5 countries,
1 daily ritual.

At Deputy, a global workforce management platform with employees across the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam, the challenge wasn't just managing a distributed team — it was keeping them connected. Luis, a Senior Software Engineering Manager, saw the gap first: major achievements got celebrated, but everyday wins went unrecognized. He tried other tools and landed on HeyTaco for its simplicity and cheerful approach.

Bridging the gaps in recognition

What Luis wanted was a simple way to tell people how amazing his team was — something that worked for the small moments, not just the milestones. One thing stood out immediately: the daily taco limit.

Ritualizing recognition remotely

What began as a grassroots engineering initiative spread quickly. Luis launched a Slack channel called Taco Tuesday — later renamed Gratitude — then introduced HeyTaco during a cross-functional town hall. Key team members modeled appreciation across departments, and once tacos started crossing team lines, adoption accelerated company-wide. Luis eventually partnered with HR to complete the rollout.

Non-monetary rewards that work

To maintain momentum, Deputy layered in a mix of rewards — custom swag (tweaked over time to be more wearable), meal and book vouchers, and training-related expenses. They tested options, watched what landed, and adjusted. Rewards weren't the whole story, though. Luis built rituals around recognition too.

Democratizing recognition, boosting morale

Luis now shares recognition analytics with HR — a spreadsheet spotlighting trends across departments, who gives the most, who appreciates the widest range of colleagues. He even runs a yearly "Taco Wrapped" for the whole company, with bonus rewards for standout contributors. It's not in his job description. But it's something he believes in.

What started as an engineering side project made Luis the "Taco Guy" across Deputy. If they preach appreciation to their customers, they need to live it themselves.