How to celebrate milestones in a remote or hybrid workplace

Remote and hybrid work isn’t a trend anymore—it’s the way many teams (including ours!) are getting things done. But when you remove the spontaneous buzz of an office (this is the high-fives, post-meeting chatter, and impromptu coffee runs) you have to be a bit more intentional about making people feel seen. 

That’s where internal comms can play a critical role! 

Celebrating milestones (big and small!) helps build a culture of recognition, reinforces your company’s values, and supports employee engagement and retention (it’s worth regularly collecting this feedback). Whether shipping a long-awaited project (we know that feeling all too well!), hitting a department goal, or acknowledging personal progress, recognizing effort keeps teams connected, motivated, and moving forward—regardless of where they may work.

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Make team wins visible

Recognition starts with awareness. And for distributed teams, visibility can be one of the trickiest things to stay on top of. Without the organic moments that happen in an office, meaningful progress can easily get lost in the shuffle.

That’s why visibility is step one! Start by creating a shared space for wins. This could be as simple as a dedicated Slack or Teams channel or a standing section in your weekly internal newsletter.

Don’t forget to take advantage of existing touchpoints (think all-hands meetings or team standups) to highlight recent accomplishments too. These already-on-the-calendar moments give your employees a chance to reflect on what went well—not just what’s next.

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Recognize people the way they want to be recognized

Here’s the thing: recognition is pretty personal. Some of your employees might love the spotlight, others may prefer a quiet thank-you. Some are energized by public praise; some appreciate a thoughtful note or feedback from their manager.

However the recognition happens, internal comms can play a major role in shaping a culture that respects employee preferences:

• Start by asking. During onboarding, include a short questionnaire or conversation about how each person prefers to be recognized. Add it to their profile or team doc. (We use Guru to store all this information!)
• Build a flexible recognition system. Give your team (leadership included!) multiple ways to celebrate others: public posts, private notes, small gifts, voice memos, even handwritten cards.
• Empower managers with tools. Provide templates and reminders for personalized recognition moments. Make it easy to send a quick email, schedule a 1:1 shoutout, or drop a note in the mail.

Why does this matter? Because when people feel known and appreciated in a way that aligns with their personality and values, it builds trust. And trust is the foundation of any strong, high-performing team.

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Build rituals that support momentum

Say it with me: consistency is key! Celebration shouldn’t feel like a lucky accident—it should be part of your team’s rhythm. That means creating rituals that build in recognition at every level of the organization.

• Automate milestone tracking. Use internal tools or a shared calendar to keep tabs on birthdays, work anniversaries, onboarding tasks, and more.
• Create repeatable campaigns. With Workshop, you can schedule and send recognition-focused messages that align with your values or key initiatives—think quarterly awards, shoutout weeks, or “wins of the month” spotlights. It’s a simple way to build structure without losing heart.
• Enable spontaneous moments. Keep a digital “recognition kit” on hand—templates for thank-you messages, virtual kudos cards, celebration graphics, etc.

When you ritualize recognition, you reinforce the idea that progress is worth pausing for. And that fuels forward momentum.

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A few ideas to turn “small” moments into celebration-worthy highlights

Not every celebration needs to be tied to a major project or company-wide win. Some of the most powerful recognition stems from simply paying attention to the “little” moments that show effort, growth, or initiative.

These might not make headlines, but they matter. A lot.

Think about the early contributions from a new hire. Maybe it’s their first client meeting or customer success story. Recognize the tough problem-solving moments too, like someone (outside of tech support) solving a pesky technical problem or someone finding a better workflow. Even a fresh approach to project management or a clever copy tweak deserves a shoutout.

You might also celebrate the less glamorous wins: testing a new process, completing onboarding faster than expected, or finally having a clean sprint. These small victories stack up and when shared consistently, they reinforce a culture that values progress.

Try weaving these into your regular comms cadence with a “tiny wins” roundup, a shared team doc, or a quick end-of-week reflection thread.

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Tie recognition to company values and goals

Celebration doesn’t just build morale—it’s also a tool for alignment. When you recognize moments that reflect your company’s core values or strategic priorities, you’re reinforcing the culture you want to build.

• Use value-based framing. Instead of just saying “Great job on the Q2 report,” say: “Your clarity and collaboration on this reflects our value of radical transparency.”
• Link milestones to your mission. Help teams connect their individual contributions to the company’s bigger goals. That’s especially important in hybrid environments, where context can get lost.
• Make recognition strategic. Highlight how a win contributes to a key initiative, customer outcome, or growth goal. That’s how you turn celebration into a business driver!

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Tie recognition to company values and goals

Recognition isn’t a side project. And it’s not the frosting on a cake, it’s the foundation for a strong and connected culture. In remote and hybrid environments, where connection is harder to come by, intentional celebration becomes one of the most powerful tools you have to keep people engaged, motivated, and committed.

So, here’s your challenge: pick one thing to celebrate this week and give it a moment. You might be surprised what it does for your culture! 

And if you’re ready to build this culture of connection into your internal comms strategy. That’s where Workshop comes in!