How Recognition Shows Your Real Culture Beyond Engagement Scores
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You think you know your company culture because you can rattle off engagement scores and retention rates. I hate to break it to you, but those dashboards are only showing you what’s easy to measure, not what’s really happening. You can’t understand a forest by counting the trees, without ever walking among them.
I recently sat down with KeyAnna Schmiedl, Chief Human Experience Officer at Workhuman, to unpack a powerful blind spot in how we manage culture today. KeyAnna challenges us to stop searching for culture “where the light is better” and start looking at what really drives it: recognition.
Here are some of the biggest insights from our conversation, and why your next cultural breakthrough might come from the simple act of paying attention to appreciation.
Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcast & leave a review!
Why Traditional HR Data Misses the Mark
We’ve built entire systems around titles, tenure, and survey scores. It’s not that this data is wrong. It’s just not helpful if you want to understand the lived experience of your people. As KeyAnna puts it, we keep looking where the light is better instead of where the truth actually lives.
The data leaders rely on is convenient to track but incomplete. KeyAnna reveals how that data miss the hidden dynamics driving culture: connection, contribution, influence, and unspoken team values. These are the things that shape performance, engagement, and retention. Yet most leaders never see them because we’re too busy looking at rear-view dashboards instead of real-time signals.
She shares a powerful metaphor from I Love Lucy. Lucy is searching for her lost earring under the living room light because it’s brighter there, even though she lost it in the bedroom. That’s what most organizations are doing: looking for culture data where it’s easiest, not where the truth actually lives.
This episode is sponsored by Workhuman:
AI without purpose doesn’t serve people. It’s why many companies have tried, and few have succeeded.
Workhuman is one of them. With the groundbreaking release of Human Intelligence, Workhuman combines AI with real recognition data to help leaders do right by their people, and their organization.
It’s how you spot burnout before it leads to turnover. Or discover hidden strengths before they’re overlooked. It’s how you build a culture that’s not only productive — but sustainable. That’s what future-ready leadership looks like.
Learn more at Workhuman.com and see how Human Intelligence is helping the most forward-thinking companies lead with insight, empathy, and impact.
The Untapped Power of Recognition
So where does the real data live? According to KeyAnna, it’s in recognition moments. While many think of recognition as just about making people feel valued, it’s far more powerful. Every appreciation moment is data. Every time someone thanks a peer, they’re describing behaviors, calling out values, and highlighting impact. Recognition moments reveal:
- Who your real influencers are
- Where teams are thriving or struggling
- Which behaviors are genuinely valued
- Who is quietly pulling back or burning out
This is what KeyAnna calls “human intelligence” — data rooted in daily lived experiences rather than stale dashboards. It’s a living map of how your culture actually works.
Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcast & leave a review!
Practical Shifts to Lead with Human Intelligence
KeyAnna offers several strategic shifts for leaders ready to move from outdated metrics to real-time cultural insight:
- Center Human Data Over Traditional Metrics Don’t just rely on engagement surveys. Recognition data shows you who is truly living your values and driving outcomes. Rethink your budgets to invest in tools that uncover human impact, not just static scores.
- Look Beyond Titles to Find Hidden Influencers The org chart rarely reflects who keeps the organization moving. Recognition uncovers your hidden energizers — people leading from the middle without titles.
- Encourage Specific Recognition Generic praise like “great job” adds noise without insight. Specific appreciation, such as thanking someone for clarifying a complex project or coaching a struggling team, reveals the behaviors that fuel success.
- Use AI Thoughtfully KeyAnna warns that while AI can surface and connect insights, it shouldn’t replace genuine human recognition. Otherwise, you risk training AI on AI, losing the authenticity that makes recognition powerful. Recognition only creates insight because it starts with real humans noticing each other. Technology should connect and amplify that insight — not replace it.
Moving Beyond Rear-View Leadership
Recognition data isn’t just another HR tool. It’s a window into your culture that shows you what’s working, where friction is building, and who your hidden leaders are. As KeyAnna says, “The signal we’ve been waiting for is here. We just have to use it.”
If you’re ready to lead culture based on what’s true — not just what’s easy to measure — listen to the full conversation with KeyAnna Schmiedl on Leadership Spark. It’s a wake-up call to stop searching for culture where the light is better, and start seeing what’s been in front of you all along.
Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcast & leave a review!
