Before you break out the Champagne and ring in the new year this weekend, we thought we’d take a moment and highlight the top 16 most popular posts on the Globoforce blog this year. For one, they highlight the fundamental shift in focus from human capital management to creating a more human employee experience (case in point: the top post is titled “The End of Management as We Know It”). Thank you to all our readers for your continued support of the Globoforce blog. MORE

We have known for some time about the business case for greater diversity in our workplaces, that it can lead to both greater employee productivity and organizational performance. The “everyday practice” of diversity means that all employees feel included. It comes from instances when employees appreciate and encourage the unique contributions of others, and likewise when they themselves are appreciated and acknowledged by their peers. MORE

With nearly ten years at Globoforce, I’m probably as close to a professional recognizer as it gets. As the creators of the world’s most effective program for employee appreciation and engagement, we do a LOT of recognizing in our organization. This happened earlier this month at Workday Rising. We were just doing our jobs—focusing on how to easily incorporate our powerful employee recognition solutions within Workday’s equally powerful product suite. MORE

Strong, supportive, successful company cultures are built on a strong foundation of trust, pride and camaraderie in relationships at work. As a Senior Recognition Strategist and Consultant at Globoforce, I have the opportunity to meet and work with fascinating people every day. In June, we announced that China has taken on the role of Chair of the Globoforce WorkHuman Advisory Committee. Is the relationship between employees in their work group one of camaraderie? MORE

In the last two decades, rewards and recognition have been the driving force behind global companies’ success in delivering a near-perfect employee experience. To acquire and retain the top performers, you must build a workplace culture where employee recognition is the everyday norm. MORE

First up is Tim Sackett, HR blogger and president at HRU Technical Resources. With 20 years of experience in HR and recruiting, Tim lives in Michigan and previously worked at Sparrow Health System, Applebee’s International, ShopKo Stores, and Pamida. Take a look at his blog and the webinar he co-hosted last year. We asked Tim for his take on Employee Appreciation Day, recognition, and why he’s attending WorkHuman in May. All of my employees are family. MORE

Employee Appreciation Day 2016 is on Friday, March 4! The CEO of Globoforce , Eric Mosley, said to Inc. , “Companies should look at Employee Appreciation Day like it's Valentine's Day, or Mother's or Father's Day. Even if your special breakfast features clumpy instant coffee, your effort in making your employees appreciated will not go unnoticed! Use it to up your appreciation ante! You make us pop with appreciation! MORE

The importance of employee recognition is often overlooked – are you aware of the impact? Employee recognition is essential for motivating, retaining and fully engaging our employees. Now, employees expect – and respond – to the same approach when it comes to recognizing their contributions within the workplace. This means the days of annual appraisals and salary as the sole driver for employees are behind us. Source: Globoforce. MORE