Employee Engagement & Recognition Campaign Calendar

Q1: Momentum, Appreciation & Participation

January – Start Strong / One Team 💪

Theme: New Year, New Goals, Early Momentum

Campaign Ideas:

• Recognize goal-setting, early wins, and kickoff participation
• Highlight team alignment with company objectives
• National Mentoring Month – spotlight coaching and onboarding
• MLK Jr. Day (Jan 19) – celebrate service, leadership, and inclusion

Badge Ideas:

• Goal Setter
• Strong Start
• Momentum Builder
• Cross-Team Collaborator

Challenges:

• Send at least 1 recognition per week for early contributions
• Track cross-team collaboration and knowledge-sharing
• Encourage managers to acknowledge planning & kickoff efforts

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Highlight early wins and cross-team collaboration; spotlight Goal Setter, Strong Start, Momentum Builder, Cross-Team Collaborator
• Kiosk Mode: Live feed showing top contributors and early momentum recognitions

More Ideas + Winter Badge Images: Winter Engagement Ideas for the New Year

February – Love Our Customers. Love Our Team ❤️

Theme: Appreciation, Connection & Kindness

Campaign Ideas:

• Valentine’s Day (Feb 14) – celebrate peer-to-peer and customer appreciation
• Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 14–20) – encourage small acts of kindness across teams
• Random Acts of Kindness Day (Feb 17) – spotlight individual acts of recognition

Badge Ideas:

• Customer Crush – going above & beyond for customers
• Solution Sweetheart – improving processes that positively impact customers
• Heartfelt High Five – everyday appreciation & peer-to-peer shoutouts
• Team Heart – support, kindness & collaboration

Challenges:

• Recognize 3 coworkers during Random Acts of Kindness Week
• Recognize at least one customer-impacting action
• Bonus points for using all themed badges

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Weekly announcement post highlighting campaign recognitions
• Kiosk Mode: Show a live stream of themed badges in offices/shared spaces and on intranet as a Valentine’s “Wall of Love”

March – Participation & Appreciation 🏀

Theme: March Madness & Employee Appreciation

Campaign Ideas:

• March Recognition Madness Challenges:

  • Send 1 recognition per week
  • Comment on 3 recognitions per week
  • Recognize someone outside your team

• Employee Appreciation Day (Mar 6)

  • CEO Bulk Recognition to all employees
  • Employee Appreciation Day badge for managers to send to direct reports

• St. Patrick’s Day (Mar 17) – fun badge for a quick engagement boost opportunity – for extra fun, add a raffle for everyone who sends the St. Patrick’s Day badge! 

Badge Ideas:

• Employee Appreciation Day
• March Madness Champions
• St. Patricks Day – Lucky to have you! 

Challenges & Incentives:

• Weekly leaderboard 
• Bonus points for completing all challenges
• Track participation on dashboards

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Weekly leaderboard, highlight challenge completions and Employee Appreciation Day recognitions
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all Employee Appreciation Day badges on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

End of Q1 – Quarterly Nomination Campaign:

• Q1 Impact Awards:

  •  Impact Award
  • Values in Action
  • Rising Star

• Peer and manager nominations; winners recognized company-wide

More Ideas + Employee Appreciation Day Badge Images: Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day: 10 Meaningful Ways to Show Your Team You Care

Q2: Growth, Wellbeing & Recognition Habits

April – Learning, Wellbeing & Purpose 📚

Theme: Learning & Development, Health & Sustainability

Campaign Ideas:

• Recognize training, certifications, and skill growth
• World Health Day (Apr 7) – highlight wellbeing and healthy habits
• Earth Day (Apr 22) – sustainability, volunteering, and community impact

Badge Ideas:

• Learning Achiever
• Wellbeing Champion
• Volunteer Hero
• Earth Day Contributor

Challenges:

• Complete training modules or certifications
• Participate in wellness or sustainability activities
• Volunteer and submit ideas for community initiatives

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Weekly updates of learning achievements, wellness milestones, and volunteer contributions
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

May – Gratitude & Leadership 🌟

Theme: Mental Health Awareness & Leadership

Campaign Ideas:

• Mental Health Awareness Month – spotlight support and self-care initiatives
• National Nurses Week (May 6–12) – highlight critical roles
• National Boss’s Day (May 20) – celebrate leadership

Badge Ideas:

• Wellness Advocate
• Nurse Shoutout
• Leadership Shoutout

Challenges:

• Recognize your boss for National Bosses Day
• Health and Wellness Challenges related to Mental Health Awareness 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Spotlight employees for wellness, or peer support and leaders for Boss’s Day. 
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

June – Inclusion & Momentum 🚀

Theme: Inclusion, Mid-Year Engagement

Campaign Ideas:

• National Donut Day (Jun 5) – fun recognition,  bring donuts to the office
• Juneteenth (Jun 19) – celebrate equity and community impact
• Father’s Day (Jun 21) – highlight work-life balance and team support
• Mid Year Momentum – Celebrate progress towards goals at the mid-year point

Badge Ideas:

• Inclusion Champion
• Team Supporter
• Equity Advocate
• Momentum Maker 

Challenges:

