Recognition matters most when it's timely. The closer it is to the moment someone does something great, the more it means. But if giving recognition requires switching apps, opening a new tab, or remembering to do it later, it usually doesn't happen at all.
Most teams spend their day in Microsoft Teams chatting, meeting, and collaborating. That's where the work happens. And that's exactly where recognition should happen too.
When recognition lives inside Teams, it stops being a separate task and starts being part of how your team communicates. Someone ships a feature, helps a teammate, or handles a tough situation? You can recognize them right there, in the moment, without breaking your flow.
What gets in the way
Even teams that value recognition struggle to make it stick. Here's what we see most often:
Recognition feels like an extra step. If people have to leave their workflow to say "thank you," many won't. Not because they don't care, but because the friction is just enough to push it off until later and later often means never.
It stays top-down. When recognition depends on managers remembering to do it, most contributions go unnoticed. The people closest to the work peers, collaborators, cross-functional partners often have the clearest view of who's making an impact.
It's invisible to the rest of the team. A private "nice job" is fine. But when recognition is visible to the whole team, it does more: it reinforces what good looks like, it builds connection, and it gives everyone a fuller picture of the work happening around them.
What a recognition-rich Teams experience looks like
Imagine this: your team has a recognition channel in Teams. Throughout the week, people are recognizing each other for real contributions not generic praise, but specific, meaningful shout-outs tied to your company values.
New hires get welcomed by the team. Birthdays and work anniversaries are celebrated automatically. Managers get a nudge when they haven't recognized someone in a while. And during meetings, people can give recognition right in the meeting chat no context-switching required.
Recognition isn't a program people participate in. It's just part of how the team works.
How Bonusly makes this easy
Bonusly brings recognition directly into Microsoft Teams so your team can give, receive, and celebrate without leaving the tools they already use every day.
Give recognition from anywhere in Teams. Use the search bar, send a message in the Bonusly chat, open the Home tab, or give recognition directly from a meeting -- whatever fits the moment.
See recognition where everyone can celebrate it. Recognition posts to your team's channels, so the whole team sees the good work happening around them. Teammates can add on with their own recognition or drop a comment.
Celebrate milestones automatically. Birthdays, work anniversaries, and new hire welcomes happen without anyone needing to remember. The team gets a chance to join in and make it personal.
Keep managers connected. Managers get smart nudges when a direct report hasn't been recognized recently, along with context about what peers have noticed. It's not about checking a box -- it's about making sure great work doesn't go unseen.
Make it part of meetings. Add Bonusly to any meeting chat and recognize someone right there. It's a natural way to close out a standup, wrap up a sprint review, or kick off a team sync.
Earn and redeem rewards. Recognition comes with points that add up. Team members can browse and redeem rewards -- gift cards, donations, company swag -- right from Teams.
Stay in the loop. Monthly reminders let people know when their allowance refreshes and when it's about to reset. Company announcements show up in Teams too, so nothing gets missed.
The result? Recognition becomes a habit, not a task. And your team culture gets stronger every day -- one genuine moment of appreciation at a time.