At Cognota one of our company values is enjoying the ride. We understand that building a great company is hard work, but we also believe that having fun is an important part of the journey. That’s why we have created a remote environment that encourages our employees to work hard and play hard.
This year we have introduced a Rewards Program with gamification, which has created excitement within the company. It includes Peer-to-Peer recognition, Milestone achievements, On-the-Spot recognition, Company Award, Reaching OKRs, and Friendly Competitions. Our employees are rewarded with a point system that they can use to get cool swag from a platform that we named The Cognota Store.
Peer-to-Peer Recognition (The Cognova)
At Cognota, acknowledging our employees’ hard work is important. That’s why we have implemented Peer-to-Peer recognition (The Cognova). This program allows employees to give recognition and points to their colleagues for their excellent work. It not only promotes a culture of appreciation but also creates a sense of community and teamwork.
The Cognova is named after the combination of Cognota and Supernova, which is a metaphor for the explosion of creativity, dedication, and excellence that we’re looking to identify in our people. We want to recognize those who have gone above and beyond to help their peers, make an impact on the company, or lead a project with excellence.
Milestone Achievement
We believe in celebrating our employees’ and company’s milestones. Whether it’s an anniversary, a promotion, or a project completion, we want to acknowledge our employees’ hard work and dedication. Our Milestone Achievement program allows us to do just that. We celebrate these milestones with personalized messages, points, and recognition.
On-the-Spot Recognition
Acknowledging our employees’ hard work on the spot is important. That’s why we have an On-the-Spot Recognition program. This program allows managers to recognize their employees’ excellent work immediately. This not only creates a sense of appreciation but also motivates employees to continue to work hard.
Company Award (The Woot Woot)
This program is designed to acknowledge outstanding employees who have shown remarkable dedication, creativity, and commitment to our company’s values. During our Sprint & Tell meetings, which happen every 2 weeks, everyone is invited to nominate an employee who they think deserves this award. Ryan Austin, our CEO selects one deserving employee to receive The Woot-Woot Award and publicly recognizes their accomplishments during the company-wide meeting. The chosen employee will receive credits which can be redeemed for swag from the Cognota Store. We believe that this fosters a culture of appreciation within our workplace.
Reaching OKRs
At Cognota, we use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to set goals and measure our progress. However, we also believe that gamification can make achieving these goals more fun and engaging. We use a points-based system to track our progress towards our OKRs. Employees earn points for completing tasks and reaching milestones.
Friendly Competitions and Games
We have created remote team building activities, such as games with competitions that allow our employees to have fun and stay engaged. These games are designed to promote collaboration and cross-functional teamwork among our employees.
There is a remote social company meeting with a themed event every month. Recently at one of them, we celebrated Cognota’s anniversary. We formed 6 teams to play a trivia game, it got competitive, and we spent a great time together.
Other activities are played on a weekly basis on our Slack fun channel: brain teasers and Cogno-versations. Cogno-versations involve our internal Culture Committee asking a particular question open to all employees, to get to know each other better. For example, to celebrate Earth week, the question was: If you could teleport to any natural wonder in the world right now, where would you go and why? It is interesting to learn something new about our peers every week.
This approach not only creates a fun and engaging work environment but also fosters a sense of community and teamwork among our remote workforce. Playing remote games with competitions and rewarding our employees with points is an effective way to promote motivation and enjoyment in the workplace.
Recognizing the Journey with Gamification
Our reward system allows employees to earn points for completing tasks, reaching milestones, and embodying our company values. These credits can be redeemed for company swag. Additionally, our wall of fame showcases top performers and reinforces their hard work and dedication. We believe that this approach not only promotes motivation but also fosters a sense of community and teamwork. Periodically, we will be asking for employee feedback to make changes to our People programs as necessary and maintain the enthusiasm.
At Cognota, we value enjoying the ride and recognizing the journey. We believe that having fun at work is important and that it creates a sense of community, teamwork, and motivation. Our Recognition programs all contribute to creating a fun and engaging work environment. We are committed to creating a company culture where our employees can work hard and play hard, and we believe that this is essential for our success.
