What are Kudos gifs?
GIF images of clapping hands, a person jumping with joy, or a gold star in an open book all fall under the umbrella term Kudos. So do inspirational words on decorative backgrounds, personalized to give meaningful recognition to the person receiving them. The word "Kudos" comes from the Greek word meaning glory or praise, and can be used as a verb, noun, and adjective. Kudos gifs and images are commonly exchanged through electronic means such as email between managers and employees as a way of showing appreciation.
Exchanging Kudos gifs is a way of recognizing an employee's good work, and can also serve as motivation for the employee. Kudos gifs are generally less formal than handwritten letters or emails, which makes them more accessible to all employees.
How to use Kudos images
There are many ways to use Kudos images in the workplace. You might decide to use Kudos gifs as your official employee recognition program so that employees receive Kudos images for their achievements. You could send a Kudos meme whenever someone goes above and beyond at the office. Or, you might communicate through the use of Kudos gifs as a way of expressing appreciation and encouragement at difficult times such as when an employee has experienced a loss in his or her personal life.
You could also choose to use Kudos images in group messages when you want to recognize the work of a specific employee. Using Kudos gifs in this way is common practice for companies that use social media platforms such as Yammer, Slack, or Facebook for communication purposes.
There are many ways you can implement Kudos gifs within your workplace depending on your company culture and the role they play in your company's employee recognition methodology.
Kudos images/gifs for employee recognition
Kudos gifs can be used to celebrate positive progress and provide encouragement in the workplace when employees receive Kudos images for their achievements. Many companies choose to use a platform that provides a Kudos background image that can be customized and then sent to employees via email, text message, or shared on social media platforms. That’s nice as far as it goes, but if you’re serious about encouraging a culture of Kudos in your own organization, take it a step further and implement the free Kudos app Matter on your Slack workplace. Not only do you get access to easy-to-use Kudos template that make custom Kudos image generation almost automatic, you can send your Kudos from right within the app.
You could also create your own Kudos images by hand with graphics software such as Powerpoint or Photoshop. A personalized animation might be a nice aid to help you to better communicate with your employees. Don't spend hours on the perfect image, though there are thousands of free readily available images you can download online!
9 favorite Kudos images
Here are nine examples of powerful Kudos images that can be used to increase morale, employee engagement, and job satisfaction in your team. These images are examples of Kudos you can generate with the software Matter, so you’ll be able to customize the messages to make them fit your team culture and the intended recipient!
Kudos Image #1: Here’s an image that you might send to an employee who just finished a difficult project and deserves some accolades. No amazing work should be ignored!
Kudos Image #2: This image would be ideal to send to a co-worker who has provided helpful insights during meetings. Sending Kudos is about everyday appreciation, not just big achievements!
Kudos Image #3: We all need a team player in our lives. This image is perfect to send to a teammate who jumped in and helped out when you were stuck or swamped.
Kudos Image #4: Here’s another great image to send that team player who you caught going the extra mile.
Kudos Image #5: When you’ve needed to give constructive feedback and, after the meeting, you see it is beng followed up on -- is the perfect occasion to send this Kudos.
Kudos Image #6: Sometimes you don’t have anything spectacular to send a Kudos for, but that doesn’t mean your employee doesn’t need an appreciative word. General supportiveness or leadership is still Kudos-worthy.
Kudos Image #7: When you’ve noticed your employee has been making an effort to live up to your company’s core values, it’s time to send this one!
Kudos image #8: Here’s an inspiring Kudos to send to that team member who just keeps on upping the standard and churning out great work.
Kudos Image #9: Contributing to a joyful workplace environment is a Kudos-worthy achievement too! Here’s a Kudos to send to that team member who brightened up the day and made you laugh.
Tips for sending Kudos images:
When sending Kudos images, make sure you fit the message to the occasion! Nothing is worse than getting a Kudos that just doesn’t fit.
Of course, you don’t always need to use words. Kudos gifs can be a great way to express appreciation in the workplace, but only if they are received in the intended context. It's important to keep in mind that Kudos gifs can be misconstrued easily depending on the type of image you use and how you send it. You may sometimes need to post comments interpreting the image, but it's always best if a gif speaks for itself. Here are some tips for sending Kudos images:
- Avoid using negative Kudos gifs
If you want to recognize an action that your employee took that averted a negative consequence, like a fight, choose a Kudos gif that is not negative. For example, instead of using a thumbs down emoji Kudos, use stars or a heart eyes emoji to show your appreciation for their actions. This will ensure there is no confusion about what you disapprove of.
- Make sure Kudos gifs are clear and easy to understand
This is particularly important if you use an animated gif of a culturally specific nature such as an emoji or an image from a movie your employee may not recognize. For instance, a Kudos gif meant to express appreciation by showing the hero of a story just before a moment of victory might be misinterpreted by a reader who thinks the character is the main antagonist. Avoid using images that could be offensive or have unintended meanings in some contexts, such as with certain racial groups or religions.
- Be careful when using Kudos gifs that show people's faces as they may be easily misread by the person on the other side of the screen, and may be seen as offensive in certain contexts
In general, it's best to avoid sending images of people and stick to symbols and illustrations instead. If you want to include people, consider images where you see multiple people in the same image, such as in a group selfie or pic of an entire team. This will help you to create Kudos gifs that are less ambiguous and more easily understood by your employees.
- Don't overuse Kudos gifs
Sending too many Kudos images can affect the meaning behind them, even when they're positive. It's important to avoid using Kudos images in every instance when an employee does something good. This will weaken the meaning of Kudos gifs and add to a feeling that they're "phoning it in," rather than showing true belief in their actions. For everyday employee appreciation, you may want to stick to words that express exactly why you think someone is worthy of the extra praise. Again, employee appreciation software like the free Slack app Matter can help with that.
- Be consistent with what you send Kudos for
If you want your employees to value your appreciation, they have to know what you value. Sending Kudos images for the same behavior every time is important in this regard. If you send a funny gif when an employee does one thing, but not when someone else does the same, they will likely recognize the difference and call you out on favoritism -- even if you were only being absent-minded!
- Keep it professional
Avoid using Kudos gifs with crass humor, innuendo, or anything that might be considered unprofessional or offensive in the workplace. Even tame boyfriend/girlfriend references are usually not a good idea. Kudos gifs don't have to be formal and can include anime or fan-fiction references, but they should typically not contain any swear words or images that aren't appropriate for the workplace.
Kudos gifs and images are a unique way of expressing appreciation in the workplace, while also injecting some fun into your day-to-day interactions with employees. They're a fun way to build rapport and motivate positive behaviors for those on your team. Enjoy using them, but don’t lose sight of the end goal, showing your employees how much you appreciate their hard work!
