In this episode of Lead With Thanks, Thankbox Co-Founder Tsvetelina Hinova sits down with Vikki Gledhill, a seasoned Reward leader with over 20 years’ experience shaping how organisations recognise, support, and celebrate their people. Now Head of Reward & Pensions at Yorkshire Water

Vikki brings a career’s worth of wisdom from major organisations, including Cox Automotive, Manchester Airport Group, Northern Foods and 2 Sisters Food Group.

And yes - she’s as passionate about appreciation as we are.

Vikki shares why effective recognition shouldn’t be a once-a-year HR initiative—but an always-on campaign, just like the best marketing efforts. If brands have to stay visible to build emotional resonance, why wouldn’t internal reward programs do the same?

Together, Vikki and Tsvetelina explore:

• Why reward and recognition work best with continuous promotion, not set-and-forget schemes.
• How a simple “thank you” can create the kind of emotional reaction that boosts motivation and engagement.
• Why recognition must align with employees’ personal values - not assumptions.
• The role of wellbeing, benefits, and total reward in shaping a modern employee experience.
• Her path across multiple industries and what each taught her about people.
• Why she believes recognition is a strategic tool, not a “nice to have”.

If you're curious how to make recognition feel meaningful (and not just mandatory), Vikki’s insights are pure gold.

What fun! In this lively conversation, Tsvetelina Hinova speaks with Debra Corey, six-time author and Chief Pay It Forward Officer at Step it UP HR, about the significance of appreciation in the workplace.

Debra shares her extensive experience in HR and the various phases of her career, and they discuss how understanding individual preferences and cultural considerations can enhance recognition programs.

To bring the theory to life, Debra shares fantastic stories from different companies and practical steps for building a culture of appreciation, encouraging leaders to train their teams and make appreciation a daily habit.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

• Appreciation can be both financial and non-financial.
• Understanding individual preferences is crucial for effective appreciation.
• Cultural considerations are important in recognition programs.
• Creative and unique recognition can enhance employee engagement.
• Peer-to-peer recognition is often more meaningful than top-down recognition.
• Training leaders on appreciation is essential for success.
• Daily appreciation builds a strong culture of recognition.
• Recognition should align with company values.
• Creating a fear of missing out can encourage appreciation among employees.

Matthew Phelan is a co-founder of The Happiness Index, a two-time author on workplace happiness ('Freedom to be happy' and 'The Happiness Index') and podcast host, Matt champions positive organisational cultures.

A sought-after keynote speaker, including TEDx, Matt travels globally, sharing data-driven insights on how culture fuels business success.

In this conversation, Tsvetelina and Matt explore the significance of appreciation in the workplace. Matt shares his journey to co-founding the Happiness Index, a tool designed to measure and enhance workplace happiness.

They discuss the profound impact of appreciation on employee well-being, the challenges of overcoming scepticism, and the importance of personalising recognition.

Highlights include:

• Appreciation is crucial for workplace happiness and engagement.
• Personal experiences shape our understanding of appreciation.
• Data can help identify the impact of appreciation on performance.
• Different individuals respond to appreciation in unique ways e.g. public recognition may not be suitable for everyone.
• Building relationships and understanding people’s unique preferences is key to effective appreciation.
• Appreciation should be genuine and not commoditised.

If you want to learn more about Matt, you can find him below:

• The Happiness Index (his company): https://thehappinessindex.com/
• The Happiness Index Podcast (his podcast): https://thehappinessindex.com/podcasts/
• Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewphelan/