How to Design Recognition Programs That Scale: Lessons from the Solstice Case Study (2026)

How to Design Recognition Programs That Scale: Lessons from the Solstice Case Study (2026)

Hook: A 62% lift in recognition participation isn't luck. It was process design. Here’s a practical guide HR teams can implement this quarter.

Why recognition matters now

Micro-acknowledgment rituals improve retention, signal culture, and reduce burnout. In hybrid organizations, structured recognition prevents out-of-sight employees from being out-of-mind.

What Solstice did

Solstice Inc. redesigned their recognition workflow to be: automatic, low-friction, and manager-guided. Their case study shows a 62% increase in participation; read the full breakdown at Solstice case study.

Core patterns to replicate

• Automated triggers: Tie recognition prompts to milestone events (first PR merged, customer demo completed).
• Micro-ritual design: Five-minute weekly rituals that encourage public acknowledgment; see hybrid-team ritual strategies in acknowledgment rituals.
• Remove friction: Allow recognition from chat and email with one-click templates.
• Measure participation: Track participation rate, recognition-to-manager ratio, and sentiment lift.

Designing rituals with psychology in mind

Recognition must be timely, specific, and social. Small prompts like 'call out one teammate who helped you this week' encourage concrete examples over vague praise. The contactless compliment design guide provides microcopy templates that reduce support tickets and increase clarity — useful for recognition prompts (Contactless Compliment).

Handling accountability and constructive excuses

Recognition programs can backfire if they elevate performative praise or enable unhelpful blame-shifting. Read the opinion piece on rethinking accountability (Rethinking Accountability) for frameworks that keep recognition constructive.

Operational rollout — 90-day plan

1. Month 1: Run a pilot with three teams using automated triggers and one-click recognition templates.
2. Month 2: Expand to all managers, train them on specificity and timing, and integrate recognition prompts into calendars.
3. Month 3: Measure, iterate, and publish a participation dashboard; celebrate early adopters publicly.

Metrics that matter

• Participation rate (goal: >50% in first quarter)
• Manager-initiated recognitions
• Retention delta among recognized employees
• Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) change

Further reading and tools

Dig into the Solstice case study for design heuristics (nominee.app), ritual design prompts (transform.life), microcopy templates for compliments (contact.top), and accountability frameworks (excuses.life).

Author: Jonah Kim — Head of People Ops. Published 2026-01-05.