Carnival Cruise Line and Maritz Motivation Solutions announced the launch of Carnival’s new employee recognition program on the Maritz CultureNext platform, according to a statement.

Known within Carnival as myRecognition, the solution, which went live in August, is currently being used by 3,000 shore-side headquarters and call center employees at Carnival Cruise Line and Carnival Corporation.

“We put people at the heart of everything we do at Carnival. We know that building pride in our company, camaraderie between our team members and trust in our teams and in leadership is critical to success,” according to David Klein, director, organizational development for Carnival Cruise Line. “We believe that this quick and easy tool is a lever that helps drive all these elements and fosters a culture where we reinforce great work to drive continued growth of our people and our business.”

“High performing companies like Carnival understand that recognition is key to attracting, retaining and motivating top talent. And more and more companies realize that creating a great customer experience starts with engaged and motivated employees. The No. 1 fundamental to engagement is feeling appreciated and recognized for contributions,” said Chris Winkelspecht, director of strategic services with Maritz Motivation Solutions.

Carnival’s HR department researched solutions that could help make recognition easy, consistent and equitable across the entire organization. Maritz was selected for its strategic approach to solution development, flexibility to address Carnival’s unique needs, ability to provide end-to-end services and intuitive technology, according to a statement.

Since the launch, 63 percent of the recognitions have acknowledged team members for collaboration, one of Carnival’s core values.

The most liked ecard since the launch is one from Carnival’s chief people officer, Ronald Phillips, who recognized many employees for their hard work and commitment after Hurricane Irma. It has prompted more than 400 likes and 130 comments. “It always feels good to be appreciated. I will continue being of service each and every day,” one employee wrote. “So glad to be part of such a strong community and be recognized,” another said.

Carnival employees like Lisa McPherson, a building facilities manager who oversees four Carnival sites in Miami and Davie, Florida, have embraced the program enthusiastically.

“Sometimes a thank-you is just not enough. The application allows you to thank people who work with you and demonstrates respect by taking the time to recognize the person,” McPherson said.

David Brady, manager, music direction, who has been with the company for 10 years, said he is using the program actively to recognize his team and celebrate their accomplishments when they’ve gone the extra mile. “I love seeing my team celebrated. At Carnival, we are in the business of people and myRecognition better enables us to recognize our most important asset, our people,” he said.