The employee experience isn’t shaped by a single program, policy, or initiative. More often, it’s the everyday moments that leave the biggest impression—a manager who takes time to listen, a colleague who steps in to help, a leader who acts on feedback, or a simple expression of appreciation that makes someone feel seen.
These everyday interactions go beyond our formal Employee Experience Action Planning process and can influence how connected people feel to their work, their teams, and the University. They build trust, strengthen engagement, and help create an environment where employees can do their best work.
Over the course of his career, Senior Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Dan Salamone has led many efforts that support the employee experience at the University. We recently spoke with Dan about the impact recognition can have on the employee experience and our overall University culture.
Dan, you oversee our recognition team at the University. Can you tell us about the importance of recognition on the employee experience?
Yes, thank you. Recognition is an important part of creating a positive work experience. It makes people feel valued by not only celebrating and acknowledging their effort but also bringing visibility to their great work—not just the results. The most meaningful recognition often comes from timely, genuine acknowledgment and appreciation for contributions that might otherwise not be talked about. Those moments – repeated over time – create a more satisfying work experience.
Consistent recognition of good work promotes relationships among peers and managers while reinforcing behaviors that lead to success. Recognition encourages people to bring their best because it is valued.
What role does the employee experience have in helping to shape our organizational culture?
Employee experience influences everything we do. It’s essential that we create an environment where people feel supported, connected, and able to do their best work. It includes things like listening to our team members, encouraging career growth and development opportunities, enabling workplace flexibility, and rewarding and recognizing performance. We want to make sure people have what they need to succeed. When done well, people feel valued, have a strong sense of belonging and feel good about the effort that they give every day.
How can both managers and staff better integrate recognition into everyday work?
It really comes down to making it part of how we work, rather than something extra.
For managers, that might mean taking a minute in team meetings to share recent UR Stars, highlighting a recent contribution, or being more intentional in one-on-one conversations. For staff, it can be as simple as acknowledging a colleague who stepped in, helped solve a problem, or made the work easier for others.
These moments add up. When recognition becomes routine, it helps build culture.
