How Great Place to Work, Arctic Wolf & Dialogue Use Recognition to Power Performance
Today’s top workplaces aren’t just handing out praise—they’re strategically embedding recognition into the fabric of their culture. In this fireside panel hosted by Bucketlist, leaders from Great Place to Work Canada, Arctic Wolf, and Dialogue shared the behind-the-scenes tactics that make their cultures award-winning.
Here’s what we learned—from wolf packs to Shackleton metaphors, and the power of anti-values.
Alison Grenier – Head of Culture & Research, Great Place to Work Canada
Alison reminded us that recognition is a lagging indicator—a signal that you’ve already done the hard work of building trust.
“It doesn’t start with recognition. It starts with your strategy.”
At Great Place to Work, culture is measured through a Trust Index, and their data doesn’t lie:
- Over a 20-year period, companies on their best workplaces list outperformed others 4x on the stock market.
- High-trust cultures drive higher discretionary effort, referrals, and retention.
She also spotlighted the growing demand for certification programs:
“The explosion of employer recognition programs signals that people get it. They see the connection between culture and business performance.”
She also emphasized the two most important ingredients for recognition to truly shape culture:
1. Anchor it in values
- Recognition should reinforce the behaviors and principles that matter most.
- “Tying recognition to values and desired behaviors makes it meaningful and consistent.”
2. Make it a habit
- Recognition should be easy, frequent, and part of daily routines.
- “You need a tool that makes it effortless—recognize often, recognize well.
As she put it, the rise of employer recognition programs shows that the market now understands: culture drives business results.
Takeaway: Recognition isn’t just a celebration—it’s a lever for strategy. When it’s anchored in values and built into daily habits, it becomes a powerful tool for engagement, performance, and pride.
Mary Newville – Director of People Experience, Arctic Wolf
At Arctic Wolf, Mary brought her unique lens from a hypergrowth cybersecurity scaleup—one that’s doubled its headcount and expanded across continents.
Culture at Arctic Wolf is built around the metaphor of “the pack”—a tight-knit, interdependent team where “we run as one.”
“We’re building the rocket ship as it’s blasting off—and we’re trying to install the wings mid-flight.”
To keep culture cohesive during scale, Arctic Wolf implemented:
- Well-Wolf Ambassadors – trained peers supporting employee well-being
- A recognition program powered by Bucketlist, where employees earn Star Coins to celebrate teammates living the company’s values
- A recurring Bright Spots program to spotlight employees living their “Pack Principles” at company-wide kickoffs
On surveying employees:
“If you ask for feedback and never do anything with it, you break trust. Only survey as often as you can act.”
Takeaway: In hypergrowth, culture can’t be left to chance. Define your behaviors, reinforce them with recognition, and co-create culture with your pack.
Gabriella Baciu – VP, Talent & Culture, Dialogue
Gabriella brought a deeply intentional, values-rooted approach from Dialogue—a wellness tech company in Quebec.
Her insights were rooted in emotional intelligence, structure, and clarity. She emphasized that recognition is everyone’s job, not just HR’s.
One of Dialogue’s most unique initiatives? Creating a dual list of values and anti-values.
“We defined what we are—grit, courage, growth mindset—but also what we’re not: drama, politics, fixed mindsets. The anti-values give people a mirror to reflect on their behaviors.”
Gabriella also encouraged teams to take Clarity Breaks—time to pause, reflect, and think critically about how their culture is evolving.
Other programs at Dialogue include:
- Dialogue University – internal training on culture and leadership, co-taught by the COO and Gabriella herself
- Frequent use of OfficeVibe for weekly engagement check-ins
- A performance framework tied directly to their core values
- Slack channels for everything from cat lovers to book clubs, fostering micro-communities of belonging
“Well-being fuels well-doing. You can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Takeaway: Recognition thrives in cultures with radical clarity. When people know what the organization values—and what it doesn’t—they can show up more fully, and celebrate others who do the same.
Final Thought: Recognition is Culture in Motion
Across the panel, three themes emerged again and again:
- Recognition validates strategy – It doesn’t create culture, it confirms you’re doing it right.
- Make it easy and frequent – Tools like Bucketlist, OfficeVibe, and structured kickoffs ensure recognition becomes a habit.
- Anchor it to values – Whether through Pack Principles, Shackleton metaphors, or defined anti-values, recognition is most powerful when it reinforces the behaviors that matter.
“Don’t underestimate the impact of small acts of recognition. The way you show up for your team can shape the culture more than you know.” – Mary Newville
Want more? Watch the full session below, featuring speakers from Great Place to Work, Arctic Wolf & Dialogue!
