How to Build a Habit of Recognition on Your Team Using HeyTaco

Building a habit of recognition within your team is more than just a nice-to-have; it's essential for fostering a positive work environment, boosting morale, and driving collaboration. HeyTaco offers a fun and easy way to embed recognition into your daily workflow, making it second nature for your team. Here’s how you can create a culture of recognition by leveraging HeyTaco in your team’s everyday routines.

1. Give New Team Members a Taco During Onboarding

Why It Matters: First impressions are lasting impressions, especially for new team members. Recognizing new employees early on helps them feel welcomed, appreciated, and connected to the team right from the start.

How to Do It:

• As part of your onboarding checklist, make it a habit for team members to give a taco to the new hire. This can be a simple "Welcome to the team!" or specific recognition for their background, skills, or first contributions.
• Encourage new hires to start giving tacos themselves as a way to engage and learn more about their teammates.
• Example: “@NewHire, welcome to the team! Excited to have your energy and skills on board! 🌮”

Impact: This small gesture makes new hires feel seen and valued from day one, setting the tone for a culture of ongoing recognition.

2. Include Taco Shoutouts in Company Meetings and Celebrate Taco Messages

Why It Matters: Public recognition amplifies the positive impact of any acknowledgment. By highlighting taco messages during team meetings, you reinforce the behaviors that align with your company values and goals.

How to Do It:

• Dedicate a few minutes at the beginning or end of meetings to highlight recent taco messages. Share a few shoutouts that stood out and explain why they were meaningful.
• Make it a fun, anticipated moment by reading the messages aloud or displaying them on screen. This can also be a great way to reinforce core values by linking shoutouts to those values.
• Celebrate milestones, such as a team member reaching a taco milestone or someone consistently recognizing others.

Impact: Regularly celebrating taco messages helps normalize recognition as part of your team’s culture and keeps gratitude top of mind for everyone.

3. Encourage Leaders to Give Tacos

Why It Matters: Recognition from leadership carries significant weight. When leaders actively participate in recognition, it signals to everyone that it’s a priority for the organization.

How to Do It:

• Set the expectation that leaders should consistently use HeyTaco to recognize their team. This can be during weekly check-ins, after project completions, or when team members go above and beyond.
• Encourage leaders to give tacos not just for big achievements, but also for day-to-day efforts, such as meeting deadlines, helping a colleague, or showing positive attitudes.
• Lead by example: when team members see their leaders actively participating in recognition, they’re more likely to follow suit.

Impact: When leaders recognize their team members, it boosts motivation and sets the standard for everyone else to follow. It shows that recognition is a shared responsibility, not just something that trickles down from the top.

Final Thoughts

Recognition isn’t just a one-time action; it’s a habit that requires consistency and commitment. By integrating HeyTaco into your onboarding processes, team meetings, and leadership practices, you can cultivate a culture where appreciation is second nature. Remember, the key to building this habit is to make recognition feel authentic, frequent, and fun. With HeyTaco, recognizing each other becomes not just a task but a delightful part of your everyday work life.

Start small, be consistent, and watch as the habit of recognition transforms your team dynamics.