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WashU’s Employee Recognition Platform

At WashU, we strive to ensure our employee experience embraces a holistic approach to well-being that encompasses the people at WashU, our culture and our community. 

To make recognizing the efforts of our faculty and staff as simple as possible, WashU has partnered with Awardco to provide employees with a new digital employee recognition experience through three appreciation programs:

  1. WashU Kudos: Send a digital “WashU Kudos” appreciation message to eligible faculty and staff.
  2. Retirement Memory Books: Create a memory book to present to retiring employees.
  3. Milestone Length of Service awards: Commemorate work anniversaries in real-time and at in-person celebratory events in spring 2024.

Think of this platform as a modern twist on something we’ve always appreciated – acknowledging hard work and dedication. With the Awardco platform, we have an incredible opportunity to recognize our team members in meaningful ways. A simple “kudos” or “great job” can now be shared instantly, reaching everyone who deserves recognition. Embracing this new way of recognizing our colleagues not only improves morale but also boosts our collective performance, making our workplace more positive, motivating and productive.


WashU Kudos

sample email of WashU Kudos recognition program

The Awardco platform lets you easily send a digital “WashU Kudos” to any eligible faculty, staff member, or even your entire team. Eligible faculty and staff must work at least 20 hours per week.

Your WashU Kudos will be delivered directly to their WashU email (sample email shown to the right) and showcased in the platform’s feed. Managers also receive an email notification of any team members who receive a WashU Kudos.

You can choose to keep your recognition message private or add comments and reactions to the Kudos you send or receive.


Retirement Memory Books

The Awardco platform allows us to create a memory book for retiring employees. It’s a great way to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication, while also promoting a positive workplace culture that values longevity. If you’re interested in this option, feel free to check out a sample memory book and contact hrevents@wustl.edu for more information.


Milestone Length of Service Awards

Awardco also enables us to commemorate work anniversaries in real-time, addressing a common request from employees. Beginning Jan. 22, 2024, when staff reach milestone anniversaries, they will receive points that can be used to redeem various items from the Awardco gift portal, including selecting items from Amazon, making charitable donations, or making purchases through the WashU bookstore. More information will be shared with our FY24 milestone recipients in mid-January 2024.

Please note that in-person celebrations will still be held in the spring to celebrate milestones from that fiscal year; invitations will be sent in spring 2024.

WashU’s Length of Service criteria: Full-time, benefits-eligible staff members without a break in service for more than 30 days are celebrated in five-year increments (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30+ years). Yearly Length of Service awards are celebrated each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Employees are able to check their Length of Service date in Work for their Continuous Service start date. To confirm your Length of Service, submit a request to HROpsServices@email.wustl.edu.


Get started with Awardco now!

Send WashU Kudos, celebrate milestones, and see for yourself how meaningful (and easy) it can be to appreciate your team! Log on to the platform through single sign-on (SSO) with your WUSTL Key to get started.

 If you have any questions or need assistance with this new recognition tool, please visit the Culture & Community Awardco webpage or contact hrevents@wustl.edu