What Employee Recognition Programs Need to Succeed in Local Government

Employee recognition programs give local governments a way to acknowledge staff contributions, build morale, and support retention and engagement. Research from Jo and Shin finds that recognition is the strongest driver of employee engagement, outweighing fairness, involvement, and leadership style.

Gary Beckstrand of O.C. Tanner, a company that produces employee recognition software and services, reports that when recognition is part of everyday culture, employee fulfillment can increase by as much as 366% and sense of workplace community by 208%.

Local governments across Washington have developed recognition programs suited to their size, culture, and community. I spoke with staff from the City of Sumner, Cowlitz County Health and Human Services, the City of Richland, and Lewis County. Their experiences offer practical insight into how these programs are structured, what has worked, and what other jurisdictions might consider.

Employee Recognition in Practice

Here is how four state-based local governments structure employee recognition.

City of Sumner

Sumner’s Employee Recognition Program (chapter 2.116 of the Sumner municipal code) dates to at least 2000 and was updated in 2025 to expand eligibility, add Manager of the Year and Employee of the Year categories, and increase award values. The city’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging committee contributed to the 2025 update. The program is tied to the city’s core values, the same standards used in performance evaluations and quarterly check-ins.

Staff from any department can nominate any other employee. Adrienne McNeilly, Human Resources Manager, says cross-department nominations are common. Nominations include examples of what the employee did and why it mattered, and those details are shared when awards are announced. An online performance system allows supervisors to log acknowledgments throughout the year.

Awards are presented at all-staff meetings. McNeilly notes that many recipients frame and display their awards in their workspaces.

"Sumner’s employee recognition awards are something truly special. They’re not just a program, they’re a reflection of our culture," she said.

Cowlitz County Health and Human Services

Cowlitz County Health and Human Services’ Awards of Excellence program recognize contributions to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and are open to county employees, school staff, community organization workers, and volunteers.

Sue Saxton, Social Services Coordinator, says the program’s goal is community awareness. A selection committee of four staff reviews nominations, with each member selecting a first and second choice per award category. Awards are presented by a county commissioner during the Together We Can Conference. Recipients are notified in advance, may invite guests, and receive a framed certificate and gift card.

“By highlighting this work, we hope to set a high standard that ultimately leads to improved outcomes for those we support,” said Saxon.

Two years ago, eight nominations were submitted for Sarah Anderson, a professional who had passed away before the conference. She was awarded the Outstanding Direct Support Professional Award posthumously, with the award presented to her family. The award was subsequently renamed the Sara Anderson Direct Support Professional Award.

City of Richland

Richland’s Employee Recognition and Appreciation program is organized around the city’s core values of teamwork, integrity, and excellence (T.I.E.). T.I.E. Awards are peer-nominated, with recipients selected by a panel of the previous year’s winners. Hollie Alexander, Communications and Marketing Manager, says this structure provides continuity in the selection process. In a recent year, the program received 46 nominations.

The program includes several additional awards. The Go the Extra Mile (GEM) Award, selected by the executive leadership team, recognizes employees who go above and beyond in their day-to-day work. The Culture Champion Award recognizes employees who embody the citywide culture statement, a product of the city’s Impact Academy leadership development program. The Impact Player Award, selected by the city manager, recognizes an individual whose performance and leadership have had broad organizational impact.

“By intentionally recognizing employees for how they demonstrate our core values, the program reinforces what matters most in our organization and helps employees feel seen and valued for their contributions,” Alexander told me.

The program includes an annual all-staff breakfast attended by around 400 of the city’s 650 employees. The two-hour event includes remarks from the mayor and city manager, milestone anniversary recognition in five-year increments, and videos. Employees with over 30 years of service receive recognition from their department director. The city closes offices until 10:00 a.m. to allow staff to attend.

Lewis County

Lewis County has conducted employee recognition for years, primarily to mark service milestones. About a year ago, the county added a quarterly Employee Spotlight Awards format. Ryan Barrett, county manager, says the change was intended to provide a consistent way to highlight employee contributions throughout the year.

Events are held during the board of county commissioners’ weekly legislative business meeting, which is open to the public. Barrett introduces the Employee Spotlight portion and reads milestone recognitions and nomination summaries. Then, recipients come forward to receive their award, shake hands with commissioners, and pose for a photo. Nominations can come from supervisors, managers, coworkers, or members of the public.

“Staff generally feel appreciated and thankful for the opportunity to be recognized by the Commissioners for their contributions toward making Lewis County a great place to work, and a great community in which to live,” said Barrett.

Developing an Employee Recognition Program

Recognition programs vary in structure and scale—from Richland’s values-based awards and annual all-staff breakfast to Sumner's year-round peer nominations, to Lewis County's quarterly public format. The right approach will depend on organizational size, existing practices, and available resources.

For local governments considering a recognition program, the experiences of these four jurisdictions are a good place to start, and many are willing to share nomination forms and program materials. Recognition programs do not need to be large or elaborate to make a difference. What matters is that employees feel their work is being appreciated.