Pam Pelino, a senior director at One10, has discussed how employers can connect recognition to company values while giving employees a more personal reward experience. One10 published its account of the Motivation Insiders podcast conversation on August 7, 2025. The podcast is hosted by the Incentive & Engagement Solution Providers, an industry group within the Incentive Marketing Association.

Pelino's starting point is to identify the behaviors an organization wants managers and colleagues to recognize. Linking appreciation to those behaviors can make a program's purpose more specific. She also said that this work can prompt wider conversations about whether a company's stated values still describe the organization it wants to be.

The discussion considers employees with different expectations about communication, learning and flexibility. Pelino advocates intergenerational mentoring and engagement approaches that reflect those differences, rather than using one recognition experience for every participant.

Remote working provides a practical example from One10 itself. Pelino described the company as operating with a fully remote workforce and explained how a shared digital recognition wall allows colleagues to acknowledge one another's contributions in real time. This gives recognition visibility across teams that do not share an office.

Reward choice is another part of the approach. According to Pelino, One10's platform lets employees create wish lists and monitor progress toward items they want. These features connect the recognition program to individual preferences rather than requiring recipients to accept a uniform gift.

Pelino also emphasized sincere appreciation that does not depend on an expensive reward. Her account combines that day-to-day recognition with the practical tools for recording acknowledgments, showing progress and enabling employees to select a reward that matters to them.