expensive.”

• AI for authenticity: While you might assume a “radically human” approach would be anti-tech, you’d be wrong. Cityblock’s People Team has embraced AI as a practical tool for more human work, and McCullough encourages employees to use it to overcome a common barrier to meaningful feedback: simply not knowing what to say. “You can take our three-part framework and feed it into a prompt, asking it to craft a message that shows the person matters, demonstrates their impact, and is future-focused,” she notes. “As long as the core message is authentic and specific, AI can be a great support for overcoming that hurdle.”

These efforts all contribute to Cityblock’s “radically human” ecosystem, designed to extend beyond celebrating work, ensuring people are seen, supported, and not alone. To foster the underlying connection this requires, Cityblock hosts live Building the Block sessions where employees discuss challenges like imposter syndrome and navigating change. For those who prefer a different mode of engagement, an internal podcast called Radically Human features employee guests, allowing colleagues to connect on their own time.

“These are live sessions where we bring people together around different topics they might be challenged with. What these do is allow people to connect with and learn from each other, but also to feel seen and recognized in whatever it is they’re experiencing,” McCullough explains. “They can hear from one another and go, ‘Gosh, I’m not alone in this.'”