Recognition doesn't fail.
It fades.
Most recognition efforts don't break — they just don't sustain.
This pilot is designed to explore one question: can recognition sustain itself — without reminders, campaigns, or constant push from HR? Over 60 days, you'll find out.
The real issue
When employees say this, most organisations respond with more activity — not more understanding.
- More programs launched
- More rewards added to the catalogue
- More nudges pushed by HR
Activity increases. Participation spikes at launch. Then it fades — usually by week eight. And the feeling doesn't change.
It's a visibility problem.
Most recognition isn't missing. It's just never expressed. The thank you that was felt but never sent. The appreciation that stayed in someone's head.
Average participation at Week 1 of a new recognition program. The launch energy is real.
Average participation by Week 4. The initial enthusiasm has already started fading.
Average participation by Week 8. The program is technically alive. Practically, it's over.
targets >55% sustained participation at Week 8 — without a single reminder sent. That's the benchmark we hold ourselves to during the pilot.
The shift
Recognition doesn't need
more programs.
It needs to move.
The moments that matter most don't follow calendars or wait for campaigns. They happen in the flow of everyday work — and BeyondDesk is built to catch them there.
Recognition that happens on a schedule is recognition that feels manufactured. People can tell.
When participation requires a human to keep pushing, it fades the moment the push stops. Every time.
Employee of the Month. Annual awards. Recognition tied to the clock rather than the moment it was felt.
What if recognition could sustain itself?
That's what this pilot is designed to explore.
How it works
A system where recognition moves naturally
Five interconnected elements — each designed to make appreciation visible, voluntary, and self-sustaining.
01
Cheer Ballâ„¢
A simple daily mechanism for recognition to move from one person to another — creating natural participation across teams without reminders or campaigns. Every user gets one ball per day. Passing it forward is a choice, not a task.
02
Frictionless Participation
No learning curve. No complex workflows. Just simple, in-the-moment actions on a mobile app employees actually want to open. Recognition should feel like sending a message — not filing a form.
03
Visible by Design
Recognition is not hidden in systems. It is seen, felt, and builds momentum. When people can see appreciation moving across their team, it creates a positive social signal that encourages others to participate.
04
Whole-Person Recognition
Recognition beyond the role — honouring the human behind the work. Collaboration, mentorship, support, small acts of kindness that build culture but rarely get acknowledged.
05
Culture Compass — Live Culture Intelligence
The HR-facing web portal that shows how culture is actually moving across your organisation — not just whether people are clicking. Organic Momentum, Flow Density, Cross-Team Bridges, Live Vibe Signal. It doesn't just show recognition. It shows how your culture moves.
The 60-day journey
What happens, week by week
Two focused months. Each with a clear objective and measurable outcome.
Make Recognition Visible
- Surface hidden contributors — the people who matter but rarely appear in formal recognition
- Enable cross-team appreciation to flow naturally between departments
- Capture everyday recognition signals — not just the big moments
- Establish your Culture Compass baseline — Organic Momentum, Flow Density, Vibe Signal before any pattern emerges
Measure the Momentum
- See whether participation sustains past the typical Week 8 drop — without any HR intervention
- Track cross-team recognition flow — which teams are connecting that weren't before
- Understand behaviour patterns — who passes forward, who receives most, where culture is strong
- Run an optional post-pilot engagement pulse — compare before and after with your founding team
The goal of this pilot
Not usage numbers. Not engagement scores.
Sustained participation — because people want to, not because they're reminded to.
What you'll be able to measure
Not more data. Meaningful visibility.
Four types of ROI — each one answering a question your leadership team is already asking.
01 · Time ROI
Does this save my team time?
"How many hours is my HR team spending on recognition admin right now?"
Most HR teams spend 10–14 hours per month running recognition campaigns, chasing participation, and managing program administration. BeyondDesk eliminates the campaign overhead entirely — the system runs itself.
02 · Participation ROI
Will employees actually use this?
"What evidence do I have that participation won't fade by week eight — again?"
We hold ourselves to a specific benchmark. Design Partner teams target sustained participation above 55% at Week 8 — without a single reminder sent by HR.
03 · Culture ROI
Will this move the needle on culture?
"What will I actually be able to show my CEO after 60 days?"
By Week 8, Design Partners typically see cross-team recognition bridges forming that didn't exist before. Your Culture Compass baseline is established in Month 1 so you can show a clear before vs after view to leadership.
04 · Business ROI
Can I connect this to retention?
"How do I justify this to my CFO?"
We offer Design Partners an optional pre/post engagement pulse survey framework — so you have a structured before and after to present. We'll help you measure the delta.
Your 60-day measurement framework
Three numbers to take to your leadership team
Participation at Week 8
Sustained without a single reminder sent. This is the core benchmark — everything else supports it.
Cross-team connections formed
Number of recognition interactions between departments that weren't connected before the pilot.
Culture Compass baseline shift
Your Organic Momentum, Flow Density, and Vibe Signal — measured at Day 1 and Day 60.
Transparent pricing
Design Partnership Pricing
We believe transparency builds trust. So here it is — no "contact us for pricing," no hidden tiers.
Early partner pricing · No long-term commitment · Continue only if value is clearly visible
Who this pilot is designed for
- Teams of 50–500 employees — large enough to need structure, lean enough to move fast
- Organisations looking beyond recognition programs — who believe culture is more than a score on a survey
- Leaders willing to experiment — and honest about what's currently working and what isn't
- HR Leaders and Founders who want culture visibility — not just participation counts
Ready to explore this?
Recognition that sustains itself.
Find out if it works for your team.
Apply for the Q2 Design Partnership cohort — or book a 30-minute call to ask every question you have first. Either is fine.
Limited to 10 organisations · We work closely with each partner during the pilot