• Recognize equity and inclusion efforts
• Manager recognition push for direct reports to give momentum to the second half of the year! 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Share Mid-Year Recognition highlights
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

End of Q2 – Quarterly Nomination Campaign:

• Mid-Year Excellence Awards:

  •  Customer Excellence
  • Innovation Award
  • Team Player Award (Peer-Nominated) 

Q3: Consistency, Innovation & Focus

July – Ownership & Fun 🎆

Theme: Independence & Summer Momentum

Campaign Ideas:

• Independence Day (Jul 4) – initiative and ownership recognition
• National Workaholics Day (Jul 5) – fun recognition
• National Ice Cream Day (Jul 19) – fun badge and an Ice Cream Social in the office 
• Summer Star – Encourage a weekly habit of appreciation by launching a summer-long “Shoutouts” campaign.

Badge Ideas:

• Take Ownership 
• Workaholic in Action
• Summer Star

Challenges:

• Summer Bingo 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Feature one “Summer Star” each week in your company newsletter and on the Recognize Stream Page
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase Summer Star recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

More Ideas + Summer Badge Images: ☀️ Summer Recognition Campaign Ideas

August – Engagement Habits ☀️

Theme: Peer support and work-life balance

Campaign Ideas:

• International Coworkers Day (Aug 7) – peer recognition
• National Relaxation Day (Aug 15) – stress management recognition
• Women’s Equality Day (Aug 26) – inclusion recognition

Badge Ideas:

• Wellness Advocate
• Peer Hero
• Collaboration Champion

Challenges:

• Send at least 1 recognition per week to a peer 
• Recognize a peer from another team
• Wellness activities (Do something that relaxes you – Meditation, Yoga, Going for a Walk etc.) 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Highlight Relaxation ideas, Women’s Equality initiatives. Shoutout top Recognizers and Peer Hero’s 
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

September – Teamwork & Seasonal Reset 🍂

Theme: Collaboration, Service & Wellness

Campaign Ideas:

• Labor Day (Sep 7) – dedication & teamwork recognition
• Constitution Day (Sep 17) – values recognition
• National Good Neighbor Day (Sep 28) – collaboration recognition
• National Fruits & Veggies Month – health & wellness recognition

Badge Ideas:

• Team Player
• Values in Action
• Collaboration Champion
• Wellness Contributor

Challenges:

• Wellness micro-challenges
• Cross-team recognition push

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Share dedication, teamwork, and wellness initiatives
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

End of Q3 – Quarterly Nomination Campaign:

• Innovation & Impact Awards: 

  • Innovator of the Quarter
  • Team Impact Award
  • Culture Champion

Q4: Gratitude, Reflection & Celebration

October – Culture & Awareness, Customer Service 🎃

Campaign Ideas:

• Global Diversity Awareness Month – inclusion recognition
• World Mental Health Day (Oct 10) – empathy & support recognition
• Customer Service Week (First full week of October)
• Halloween (Oct 31) – fun recognition

Badge Ideas:

• Inclusion Champion
• Customer Service Champion
• Culture Leader
• Halloween Badge

Challenges:

• Inclusion & wellness activities
• Fall themed challenges (Pumpkin Decorating Contest, Pet Costume Contest, etc) 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Share Mental Health tips, Highlight Customer Service Teams for Customer Service Week
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase all recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet. 

More Ideas + Halloween Badge Images: 🍎 Autumn Recognition Campaign Ideas

November – Gratitude & Reflection 🦃

Campaign Ideas:

• Thanksgiving (Last Thursday of the Month) – gratitude recognition
• World Kindness Day (Nov 13) – peer-to-peer recognition

Badge Ideas:

• Thankful for You!
• Kindness Counts
• Peer Appreciation Star

Challenges:

• Daily recognition prompts for a week
• Cross-team appreciation push

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Highlight Thanksgiving recognitions and kindness initiatives
• Kiosk Mode: Showcase Thankful recognitions on a live stream in offices/shared spaces and on intranet – ‘Gratitude Wall’

More Ideas + Fall Badge Images: 🍂 November: A Season of Gratitude and Connection for Employees

December – Celebration & Year-End Wins 🎄

Campaign Ideas:

• Year-End Recognition: milestones and achievements
• 12 Days of Recognition: daily prompts for fun
• Highlight top contributors and teams

Badge Ideas:

• Employee of the Year
• Team of the Year
• Values Champion
• Year-End Recognition Badges
• Holiday Themed Badges

Challenges:

• 12 Days of Recognition
• Submit Year End Nominations 

Visibility & Momentum:

• Stream Announcements: Share year-end recognitions and top performers
• Kiosk Mode: Spotlight 12 Days of Recognition challenge progress

More Ideas + Holiday Badge Images:🎄 December: A Season of Celebration, Connection, and Cheer

End of Q4 – Quarterly / Annual Nomination Campaign:

Annual Recognition Awards: 

• Employee of the Year
• Team of the Year
• Values Champion
• Customer Impact Award

📝 End-of-Year Recognition Program Checklist