Happy Taco Day! Let’s Tacobout a Tool That Makes a Difference for Your Team’s Culture!
October 1 is National Taco Day and today we’d like to share a tool that centers around a theme of tacos.
As we’ve gone from full-time in the office pre-pandemic to full-time hybrid/mostly remote, we’ve found that a positive team culture is more critical than ever. One tool we use to celebrate each other is HeyTaco. We use it to praise each other’s achievements and acknowledge hard work. It’s super simple for teams to adopt and begin using (as long as your team uses Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat). Keep reading to learn how to start slinging tacos!
What Is HeyTaco?
HeyTaco is a Slack app designed to cultivate a culture of kindness, appreciation, and collaboration. Team members can give “tacos” as a virtual form of kudos and currency, promoting a spirit of recognition and encouragement. If you’re a prodigious taco-giver or taco-getter, you can also earn special rankings and stickers as an achievement. Here is a snapshot of all my taco glory.
How It Works
The simplicity of HeyTaco is one of its greatest strengths. Each team member has up to five tacos daily to give to colleagues who deserve acknowledgment. To send a taco, users send a message with a @username and 🌮 emoji in any channel with HeyTaco activated. This daily practice encourages regular feedback/celebration and creates a dynamic leaderboard, highlighting those who give and receive the most tacos (teams with competitive folks be warned!).
Why It’s Great
The benefits of using HeyTaco extend beyond mere recognition. Here’s why our team loves it:
Encourages Celebrations and Positive Feedback
Regularly acknowledging achievements fosters a positive atmosphere and motivates team members.
Boosts Morale
A small token of appreciation can significantly uplift spirits and promote a positive work environment.
Enhances Team Cohesion
By regularly recognizing each other’s contributions, HeyTaco strengthens bonds and enhances teamwork.
Tracks Recognition Trends
Over time, HeyTaco’s tracking feature offers insights into recognition trends, helping teams understand and improve their culture of appreciation.
It’s Fun!
The playful nature of giving tacos makes participation easy and enjoyable for everyone involved.
And It Works!
Our team’s stats as of September 24!
February: our Most Taco’d Month
37,094 All-time Tacos Given
Amanda
Top Taco Giver
(2024)
Kristi
Top Taco Getter
(2024)
J
All Time Taco Getter
(5 Years)
Why It Matters
Tools that promote a stronger team dynamic like HeyTaco are vital for remote or hybrid teams. They help maintain a sense of appreciation and human connection that can be challenging to achieve in virtual settings. By fostering a positive and celebratory culture, HeyTaco improves employee engagement and ensures team members feel valued and connected, regardless of their physical location.
HeyTaco is more than just a fun add-on; it’s a strategic tool that enhances team collaboration, morale, and overall workplace culture. For any organization looking to boost its remote work environment, HeyTaco is an invaluable asset worth considering. As we continue to navigate the future of work, embracing tools that promote recognition and positivity will be critical to our collective success.
Now, We Need Your Help!
We’re resetting our leaderboard and launching our Taco Shop, which will be powered by… You guessed it… Tacos 🌮! To celebrate this, we’re going to have a vote for the most extraordinary team members this year based on who taco’d their way into the top spots on the leaderboard!
Who do you think should be COLAB’s People’s Choice Taco Winner?
✨ Update: voting has closed 10/8! ✨
And the winner…. 🥁🥁
To be announced next week!
Shoutout to HeyTaco!
By the way, this isn’t a sponsored post, we just love HeyTaco and wanted to spread the word on Taco Day. If you’re looking for an easy way to build a more appreciative culture, I’d encourage you got check out HeyTaco’s Website or contact us and we’d be happy to talk to you about it!