Turning cynics into champions: lessons on employee appreciation from DisruptHR Edinburgh
I recently had the pleasure of speaking at DisruptHR Edinburgh, thanks to Hunter Adams and Vialto Partners. DisruptHR has a special way of cutting through the noise. Short talks, no fluff and stories that feel real rather than rehearsed.
My topic was one I come back to again and again while working with organisations on recognition and engagement.
Appreciation works.
But sceptics remain.
Almost every organisation I work with, regardless of size or sector, has at least one person who quietly doubts employee appreciation initiatives. Not because they are negative by nature, but because something in the past taught them not to believe.
Cynicism is usually learned, not chosen
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is treating sceptics as blockers. In reality, most cynicism around employee recognition comes from experience.
People have lived through programmes that felt hollow. Recognition that was loud but vague. Praise that existed to tick a box rather than acknowledge real work. Over time, those experiences teach people to disengage.
This matters more than we think.
When cynicism is left alone, it spreads quietly. One person’s disbelief becomes the team’s background noise. That is how well intentioned employee recognition platforms fail before they even get a chance to work.
But when leaders lean in with curiosity rather than defensiveness, the story can change.
Appreciation fails when it is generic
A key message from my talk was simple: appreciation does not fail because people do not value it. It fails because it is often badly designed.
Too public for some people.
Too vague for others.
Too disconnected from the actual work.
We see this often when organisations roll out an employee appreciation platform without first understanding how different people want to be recognised. When recognition is shaped around what leaders like rather than what individuals value, it creates theatre. When it is shaped around the person and the contribution, it creates trust.
This is where belief starts to shift, especially for those who were previously sceptical.
What good recognition actually does
When appreciation is done well, it changes behaviour. People become more confident in their work. They notice good work in others. They start to pass appreciation on.
This is why recognition works best when it is specific, timely and rooted in real moments. Not flattery. Not grand gestures. Just honest thanks for meaningful effort.
A well designed employee appreciation platform should make this easy, not performative. It should remove friction, not add ceremony.
The finance brain is not the enemy
Another type of sceptic I spoke about is the numbers driven one. The person who does not dislike appreciation, but simply wants proof.
This was me a few years ago.
For these people, emotion is not the entry point. Outcomes are. Productivity. Customer experience. Retention.
When appreciation is clearly linked to results, the conversation changes. Appreciated people tend to perform better. Engaged teams deliver better customer experiences. Recognition plays a role in reducing attrition, which has a very real financial impact.
This is where employee recognition software stops being seen as a “nice to have” and starts being viewed as a lever that supports business goals.
Meet people where they are wired, not where you wish they were.
The real takeaway
The biggest learning I wanted people to leave with was not a framework or a stat.
It was this.
Do not try to convince cynics.
Try to understand them.
Ask better questions.
Listen without defending.
Match the medium to the person.
Align appreciation to real work and real goals.
When people genuinely feel appreciation done well, scepticism rarely survives for long.
If you would like to watch the full talk, you can do so here:
👉 Turning Cynics into Champions - DisruptHR Edinburgh
And if you are exploring how an employee recognition platform or employee appreciation platform could work in your organisation, remember this: tools only work when belief comes first.
