In a world where company culture is often defined more by actions than mission statements, one question continues to challenge even the most forward-thinking leaders: How do you make your company values more than just words on a wall?
The answer? Recognition.
When done right, recognition doesn’t just boost morale—it becomes the living, breathing expression of a company’s values. And that’s where Karma steps in. With built-in tools to align every shoutout, kudos, and celebration with your core principles, Karma helps companies turn values into habits and habits into culture.
In this article, we’ll dive into why value-based recognition is critical in the modern workplace, how it transforms employee engagement, and how Karma makes it easy and effective at scale.
Why Company Values Matter More Than Ever
It’s not news that values matter—but they’ve never mattered more.
Today’s employees, especially millennials and Gen Z, want to work for companies that stand for something. According to Deloitte, 77% of millennials say a company’s purpose is part of why they chose to work there, and nearly 70% of Gen Z employees want their values to align with their employer’s.
But here’s the catch: values are only meaningful when they’re visible.
Too often, company values are rolled out during onboarding and then forgotten. They live in slide decks and websites, but not in daily decisions or team behavior. That’s where the disconnect begins—and disengagement follows.
Recognition, especially when aligned with values, bridges that gap by connecting ideals with everyday actions.
The Power of Value-Based Recognition
Recognition that’s tied to company values isn’t just a feel-good gesture. It’s a strategic tool for:
✅ Reinforcing the behaviors you want to see
When someone is publicly acknowledged for “putting the customer first” or “leading with integrity,” it signals to everyone else: This is what we value. This is what good looks like.
✅ Making values practical and actionable
Abstract concepts like “collaboration” or “innovation” become real when tied to specific contributions. Recognition gives context and clarity.
✅ Building a cohesive, consistent culture
When every team, across departments and time zones, celebrates the same values, it creates alignment. Everyone moves in the same direction.
✅ Driving performance and engagement
According to Gallup, employees who feel their values align with their organization are 5 times more likely to feel engaged at work. And companies with high engagement see 21% higher profitability.
How Karma Brings Company Values to Life
At Karma, we believe recognition should be more than a reaction—it should be a reflection of what your company stands for. That’s why we’ve built powerful features that let teams recognize each other through the lens of your values.
Here’s how Karma helps:
🏷️ Tag Recognitions with Custom Values
When sending kudos through Karma—whether in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or on the web—users can select from a predefined list of company values. For example:
- “Thanks, Maya, for going the extra mile to support the team. Total collaboration in action!”
- “Shoutout to Marcus for handling a difficult client call with grace—customer-first excellence!”
This simple tagging system connects real behavior to abstract values, reinforcing culture in real-time.
📊 Visualize Value Alignment with Dashboards
Karma’s analytics give leaders a pulse on how often values are being recognized across the org.
- Are some values underrepresented?
- Is one department great at celebrating “innovation” but lagging in “inclusion”?
- Are new hires engaging with the values early on?
These insights help you steer culture intentionally and give meaningful feedback to teams.
🔄 Close the Loop on Values in Performance Reviews
Because Karma tracks value-tagged recognitions, it becomes a rich source of qualitative data for performance reviews and 1:1s.
Rather than vague assessments, managers can reference actual moments:
“You were recognized 6 times this quarter for demonstrating ownership—let’s talk about how we can build on that.”
It brings fairness and clarity to evaluations, while reinforcing what matters most.
🧩 Seamless Integrations for Natural Recognition
One of the reasons values fall flat is because recognition happens in disconnected tools—email threads, spreadsheets, or only during all-hands meetings.
Karma changes that by integrating directly into your team’s daily workflow:
- Slack and Microsoft Teams bots make value-driven recognition as easy as sending a message.
- Mobile access ensures that frontline, remote, and on-the-go workers can participate too.
- Karma points and leaderboards gamify the experience, encouraging consistent use.
Recognition becomes part of your team’s rhythm—not an HR chore.
Real Results: The Impact of Value-Based Recognition
📈 Boost in Cultural Alignment
Companies that implement value-tagging in Karma see, on average, a 30–40% increase in employee-reported alignment with company values over 6 months.
🧠 Stronger Brand Identity
Internally, people begin to speak the same cultural language. Externally, candidates and customers see values in action—not just marketing.
💬 Employee Testimonials
“Before Karma, our values felt vague. Now, they’re in every Slack channel. You can actually feel the culture shift.” — Zoe, Head of People
“We’ve seen more recognition for inclusion, which tells us we’re making progress toward a more welcoming environment.” — Dev, Diversity & Culture Manager
Making the Most of Karma’s Value Alignment
To get the full impact of value-based recognition, we recommend:
- Clearly define your values with short, actionable descriptions.
- Limit your list to 5–7 values to avoid dilution.
- Educate teams during onboarding and refreshers on how to recognize using values.
- Celebrate value alignment in town halls, newsletters, and leadership shoutouts.
- Use Karma analytics to identify cultural strengths and gaps.
Looking Ahead: Values as a Competitive Advantage
In a time of uncertainty, values offer stability. In a global workforce, values offer connection. In a crowded market, values offer differentiation.
By aligning recognition with your values, you don’t just build a better culture—you build a more resilient, purpose-driven business.
And with Karma, doing that is simple, scalable, and actually fun.
Final Thought: Recognition Makes Values Real
Company values aren’t defined by posters or intranets. They’re defined by people—what they do, how they treat each other, and what they celebrate.
Karma makes it easy for those celebrations to happen, in a way that reinforces what your company stands for every single day.
Because when recognition reflects values, culture becomes more than a concept—it becomes a shared experience.
Ready to bring real-time recognition into your team’s daily workflow? Try Karma and start building a stronger, happier culture—one kudos at a time. 💬💙
Why Recognition Will Shape the Future of Teamwork